#1
What is a "bias"?
-beliefs, upbringing, or perspectives that may impact one's decision making, actions, plans, etc.
How does a scientist's "bias" affect their experiment?
Their bias can impact investigations and research
What is the "scientific method"?
-a sequential approach to investigating a problem question
Identify the meaning of variable.
-an element, factor, feature, or condition that a scientist can change
What is this difference between qualitative and quantitative data?
-quantitative refers to numerical information
What is featured in an experiment's "conclusion"?
-summary of research
-inquiry or investigation in response to problem question and hypothesis
-specific references to data and research
Consider this scenario. What is the controlled variable?
Example:
A scientist conducted an experiment to test light's effect on plant growth. The scientist used red lighting, green lighting, natural lighting, and no lighting. Each plant got the same amount of water daily and was planted into the same type of soil.
-the same amount of water
-the same type of soil
**THESE ARE THE CONSTANTS AMONG THE FOUR PLANTS**
Why is it important to use the scientific method when conducting an experiment?
It is more structured/reliable to ensure more reliable results
What is a theory?
-an explanation for a phenomenon grounded in research and reason.
What do "generalizations of an experiment" refer to?
What is a "controlled variable"?
-the CONTROL
Consider this scenario. What is the DEPENDENT variable?
Example:
A scientist conducted an experiment to test light's effect on plant growth. The scientist used red lighting, green lighting, natural lighting, and no lighting. Each plant got the same amount of water daily and was planted into the same type of soil.
-the different types of light per plant
What does an experiment's "sample size" refer to?
-amount of participants or subjects used for research or inquiry
Why is it better to have a larger sample size?
the higher the sample size, the more valid the conclusion and mirroring across a population
Why might a scientist want to be aware of as many variables as possible?
Uncontrolled variables can impact the experiment's result and make it invalid
-quantitative==> numerical information
-qualitative==> observations, interviews, and responses
It is important for science experiments to be conducted ethically. What does this mean?
-the experiment follows moral standards
-all participants are given informed consent
What is an "independent variable"?
-the condition or process that a scientist decides to change to look for impact
-REMEMBER: I.V. = I Change
Consider the scenario. Identify the "independent variable".
Example" If I use a soap containing 'x ingredient', then the number of bacteria will decrease as compared to 'name brand soap'.
What are the the six steps of the scientific method?
1. Observation
2. Question
3. Hypothesis
4. Experiment
5. Analysis
6. Conclusion
What is a "dependent variable"?
-what the scientist is measuring within an experiment of investigation
-the type of data being collected
What is a "hypothesis"?
-an educated guess informed by research
-follows an "if...then...because"statement
When should a scientist create their hypothesis?
Prior to starting their experiment
The conclusion of a scientific experiment circles back to the hypothesis. What might the conclusion discuss?
whether or not the hypothesis was supported by the results
What does it mean if an article is "peer-reviewed"?
A scientist's research was reviewed by "peers" before getting published. This makes sure that the research is valid.