Science Glossary and Concepts PDF
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This document provides a glossary of key terms related to science, including hypothesis, data, variables, and experimental design. It also covers important concepts such as accuracy, precision, and the importance of verifying results. This information could be helpful for students learning about the scientific process.
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Science Glossary - Hypothesis: educated guess that tries to answer a question (what you think might be true) - Data: information gathered by an investigation - Quantitative data: minutes, height, weight (numbers) - Qualitative data: descriptive word/phrase (eg: passed, failed) -...
Science Glossary - Hypothesis: educated guess that tries to answer a question (what you think might be true) - Data: information gathered by an investigation - Quantitative data: minutes, height, weight (numbers) - Qualitative data: descriptive word/phrase (eg: passed, failed) - Vetting the data: determining whether the data is relevant or not to a claim made by the investigation IDEA - IDENTIFY the question - DETERMINE the methods - ESTABLISH the results - ASSESS the conclusion **Check your conclusion** - Does conclusion claim anything unsupported by results? - Does conclusion not focus on all results? - Does conclusion misinterpret /misunderstand results? - Does conclusion focus on minor details while paying less attention to major details? Elements of experimental design - Variable: something that can change - Unexpected variable: change being introduced - Dependent variable: thing expected to change - Experimental group: group you are interested in - Control group: group you are leaving unchanged to use as comparison Verifying accuracy in scientific investigations - Investigator making sure science is repeatable, reliable & consistent - Scientific consensus: agreement on an answer between scientists - Systematic error; affects accuracy of measurement. - Problem with equipment being used - Produce consistent result but wrong - Random error: error that affect precision of measurement - Inconsistent results from trial 1 to next even if measured same way. - To fix: gather more data & average measurements together. designing & modifying an experiment I. Ask scientific question II. Present hypothesis III. Identify your variables IV. Establish your groups V. Collect data VI. Compare your groups VII. Draw your conclusion
