Variables related to popular topics in SCIENCE

These are for guidance only, not necessarily used when answering questions. Remember, find the variables
(what is changed, what is observed and what is kept the same) in questions based on the keywords, graph,
table or pictures....

Plants

What is observed (RV)

What is changed (MV)
size
air
height
water
condition- healthy /
fertilizer / nutrient
unhealthy / wilted / die
sunlight
number of leaves
space
size of stem
respond to stimuli
move towards stimuli

Animal

What is observed
What is changed
(RV)
(MV)
size
food
weight
water
condition- live or die
air
number
shelter
productivity
mate
ways to reproduce
types
ways to protect
 Microorganisms
breathes

What is changed (MV) What is observed (RV)

amount of yeast size of dough
presence of air height of dough
presence of water condition of dough

Microorganisms
grows (mould
on bread)

What is observed (RV)

What is changed (MV)
condition of bread (rotten/
mouldy)
amount of water
number/size of black spot /
presence of water
patches

Rusting

What is changed (MV) What is observed (RV)

presence of air
presence of water condition of object (nail)-
type of object rusting / not rusting)
 Electricity

What is changed (MV) What is observed (RV)

number of batteries
number of bulb brightness of bulb
type of circuit- series or condition of bulb – light
parallel up/ not light up
arrangement of bulb
type of material –
conductor or insulator ability to conduct
electricity

Acid n Alkali

What is changed (MV)

type of substance/ What is observed (RV)
solution
taste of substance/ changes of litmus paper
solution color

Water absorption
(sponge / clothes

What is observed (RV)

What is changed (MV)
thickness of
ability absorb water
clothes/sponge
volume of water absorb /
size of sponge
left
type of object
 Spring /
String /
Pendulum

What is observed (RV)

What is changed (MV)
weight / mass of load
length of spring
size of load
number of swing

Heat

What is observed (RV)

What is changed (MV)
time taken temperature of object /
amount of heat absorb water
volume of water time taken for water to
type of object- boil
conductor or insulator time taken for water to
size of ice cube melt

Light n
Shadow

What is changed (MV)

distance between object and What is observed (RV)
torchlight
distance between object and size of shadow
screen height of shadow
position of torchlight / object shape of shadow
type of material – transparent, presence of shadow
opaque, translucent
 Evaporation

What is observed (RV)

What is changed (MV)
rate of evaporation
surface area of container
time taken to dry
temperature
volume of water left in
size of container
container

Food
preservation

What is observed (RV)

What is changed (MV)
type / method of
condition of food
preservation
time taken for food to
presence of air
spoilt
presence of water

Friction

What is observed (RV)

What is changed (MV)
type of surface
distance traveled by object
coarseness of surface
time taken by object to
weight of object
stop
height of plank
 Speed =
Distance / Time

What is observed (RV)

What is changed (MV)
speed of object
distance traveled
type of vehicle
time taken to travel

Solar System-
planet

What is changed (MV)

What is observed (RV)
distance of planet from
time taken to move around
Sun
Sun
size / diameter of planet
temperature of planet
size of orbit

Phases of the
Moon

What is observed (RV)

What is changed (MV) size of Moon
time / date shape of Moon
position of Moon Percentage area Moon can
be seen
 Day and Night

What is observed (RV)

What is changed (MV)
length of shadow
time
direction of shadow
position of Sun

Stability

What is changed (MV) What is observed (RV)

base area time taken to fall
height stability of object
weight

Strength

What is changed (MV) What is observed (RV)

type of material strength
shape of model ability to support
 Machine -
Lever

What is changed (MV)

What is observed (RV)
distance of fulcrum from
amount of force needed to
load
lift load

Machine -
Gear

What is changed (MV)

What is observed (RV)
Size / Diameter of gear
Number of gear rotation

Machine -
Pulley

What is changed (MV) What is observed (RV)

number of pulley amount of force needed to

lift load

Technology –
Transport/
Machine

What is observed (RV)

What is changed (MV)
Time traveled
Type / Mode of transport
Distance traveled
Force/ energy used