A scientific investigation was conducted with 20 cyclists to determine whether caffeine can increase stamina - NSC Life Sciences - Question 3 - 2017 - Paper 1
Question 3
A scientific investigation was conducted with 20 cyclists to determine whether caffeine can increase stamina.
The procedure was as follows:
- The group of cyclist... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A scientific investigation was conducted with 20 cyclists to determine whether caffeine can increase stamina - NSC Life Sciences - Question 3 - 2017 - Paper 1
Step 1
State the question that the scientists were trying to answer through this investigation.
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Answer
The scientists were investigating whether drinking coffee containing caffeine increases stamina in cyclists.
Step 2
Identify: Independent variable
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Answer
The independent variable is the amount of caffeine present in the coffee.
Step 3
Identify: Dependent variable and how it was measured.
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Answer
The dependent variable is the cyclists' stamina, measured by the average duration of cycling.
Step 4
What is the relationship between caffeine consumption and the stamina of the cyclists?
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Answer
The average cycling time of the cyclists increased with the use of caffeine, indicating a positive relationship between caffeine consumption and stamina.
Step 5
Explain the purpose of giving the participants decaffeinated coffee before caffeine was administered.
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Answer
This was done to provide a control variable, allowing for the comparison of results and to eliminate the influence of other factors that may cause an increase in stamina.
Step 6
The participants of the study were not told whether or not they drank caffeinated coffee.
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This was to prevent bias; knowing they consumed caffeine could subconsciously influence their performance.
Step 7
Explain why the procedure does not indicate how much time passed between each cycling exercise is an important factor to know.
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If too little time passes, participants may be fatigued or warmed up, which can affect their performance, thereby influencing the validity of the investigation.
