• Question: When you conduct an experiment, how do you make sure that it is a fair test?

    Asked by worrow to Aime, Akshat, Diana, Gemma, Judith on 18 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Gemma Sharp

      Gemma Sharp answered on 18 Jun 2011:

      A lot of the work I do involves adding a chemical called LPS to cells, and then measuring levels of different proteins produced by the cells in response to LPS.

      To make it a fair test, whenever I treat my cells with the LPS, I also treat another batch of cells with something like water and measure the proteins produced by both batches. That way, I can check that any change in the levels of the proteins produced is due to the LPS treatment, and wouldn’t have just happened anyway.

      I also make sure both batches of cells are kept in exactly the same conditions. The only difference should be whether they’re treated with water or LPS.

    • Photo: Judith McCann

      Judith McCann answered on 18 Jun 2011:

      Like Gemma said it’s just a case of keeping all the variables the same,how much, time,temperature. Things like that can affect the outcome so we record everything. Controls are really useful,to make sure the result is the effect of what we’ve done, rather than something that would have happened anyway.

      It’s also good to not try to presume what the result SHOULD be so you know for sure you aren’t affecting the result!!

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