Science Sleuths
This practice involves beliefs that lack empirical support and cannot be tested or reproduced. Is it science or pseudoscience?
Answer: What is pseudoscience?
A testable prediction or explanation for a set of observations is known as a...?
Answer: What is a hypothesis?
In an experiment, the factor that is deliberately changed is called the...?
Answer: What is the independent variable?
Information gathered from observations during an experiment is called...?
Answer: What is data?
A well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations and hypotheses is called a...?
Answer: What is a theory?
Scientists use their senses to gather information about the natural world in a careful and systematic way. This process is known as...?
Answer: What is observation?
True or False: A hypothesis must be testable and falsifiable to be considered scientific.
Answer: What is true?
The factor that is observed and measured in an experiment, changing in response to the independent variable, is the...?
Answer: What is the dependent variable?
Data that involves numbers and measurements is referred to as...?
Answer: What is quantitative data?
True or False: In science, a theory is just a guess and lacks substantial evidence.
Answer: What is false?
Before research findings are published, they undergo evaluation by anonymous experts in the same field to ensure validity and reliability. This process is called...?
Answer: What is peer review?
When a scientist makes a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge and experience, it's called an...?
Answer: What is an inference?
The group in an experiment that does not receive the independent variable and is used for comparison is called the...?
Answer: What is the control group?
Data that describes qualities or characteristics and cannot usually be measured is known as...?
Answer: What is qualitative data?
A concise statement that summarizes the results of many observations and experiments, often expressed mathematically, is known as a scientific...?
Answer: What is a law?
Scientists who question existing ideas and demand evidence before accepting explanations demonstrate this important scientific attitude.
Answer: What is skepticism?
This is typically the next step after forming a hypothesis in the scientific method.
Answer: What is conducting a controlled experiment?
Keeping all variables except the independent variable the same throughout an experiment ensures the results are due to the independent variable. These unchanged factors are known as...?
Answer: What are constants or controlled variables?
When you use your senses to gather information directly, you are making an...?
Answer: What is an observation?
While a hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a single event, a theory is...?
Answer: What is a comprehensive explanation for a wide range of phenomena, supported by a large body of evidence?
This essential scientific attitude involves being open to new ideas and willing to change one's mind when presented with new evidence, even if it challenges existing beliefs.
Answer: What is open-mindedness?
If experimental data does not support a hypothesis, a good scientist will...?
Answer: What is revise or reject the hypothesis and possibly form a new one?
Changing more than one variable at a time in an experiment makes it difficult to determine which variable is responsible for any observed effects. This highlights the importance of conducting a...?
Answer: What is a controlled experiment?
Detectives (and scientists) often use clues to make logical conclusions about events that have occurred. This process is similar to forming an...?
Answer: What is an inference?
This theory explains how species evolve over time through natural selection and is a cornerstone of biological science.
Answer: What is the theory of evolution?