4. You are conducting an experiment to determine if increased ultraviolet radiation from the decrease in the ozone layer is causing an increase in melanoma (skin cancer). After examining all of the data
you can find, you formulate a hypothesis that increased ultraviolet radiation from the sun is causing
increased melanoma rates. You design an experiment with a control and an experimental group.
Your control group (group 1) involves 100 20-year-old students who agree to cover all exposed skin
with sunscreen for one year (the sunscreen will filter out the ultraviolet radiation). The experimen-
tal group (group 2) will be composed of 100 20-year-old students, except that instead of wearing
sunscreen, they promise to use no sun protection for one year. You then check the two groups for
melanoma 5 years later and observe the results.
RESULTS
GROUP 1 GROUP 2
Number of students with
melanoma at start
0
0
Number of students with
melanoma after 5 years
N
LO
Using this information, answer the following questions.
a.
What is the independent variable and what is the dependent variable?
b. Does the information from this experiment support the hypothesis?
c. Which is the control group, and which is the experimental group?