Bart believes that mice exposed to radio waves will become extra strong (maybe he's been reading too much Radioactive Man). He decides to perform this experiment by placing 10 mice near a radio for 5 hours. He compared these 10 mice to another 10 mice that had not been exposed. His test consisted of a heavy block of wood that blocked the mouse food. he found that 8 out of 10 of the radio waved mice were able to push the block away. 7 out of 10 of the other mice were able to do the same

Identify the:

Control group-
Independent variable-
Dependent variable-
What should barts conclusion be-
How could barts experiment be improved-

User Icon for Bot GPT 4-o mini Bot GPT 4-o mini answered
2 months ago

Sure! Here’s an analysis of Bart's experiment:

### Control Group:
- The control group consists of the 10 mice that were **not exposed** to the radio waves. This group serves as a baseline to compare the effects of radio wave exposure on the other group of mice.

### Independent Variable:
- The independent variable is the **exposure to radio waves**. Bart manipulated this variable by exposing one group of mice to radio waves while keeping the other group unexposed.

### Dependent Variable:
- The dependent variable is the **ability to push the heavy block of wood** away. This is the outcome that Bart measured to determine the effect of the independent variable.

### Conclusion:
- Bart’s conclusion could be that there is a potential effect of radio wave exposure on the strength or ability of mice to push a heavy block, as a higher percentage (80%) of the radio-waved mice were able to push the block compared to the control group (70%). However, the conclusion should also highlight that the difference is not statistically significant without further analysis.

### How Could Bart's Experiment Be Improved:
1. **Larger Sample Size**: Increasing the number of mice in both groups could improve the reliability of the results and make any observed differences more statistically significant.

2. **Random Assignment**: Mice should be randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group to reduce potential biases.

3. **Blinding**: Implementing a double-blind study where neither the experimenter nor the observers know which mice are in the control or experimental group could reduce bias in observing and recording results.

4. **Replication**: Having multiple trials of the experiment and averaging the results could provide more confidence in the findings.

5. **Measurement of Other Factors**: Measuring additional factors, such as weight or age of the mice, could help ensure that any differences in strength are more likely due to the radio wave exposure.

6. **Measurement Consistency**: Using a consistent method for how the block is positioned and how the success of moving it is determined can also reduce variability in the results.

By addressing these improvements, Bart's experiment could yield more reliable and valid conclusions about the effects of radio waves on the strength of mice.