Lyndon is investigating whether putting plastic on her windows will help seal out cold winter drafts. She covers a window on the south side of her house with plastic and measures the inside temperature near the window. She also measures the inside temperature near a window without plastic on the north side of her house. The windows are the same size and design. Why is this not an ideal controlled investigation?

Answer 1

This is not an ideal controlled investigation because Lyndon is only comparing the temperature difference between one window with plastic and one window without plastic. To make the investigation more controlled, Lyndon should cover all windows on one side of the house with plastic and leave the windows on the other side uncovered. This way, she can compare the overall temperature difference between the two sides of the house and determine the effectiveness of using plastic to seal out drafts. Additionally, other factors such as insulation, heating system, and outside temperature should be taken into consideration to ensure a more accurate comparison.