Scientist: Eryka Ocasio Ramos
Lab Title: Scientific Method and Measurements
I. Problem: Is there a correlation between the length of the upper and lower limbs and the height of an individual?
II. Hypothesis: The length of a person’s upper limb is equal to 0.4 (40%) of the height of the person.
III. Variables: Independent Variable: The people chosen for the experiment. Dependent Variable: Height and upper limb length.
IV. Constants: Units of measure, the meterstick used, method of measurement, and age group.
V. Procedure:
1. Make visual observations of other people in class to observe a possible correlation.
2. From the observations made, formulate the hypothesis, “The length of a person’s upper limb …show more content…
Obtain a meterstick to measure arm length of ten subjects. To arm length, place the meterstick in the subject’s armpit and record the length to the longest finger in centimeters. Obtain the height of the subjects with a measuring tape and convert the inches to centimeters. Record all measurements.
4. Make sure all results are converted into centimeters and analyze data. To find the predicted correlation between arm length and height, use the formula (Height x 0.4= Expected upper limb length). To find the actual correlation, use the formula (Upper limb length/ height= % of height).
VI. Materials: A Meter stick, measuring tape, calculator will be needed.
VII. Results:
Subject:
Height (cm) Measured upper limb length Height x 0.4= Expected upper limb length Actual % of Height= Upper limb length /Height (in cm)
Victoria 167.64 cm 71 cm 67.056 cm 42.4%
Steven 180.34 cm 81 cm 72.136 cm 44.9%
Sebastian 167.64 cm 74 cm 67.056 cm 44.1%
Sydney 170.18 cm 70 cm 68.072 cm 41.1%
Danielle 167.64 cm 71 cm 67.056 cm …show more content…
Conclusion: My hypothesis was not correct; the length of a person’s upper limb is not exactly equal to 40% of the person’s height, on average, the actual percentage is 43.1%. While my initial estimate of 40% was not completely correct, the data does show that the actual percentage is very close, in fact, one percentage obtained from one subject is 41.1%, the closest percentage in the entire experiment. It can be summarized that the length of a person’s upper limb is about 43.1% of the person’s height on average.
XI. Big idea: In this experiment, I learned that the average arm length is about 43.1% of a person’s height. This experiment and its findings can be tied back to Anatomy and Physiology because the class discusses different bones and how they compare in size to each other. It is also related because height is determined by many factors which can be discussed in anatomy.
XII. Reflection: Possible sources of error included varying shoe heights, and some possibly inaccurate readings of heights. I did not expect arm length to be so close to 40% of a person’s