Vocabulary
What are the series of steps used to investigate the natural world called?
The Scientific Method
210 mL = __________ L
0.21L
A student makes a graph showing plant growth over 10 days. The line suddenly drops on day 7. She concludes, “The plant shrank.”
What might be a better explanation?
How could she check if her conclusion is correct?
A better explanation might be that the measurement on day 7 was recorded incorrectly or that the student measured differently than on other days (for example, from a different starting point or angle). Another possibility is that a leaf fell off or wilted, changing the measurement without the whole plant actually shrinking.
To check if her conclusion is correct, the student could:
Re-measure the plant carefully on day 7 and compare to day 6 and day 8.
Repeat the measurement several times or have another person measure to reduce error.
Look for signs of plant stress (like wilting, lack of water, or damage) that could explain why it appeared smaller.
A student wants to test whether plants grow faster in sunlight or under artificial light.
Independent variable = __________________________
Dependent variable = __________________________
Constants (list two) = __________________________
Independent variable = Type of light (sunlight vs. artificial light)
Dependent variable = Plant growth (height, number of leaves, etc.)
Constants = Soil type, amount of water, same kind of plant, container size
What type of graph should you use when graphing percentage of classmates who prefer tacos, pizza, or hamburgers? Why?
Pie
Because you are graphing parts of a whole!
What is the unit of measurement used to measure length?
Meters
What are the base units of the metric system? What are their units?
Meters (m), liters (L), & grams (g)
A scientist is testing how different types of soil affect bean plant growth. She uses three soil types but waters them differently each day.
What’s wrong with her experimental design?
How could she fix it to follow the scientific method correctly?
She is changing two variables at once: the type of soil and the amount of water. This makes it impossible to know which factor caused any differences in plant growth.
She should only change one independent variable — the type of soil. The amount of water, sunlight, type of bean seed, and container size should all be kept constant. That way, she can be sure that differences in plant growth are due to the soil type alone.
Why is it important to have constants in an experiment?
Constants are important because they keep all conditions the same except the variable being tested. This ensures results are reliable and only caused by the independent variable.
Which graph type should you use when graphing distance traveled by a bike over time? Why?
Line graph, because line graphs are ideal for tracking continuous data and showing trends over a period & comparing two different variables.
What is the metric unit for measuring volume?
Liters (L)
64,600,000 cm to km
646
What is the name of the measurement they used in ancient times with their form arms?
a cubit
What is a hypothesis and how is it set up?
A prediction about the outcome of an experiment.
If... then... because statement
Which type of graph would you use to compare averages distance flown by 4 paper airplanes? Why?
Bar graph, because it excels at visually comparing discrete data categories
What is the difference between independent and dependent variables?
The independent variable is the one that is manipulated or changed by the researcher to see its effect, while the dependent variable is the one that is measured to see how it changes in response to the independent variable.
676.7cm
6.767m
0.006767km
When you have a problem or a question, in order to move through the scientific method, you have to make sure that it is ______.
testable!
What is an observation & what counts as an observation?
5 senses + prior knowledge
On a graph, the independent variable is usually placed on the __________ axis, and the dependent variable is placed on the __________ axis.
x axis
y axis
What is the difference between a control and constants?
A control is a separate group or condition used for comparison to see the effect of the independent variable, while constants are factors that remain unchanged throughout the experiment to ensure fair testing
What are all the prefixes going lowest to highest of the metric system?
milli
centi
deci
base units
deka
hecto
kilo
You are comparing the height of two mountains:
Mount A = 8,840 m
Mount B = 29,000 ft (1 ft = 0.3048 m)
Which mountain is taller, and by how many meters?
Convert Mount B:
29,000 ft × 0.3048 m/ft = 8,839.2 m
Compare:
Mount A = 8,840 m
Mount B = 8,839.2 m
Difference = 0.8 m
→ Mount A is slightly taller.
What are all the steps of the scientific method in order?
Problem/question
Observation/research
Form a hypothesis
Plan/Conduct a test/experiment
Collect & analyze data
Conclusion
Share results
All good graphs need what 6 things?
Bonus: What do you need to add if there are two dependent variables?
A title
Labels
The independent variable on the x-axis
The dependent variable on the y-axis
Appropriate scales for each variable
The legend
Bonus: Key