Santa's Scientific Method
The first step of the scientific method, when you notice something around you.
What is making an observation?
The variable a scientist changes on purpose.
What is the independent variable?
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The smallest building block of matter.
What is an atom?
This phase looks like a “D” and is more than half lit but not full.
What is the waxing gibbous?
This closest planet to the Sun is also the fastest, orbiting the Sun in just 88 days.
What is Mercury?
A testable explanation you make before conducting an experiment.
What is a hypothesis?
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The variable that is measured during an experiment.
What is the dependent variable?
A pure substance made of only one type of atom.
What is an element?
This phase of the Moon happens when the Moon appears fully lit.
What is the full moon?
Bonus 200 points: What is opposite of a full moon?
Known as Earth’s “twin” because of its similar size, this planet is covered in thick clouds of sulfuric acid.
What is Venus?
The step where you look at your data to find patterns or answers.
What is analyzing results?
n an experiment testing how water amount affects plant growth, this is the dependent variable.
What is the plant’s growth (height)?
The center of an atom is called this.
What is the nucleus?
The reason Earth has seasons.
What is the tilt of Earth’s axis?
This is the only planet known to support life and has liquid water on its surface.
What is Earth?
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The final step of the scientific method where you explain what you learned.
What is writing a conclusion and share results?
The group in an experiment that does not get the independent variable and is used for comparison.
What is the control group?
This particle has a negative charge in an atom.
What is an electron?
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Large balls of hot, glowing gases found in space.
What are stars?
Called the “Red Planet,” this world has the largest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons.
What is Mars?
Give two reasons why it is important to repeat an experiment multiple times.
To check reliability and reduce chance of error; to see if results are repeatable and consistent. (Also to identify anomalies.)
Bonus 200: What is the minimum amount of times you need to perform an experiment
In an experiment testing how light affects plant growth, what is the independent variable?
Amount or type of light (e.g., hours of light per day).
The periodic table organizes elements by this number of protons.
What is atomic number?
The path Earth takes as it travels around the Sun.
What is an orbit?
The order of the planets from nearest to the sun:
What is Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune