Parts of an experiment
In an experiment, what is the variable that the scientist purposely changes?
the independent variable
This means to take notice of something or watch something consistently.
to observe
A series of actions or steps used to complete something is called what?
A process
What part of an experiment is kept the same so that the test is fair?
the control
This is an educated prediction about what you think will happen.
The Hypothesis
Which vocabulary word means to decide or settle something?
To determine
A scientist changes the amount of sunlight a plant receives and measures how tall the plant grows. What is the dependent variable?
the plant's height/growth
To find similarities between two or more objects is to do this.
To compare
A scientist is conducting an experiment and identifies something that can be changed or measured. What general term describes this part of a scientific investigation?
A variable
A student wants to determine whether fertilizer affects plant growth. She uses the same type of plant, same amount of water, same soil, and same amount of sunlight, but changes the amount of fertilizer. What is the independent variable?
The amount of fertilizer
A scientist notices that plants receiving more sunlight grew taller. Based on this evidence and reasoning, she says the plants grew taller because they received more sunlight. What process is she using to reach this idea?
To Infer
A scientist examines two groups of plants. She notices that both groups grew leaves and stems, but one group grew much taller. what is she doing?
To compare
A scientist tests whether temperature affects how quickly a chemical reaction occurs. She tests the reaction at 10°C, 20°C, 30°C, and 40°C and records how long each reaction takes. Identify the independent variable AND dependent variable.
temperature and reaction time
A student has collected data from an experiment. She carefully examines the data, breaks it down to understand what it means. Which vocabulary word best describes what she is doing?
To analyze
A scientist completes an experiment and uses the evidence she collected to make a decision about whether her original prediction was supported. What vocabulary word means a decision formed using evidence?
A conclusion