Question

Part 1 Designing an Investigation

Melinda was cooking a pizza and removed the pizza from the
oven, which was set to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. She wanted to
cool down the pizza as quickly as possible to eat it. In her house,
she had a freezer (set to 0 degrees Fahrenheit), a refrigerator
(set to 40 degrees Fahrenheit), and the countertop (which is at
the temperature of the room, 78 degrees Fahrenheit).
1. Design an experiment that will let Melinda study which of
the three options, the refrigerator, the freezer, or the room, will let the pizza cool down the fastest.
Experimental Question (How does (IV) the heat
affect the pizza to cool down
DV)
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Experiment Plan

Answer 1

Melinda can conduct an experiment with the independent variable being the cooling method (freezer, refrigerator, countertop) and the dependent variable being the cooling time. She needs to measure and compare the temperature at regular intervals to determine the quickest cooling method.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the fastest cooling method for a pizza using a freezer, refrigerator, or the room temperature, Melinda can set up a controlled experiment. The independent variable would be the cooling location (the freezer, refrigerator, or countertop). The dependent variable is the time it takes for the pizza to reach a safe-to-eat temperature, which could be standardized as the temperature it reaches when no longer hot to the touch, or a specific temperature such as 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Experiment Plan

1. Remove three identical slices of pizza from an oven set to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place one slice in the freezer (0 degrees Fahrenheit), another in the refrigerator (40 degrees Fahrenheit), and the last one on the countertop (78 degrees Fahrenheit).
3. Use a food thermometer to measure the temperature of each pizza slice at one-minute intervals.
4. Record the time it takes for each slice to reach the target safe-to-eat temperature.
5. Plot the data in a graph to visualize the cooling curves and compare the rates of cooling for each method.

By carefully measuring the temperature over time and controlling other variables such as the size of pizza slices or the opening of the freezer or refrigerator doors, Melinda can identify which method cools her pizza the fastest.

Answer 2

The experimental plan is to measure the values of the dependent variable, which is the temperature of the pizza after it is cooled in each of the heat (temperature) environments, which is the dependent variable, for a given equal period of time, which is the control

Step-by-step explanation:

The given parameters are;

The temperature of the pizza = 400°F

The temperature of the freezer = 0°F

The temperature of the refrigerator = 40°F

The temperature of the countertop = 78°F

Given that the independent variable = The heat to which the hot pizza is subjected

The dependent variable = The temperature to which the pizza cools down

The experiment plan includes;

1) Place the pizza which is at 400°F in each of the different heat environment, which are, the freezer, the fridge, and the counter top, for the same period of time and record the final temperature of the pizza

2) The option that gives the lowest final temperature within the same time frame is the option that will let the pizza cool down fastest.