Easy
Observation or Inference: The water turned purple.
Observation
What is the first thing a scientist should do when trying to solve a problem?
Ask a question
What is a prediction you can test called?
A Hypothesis
A student says, "My hypothesis was wrong, so I should change my results." What should they do instead?
Keep the real results and use them to make a new conclusion/hypothesis.
What tool would you use to measure length?
A Ruler
You see dark clouds and think it is about to rain. Is that an observation or inference?
Inference
A student is rubbing their eyes. "The student is tired." Observation or inference?
Inference
A student tests which toy car goes farthest. She pushes one car harder than the others. What needs to be controlled?
How hard she pushes the car
Why should scientists measure instead of saying "it looks bigger"?
Measurements provide more exact/objective evidence.
What tool measures a liquid?
A graduated cylinder or a beaker
Two toy cars are tested. One starts at the top of a ramp and one starts halfway down. Is this a fair test?
No, they should be at the same height
What variable is measured?
Dependent Variable
Why do scientists collect data?
To have evidence to answer a question
In an experiment, one plant gets more sunlight and also receives twice as much water. Why is this a problem?
You can only change one variable at a time in an experiment.
What tool measures temperature?
A thermometer
Why are repeated trials better than performing an experiment once?
They help identify unusual results and provide more reliable evidence.
What do we call variables that scientists keep the same?
A controlled variable
Should an outlier automatically be deleted?
No. First investigate why it happened.
A student tests whether fertilizer affects plant growth. Plant A gets 0 g, Plant B gets 5 g, and Plant C gets 10 g. What are the IV and DV?
IV = amount of fertilizer; DV = plant growth/height
What tool measures weight?
A scale
A student tests whether paper clips change how far a paper airplane flies. What should be measured?
The distance
A student changes the amount of sunlight a plant gets and measures its height. What is the independent variable?
The amount of sunlight
Why should scientists use numbers when possible?
Numbers make comparisons and analysis more precise.
A student concludes, "My hypothesis was wrong, so my experiment was a failure." What is wrong with this statement?
An unsupported hypothesis does not mean the experiment failed. The results still provide scientific evidence.
Give me 1 unit of measure for either length, volume, mass, or temperature.
Meter, Liters, Grams, Degrees