Using Math to Compare Patterns

Today you will use simple math to compare patterns in data and tell what those patterns mean.

Scientists collect data, which is information they measure or count, like heights, temperatures, or times. But a long list of numbers can be confusing. Math helps you make sense of it. When you add, subtract, or find an average, hidden patterns start to show up.

Imagine your class grows sunflower seeds. You put three pots on a sunny windowsill and three pots in a shady corner. Every Friday you measure each plant with a ruler in centimeters. After four weeks, the sunny plants measure 12, 14, and 16 centimeters. The shady plants measure 6, 7, and 8 centimeters.

Now use math. Subtract to find differences. The tallest sunny plant is 16 centimeters, and the tallest shady plant is 8 centimeters, so the difference is 8 centimeters. You can also find the average, which is the number you get when you add values together and divide by how many you added. The sunny plants add up to 42, and 42 divided by 3 equals 14. The shady plants add up to 21, and 21 divided by 3 equals 7. So the sunny average is 14 centimeters, and the shady average is 7 centimeters.

Those numbers show a pattern, which is something that repeats or stays the same in your data. Sunny plants grew about twice as tall as shady plants. That is a relationship between sunlight and growth. Because you did the math, your claim is not just a guess. You have evidence, and evidence makes an argument strong.

You can do this with any data: rainfall in your town each month, how far toy cars roll down different ramps, or how quickly ice melts in the shade and in the sun.

Try it: If three bean plants are 9, 10, and 11 centimeters tall, what is their average height?