Question

To be effective, a simple experiment must

A) Occur in a research laboratory.
B) Stand alone without replication.
C) Manipulate one variable at a time.
D) Validate the hypothesis being tested.

Answer 1

Option (C), A simple experiment must manipulate one variable at a time to be effective. Controlled experiments with a separate control group are essential to test the hypothesis, which must be falsifiable but not necessarily validated as an absolute truth.

Step-by-step explanation:

To be effective, a simple experiment must manipulate one variable at a time. This approach allows for systematic observations or measurements under controlled conditions, isolating the effects of the manipulated variable. The idea of a controlled experiment is crucial; while the experimental group receives the treatment or variable being tested, the control group does not, ensuring that any differences observed are due to the experimental treatment and not other factors.

This approach helps validate the falsifiability of the hypothesis, as a valid hypothesis should be testable and disprovable by experimental results. However, it should be acknowledged that an experiment does not 'validate' a hypothesis in the sense of proving it to be true; rather, it demonstrates whether the hypothesis is not invalidated by the experiment. An important part of the scientific method involves accepting, rejecting, or modifying hypotheses based on experimental data.