Science Vocab
What does ACCURACY mean?
How close a measurement is to the true value or target.
Sam sees a wet umbrella by the door. Observation or inference?
Observation
A dart lands directly on the bullseye. Is this evidence of accuracy or precision?
Accuracy
In an experiment, what is the INDEPENDENT VARIABLE?
The one thing you change on purpose.
What is QUANTITATIVE data?
Data that uses numbers to count or measure.
What does PRECISION mean?
Getting the same or very similar result over and over again.
Sam thinks it must be raining because the umbrella is wet. Observation or inference?
Inference
Four darts land very close together, but all are far from the bullseye. What does this show?
Precision but not accuracy.
In the bean-plant experiment, what is the independent variable?
The amount of water given to the plants.
What is QUALITATIVE data?
Data that uses words to describe how something looks, feels, smells, etc.
Which science word means using your senses to learn about something?
Observation
Sam sees wet boots next to the umbrella. Is that an observation or inference?
Observation
Four darts are spread all over the target and none are close to the bullseye. What does this show?
Neither accuracy nor precision
What is the DEPENDENT VARIABLE?
The thing you measure to see what happens.
“The rock weighs 5 pounds.” Quantitative or qualitative?
Quantitative.
A scientist says, “The plant is probably dying because it has not received enough water.” Is this an observation or an inference?
Inference
Sam guesses that his sister just came home from a walk. Why is this an inference?
Because he didn't directly see his sister come home, so he is using clues to make a guess.
A scale gives 10.1 g, 10.1 g, and 10.1 g when the real mass is 12.0 g. Is it accurate, precise, both, or neither?
Precise but not accurate. The measurements are consistent but far from the true value.
In the bean-plant experiment, what is the dependent variable?
How tall the plants grow, measured with a ruler.
“The cat has soft fur.” Quantitative or qualitative?
Qualitative.
A student says a theory is “just a guess.” Is that a good scientific definition? Why or why not?
A student says, “The classroom is cold because the air conditioner is broken.” What part is the observation and what part is the inference?
"The classroom is cold" is the observation. "The air conditioner is broken" is the inference.
Why can a scientist be precise but not accurate? Give an example using a scale.
A tool can give very consistent measurements while being incorrectly calibrated. For example, a scale might always read 2 g too high.
Name TWO constants in the bean-plant experiment.
Possible answers: same kind of dirt, same size pot, or other conditions kept the same.
A student records: “The water is hot and the temperature is 35°C.” Which part is qualitative and which part is quantitative?
“The water is hot” is qualitative; “35°C” is quantitative.