Variables to be considered:
Things which could easily be varied on the liquid lens microscope include:
Practical considerations:
Standards:
In order to test a variable, a set of standards or criteria must be developed. I prefer to have my students develop their own standards or criteria. If they are testing only for "Which hole diameter provides the best lens", then the students must define what they mean by "best lens".
"Best lens" might mean a number of things:
The "best lens" might even vary with the use intended for the lens. Such things should be considered when setting up standards for evaluating a variable.
Once the standards are decided upon, students will need to design their experiment for testing the variable. The data chart for recording all results will need to be designed. Then, based upon the student standards and their experimental results, a conclusion will need to be reached.
Note: In this lab activity students from different teams might well be experimenting with an assortment of variables. This is OK. As science teachers, we are interested in teaching scientific thinking and thought processes to our students. All students in a particular class do not need to be doing the same thing at the same time!
As teachers, you will need to have a few tools and some assorted scrap metal available for students to use during this lab activity.