Nature+of+Science+Vocabulary (2).pptx

NATURE OF SCIENCE VOCABULARY – CHAPTER 1 1. Scientific method - organized set of problem solving procedures from asking a question to making a conclusion regarding the hypothesis. 2. Observation - the process of gathering information via the senses. Ex: counting, reading a thermometer, seeing a...

NATURE OF SCIENCE VOCABULARY – CHAPTER 1 1. Scientific method - organized set of problem solving procedures from asking a question to making a conclusion regarding the hypothesis. 2. Observation - the process of gathering information via the senses. Ex: counting, reading a thermometer, seeing and listening to vibrations 3. Subjective - arising out of or identified by means of perception or opinion. Ex: cold air 4. Objective - expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion arising from bias or opinion. Ex: 22 degree air 5. Hypothesis - educated guess using what you know and observe to predict the outcome of an experiment. 6. Variable - a factor that can cause a change in the results of an experiment. 7. Independent variable - a factor that, as it changes, affects the measure of another variable; it’s always plotted on the horizontal/X axis. 8. Dependent variable - a factor that changes because of changes in other variables; it’s always plotted on the vertical/Y axis. 9. Control group - a standard used for comparison of test results that helps to ensure that the experimental result is caused by the condition being tested. 10. Constants - variables that remain the same throughout an experiment. Ex: same amount of water on each plant 11. Scientific error - an element of an experiment that skews & potentially flaws the results of an experiment. Ex: improper counting 12. Qualitative data - descriptive results of an experiment dealing with appearance, texture, & color that is used for analysis purposes. Ex: round, red balloons 13. Quantitative data - numerical results of an experiment dealing with dimensions, temperature readings, & times that are used for analysis purposes. Ex: 99 balloons 14. Bias - preconception in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. Ex: a scale that rests at.5g when empty. 15. Model - a physical representation of an idea or object that is too small or too big to observe directly. Ex: DNA model, solar system model, globe 16. Technology - any tool that is the product of scientific 17. Theory - an explanation of events that is based on repeated scientific observations and experiments. Ex: Theory of evolution 18. Law - a rule or principle that describes what happens in nature. Ex: Law of gravity 19. Cohesion – the sticking together of particles of the same substance EX: water on window sticks and ‘globs’ together. 20. Adhesion – the sticking together of particles of different substances Ex: Glue; water on glass 21. Standard – exact, agreed-upon quantity used for comparison EX: meter, gram, foot, pound 22. SI – International System of Units – universally accepted version of the metric system; based on multiples of 10 23. Meter - SI unit for measuring length = to 100cm 24. Kilogram - SI unit of mass = to 1000g 25. Liter - SI unit of volume = to 1000mL 26. Derived unit - a combination of units (mass, volume, length, etc.) Ex: density units= g/cm 3 27. Volume - amount of space matter occupies (measured in liters or cc) 28. Mass - amount of matter in an object (measured in grams) 29. Celsius - metric unit of temperature 30. Kelvin – SI unit of temperature K = C + 273 31. Accuracy - refers to the closeness of a measured value to a known or actual value 32. Precision - how well repeated measurements or tasks yield the same results 33. Graph - a visual representation of data. 34. Circle graph - a type of graph that’s used to show how a fixed quantity is broken down into parts. 35. Bar graph - a type of graph that’s used to show how two or more quantities compare. 36. Line graph - the type of graph that’s used to show how something changes over time.