Vocabulary
Scientific Law
What is a rule that describes the behavior of something in nature?
hypothesis
What is an educated guess (inference) or expected outcome for an experiment?
The reason all variables, except the I.V., are controlled (kept constant) in an experiment
What is in order to know the clear CAUSE and EFFECT in the experient?
(I.V is the cause. D.V. is the effect.)
In an experiment, the name for the variable(s) that never change in an experiment.
What are constants.
What we use to gather evidence.
What are our senses and extensions of our senses, such as measurement tools?
Scientific Theory
What is an explanation backed by results obtained from repeated tests or experiments?
These should remain the same throughout an experiment.
What are constants?
One of these is not part of a scientific method. Gather information. Draw conclusions. Take a vote. Analyze results. Test hypothesis.
What is take a vote?
In an experiment, the term used to describe the variable that changes in an experiment.
What is the independent variable?
This is the term to describe the use of scientific discoveries for practical purposes.
What is technology?
The process of using another scientist's procedures to copy the experiment in an attempt to verify the scientist's results
What is replication?
Dependent variable
What is variable that is measured and recorded at the end of an experiment?
This is usually the first step in any scientific method.
What is identify a problem or state a question?
In an experiment, the term used to describe the variable that is measured at the end of an experiment.
What is the dependent variable?
This is the term for a type of data that does not involve numbers, but only descriptions based on the senses.
What is qualitative data?
This is used to test hypotheses.
What is experimentation?
Control or Control Group
What is the part of an experiment that does not receive the I.V., against which the test group is compared?
The activity a scientist does during the "analyze results" step.
What is graphing the data to find meaning in the results?
A test is being conducted to find the best fertilizer to grow tall plants. The dependent variable in this experiment would be...
What is the height of the plants?
The reason scientists repeat an experiment with multiple trials.
What is to make sure that the results are consistent and not altered by random events. Multiple trials can be done at one time?
Steps used to solve a problem.
What is a scientific method or scientific inquiry?
The next step that should be done if the scientist realizes that the results of an experiment are invalid because not all variables were properly controlled
What is make corrections and redo the experiment?
The reason why scientists replicate each other's experiments
What is to validate results, or to make sure the results are reliable?
An experiment is designed to determine if a rubber ball bounces higher than a plastic ball. This would be the independent variable.
What is the type of ball (rubber or plastic)?
If you make a mistake during an experiment that leads to unreliable results, but there is no time to retest, what is the best thing to do.
What is record the errors in your conclusions as an explanation of the unreliable results?