Trusting what you remember over the data
- The idea
- Predict
- See it
- Why
- Check
The idea
“I already know how this works, so I don't need this experiment's data.”
The fact you remember is usually true, which is why it's tempting. Exam questions often change the setup so it doesn't hold.
The short version
The mistake: I already know how this works, so I don't need this experiment's data.
What's actually true: A fact you learned tells you what usually happens. The question asks what this setup shows, so let the data decide.
- A fact like "plants take in CO2" sums up the usual case. It says nothing about this experiment.
- Leaf cells respire in light and dark. In light, photosynthesis also fixes CO2. A sensor only sees the net of the two.
- Bright light lets photosynthesis outpace respiration, so CO2 falls. In very dim light or the dark, respiration wins and CO2 rises.
On the exam: Your fact is a guess about the usual case. Let this setup and these numbers decide.