3. Aims: Nominalisation

Understanding how everyday wording is converted into scientific language is essential for correctly identifying variables and writing aims.

A student is investigating how the amount of light affects how tall a plant grows.

To write a scientific aim, the everyday description, that uses verbs such as “affects” and “grows”, are converted into noun phrases (nominalisation), which represent measurable variables.

This proccess of conversion results in an aim: To investigate the effect of light intensity on plant height.

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3.1. Key linguistic features

1. Nominalisation

• Converting actions (verbs) or descriptions (adjectives) into noun phrases to represent measurable, testable variables in scientific investigations

• how far it goes → distance travelled

• how fast it happens → rate of change

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3.2. Key Patterns

1. Extent → measurable amount → Becomes quantity variables

• how far → distance travelled

• how long → time taken

• how much (solid) → mass of solid

• how much (liquid) → volume of liquid

2. Manner → rate variables → Becomes rate of change variables

• how fast → rate of motion

• how quickly it melts → rate of melting

• how fast it grows → growth rate

3. Attribute → property variables → Becomes measurable properties

• how hot → temperature

• how loud → sound intensity

• how bright → light intensity

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Multiple-Choice Questions

Choose the best answer for each question.

Q1

A student writes “how fast the reaction happens” in an investigation. What is the best scientific variable wording?

a. reaction speed

b. rate of reaction

c. reaction time taken

d. reaction amount

Q2

A student states the aim as “how far the object moves”. What is the most appropriate scientific variable?

a. distance travelled

b. movement speed

c. displacement force

d. motion rate

Q3

The phrase “how long it takes for the ice to melt” is best rewritten as:

a. melting amount

b. time taken for melting

c. melting rate

d. ice temperature

Q4

A student writes “how much water is used in the experiment”. What is the best scientific variable wording?

a. water mass

b. water temperature

c. volume of water

d. water pressure

Q5

The phrase “how quickly soil is washed away” is best expressed as:

a. soil amount

b. rate of erosion

c. soil mass loss

d. erosion force

Q6

A student writes “how bright the light is”. What is the most appropriate scientific variable?

a. light colour

b. light intensity

c. brightness speed

d. illumination time

Q7

The phrase “how much electricity flows through a circuit” refers to:

a. voltage

b. resistance

c. current

d. power

Q8

A student writes “how tall the plant grows”. What is the best scientific variable wording?

a. plant size rate

b. plant height

c. plant growth force

d. plant extension speed

Q9

A student writes the aim as “to investigate how fast the temperature changes when heating water”. What is the best scientific variable?

a. temperature of water

b. heat of water

c. rate of temperature change

d. time taken

Q10

In an experiment, a student records “how much salt dissolves in water”. Which is the most appropriate variable?

a. solubility

b. mass of salt dissolved

c. volume of salt

d. rate of dissolving

Q11

A student writes “how quickly a metal rod expands when heated”. What is the correct scientific variable?

a. length of rod

b. expansion of rod

c. rate of expansion

d. temperature of rod

Q12

The phrase “how much gas is produced in 30 seconds” should be written as:

a. gas production

b. rate of gas production

c. volume of gas produced

d. gas speed

Q13

A student writes “how strong the magnet is” in an investigation. What is the most appropriate scientific variable?

a. magnetic force

b. magnet strength rate

c. magnet size

d. magnetic energy

Q14

The phrase “how quickly the pendulum slows down” is best expressed as:

a. speed of pendulum

b. time taken

c. rate of change of speed

d. pendulum force

Q15

A student writes “how much the spring stretches when different weights are added”. What is the best scientific variable?

a. spring force

b. extension of the spring

c. spring length rate

d. weight of spring

Reveal Answer Key

Q1

b — rate of reaction

Q2

a — distance travelled

Q3

b — time taken for melting

Q4

c — volume of water

Q5

b — rate of erosion

Q6

b — light intensity

Q7

c — current

Q8

b — plant height

Q9

c — rate of temperature change

Q10

b — mass of salt dissolved

Q11

c — rate of expansion

Q12

c — volume of gas produced

Q13

a — magnetic force

Q14

c — rate of change of speed

Q15

b — extension of the spring

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3.3. Mapping: “How” → Variable

The table below shows how informal investigation wording is translated into precise scientific terms.

Student wording	Type of quantity	Scientific variable
how fast it is moving	Property (scale)	speed
how high or low the sound is	Property (scale)	pitch of sound
how cold or hot the water is	Property (scale)	temperature of water
how loud it is	Property (strength)	sound intensity
how bright it is	Property (strength)	light intensity
how much friction there is	Property (strength)	frictional force
how heavy it is	Property (strength)	weight
how much water there is	Amount	volume
how much ice there is	Amount	mass
how far it goes	Distance	distance travelled
how long it takes	Time	time taken
how tall the plant grows	Size	height of plant
how much electricity flows	Rate	current
how quickly it melts	Rate	rate of melting

3.4. Explanation of Terms in Column 2

Property (Scale):

Refers to characteristics that can be measured on a continuous scale and can be expressed numerically.

Property (Strength):

Refers to characteristics that indicate the intensity or force of a phenomenon. This includes variables that describe the strength or magnitude of an effect.

Amount:

This term describes the quantity of a substance or object.

Distance:

This term measures how far something travels or the length of a path.

Time:

Refers to the duration or length of an event or process. This measurement tells us how long it takes for something to happen.

Size:

Describes the dimensions or magnitude of an object, like height or width.

Rate:

This term indicates a measure of how quickly or slowly something happens in relation to time.

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Matching Scientific Variables

Match each informal description to the correct scientific variable.

Q1

Match each student wording to the correct scientific variable.

Options: (A) time taken, (B) sound intensity, (C) distance travelled, (D) rate of melting

No.	Student wording	Scientific variable
1.1	how loud it is	[_______________]
1.2	how far it goes	[_______________]
1.3	how quickly it melts	[_______________]
1.4	how long it takes	[_______________]

Q2

Match each student wording to the correct scientific variable.

Options: (A) volume of water, (B) growth rate of the plant, (C) temperature of water, (D) height of the plant

No.	Student wording	Scientific variable
2.1	how fast the plant grows	[_______________]
2.2	how tall the plant grows	[_______________]
2.3	how hot the water is	[_______________]
2.4	how much water	[_______________]

Q3

Match each student wording to the correct scientific variable.

Options: (A) pitch of sound, (B) current, (C) frictional force, (D) rate of erosion

No.	Student wording	Scientific variable
3.1	how quickly soil is washed away	[_______________]
3.2	how much friction there is	[_______________]
3.3	how high or low the sound is	[_______________]
3.4	how much electricity flows	[_______________]

Q4

Match each student wording to the correct scientific variable.

Options: (A) rate of melting, (B) time taken, (C) light intensity, (D) mass of ice

No.	Student wording	Scientific variable
4.1	how quickly it melts	[_______________]
4.2	how long it takes	[_______________]
4.3	how bright it is	[_______________]
4.4	how much ice	[_______________]

Reveal Answer Key

Q1

Answers:

1.1 (B) sound intensity;

1.2 (C) distance travelled;

1.3 (D) rate of melting;

1.4 (A) time taken.

Q2

Answers:

2.1 (B) growth rate of the plant;

2.2 (D) height of the plant;

2.3 (C) temperature of water;

2.4 (A) volume of water.

Q3

Answers:

3.1 (D) rate of erosion;

3.2 (C) frictional force;

3.3 (A) pitch of sound;

3.4 (B) current.

Q4

Answers:

4.1 (A) rate of melting;

4.2 (B) time taken;

4.3 (C) light intensity;

4.4 (D) mass of ice.