Experiment Builder

Welcome

Build Your Scientific Experiment

This tool will guide you through designing a complete scientific experiment. Use the question framework on the left to shape your research question, then explore what kinds of experiments are possible on the right.

How it works:

  • Left panel: Frame your scientific question, and open the PDSA Investigation Assistant for guidance and feedback
  • Right panel: Design your experiment step-by-step
  • Connection: Your question and experiment design inform each other
Step 1 of 4

Select Object & Property/Process

Choose an object, substance or material. Then, select the physical property or biological/chemical process you want to investigate.

Step 2 of 4

Select Measuring Tools

Choose the tools you will use to measure the property or process selected in Step 1. You can select multiple tools if needed.

Objective Measurement Tools

Subjective Measurement Tools

Selected Tools:

None selected yet.
Step 3 of 4

Add Materials (Optional)

Select standard items needed to run your experiment or enable measurement. Add custom items if required.

Remember basic lab safety: wear goggles if needed, handle substances carefully, ask your supervisor before tasting/smelling unknown things.

Common Materials:

Custom Material:

Selected Materials:

None selected yet.
Step 4 of 4

Set Experiment Parameters

Investigating:

Object/Material: -

Property/Process: -

-

Using Tool:

Tool: -

Measures: -

Type: -

Number of Trials / Repeats

How many times will you repeat the measurement under the same conditions?

Why Multiple Trials? Individual measurements can vary due to small errors, environmental changes, or natural variation in your materials. Multiple trials help you:
  • Calculate a more reliable average
  • Spot outliers or errors
  • Assess how consistent your results are
  • Increase confidence in your conclusions
-
3
+
EXP-ABC123
Complete Experiment Plan

Investigating: Property of Object

Tool Suitability: Assessment will appear here

Focus:

Object/Material: Object Name

Property/Process: Property

Properties description

Measurement Method:

Tool: Tool Name

Measures: What it measures

Unit: Unit

Materials:

  • None specified

Data Processing & Graphing Guide:

Working with Your Data:

Step 1: Calculate Averages
For repeated trials, calculate the average (mean) of your measurements. This gives you a more reliable result than any single trial.

Step 2: Choose the Right Graph Type:

  • Column/Bar Charts: Use for comparing categories or subjective ratings (e.g., comparing juiciness of different oranges, rating scales 1-5)
  • Pie Charts: Use for showing parts of a whole with categorical data (e.g., percentage of students who prefer each condition)
  • Line Graphs: Use when showing how something changes over time or with continuous variables (e.g., temperature vs. dissolving rate)
  • Scatter Plots: Use to show relationships between two numerical variables (e.g., heart rate vs. exercise duration)

Step 3: Graph Your Results
Plot your averages or percentages rather than raw individual measurements. Include error bars if you know how - they show the range of your data.

๐Ÿ’ก Tip: Your graph should clearly show whether your hypothesis was supported or not. A good graph tells the story of your results!

Experiment Outline & Data Table:

Reminder: Execute this plan only with appropriate supervision and safety precautions in place!

Outline:

  1. Instructions will appear here

Data Table:

Trial Measurement Unit Conditions / Observations

Potential Discussion Questions:

  • Questions will appear here

๐Ÿ“‹ Next Step: Build Your Poster

Once you've run your experiment and collected your results, use the PDSA Poster Builder to design your A1 scientific poster for your PDSA entry.

Open PDSA Poster Builder โ†’