1.3 Study Guide Flashcards
What is a hypothesis?
A statement that can be tested for validity using a scientific experiment.
What are the two steps to writing a strong hypothesis?
Step 1: Come up with a specific reason that explains the phenomena.
Step 2: Write a testable statement.
What is a control group in an experiment?
The control group is the standard to which comparisons are made in an experiment.
Why are control groups important?
Control groups allow us to compare our data and results with an unaffected data set. It allows us to see how the independent variable affected the experiment.
What key qualities does a strong scientific hypothesis have?
It is measurable and very specific.
What do error bars represent?
Error bars represent the standard deviation of a particular data set from the mean.
What do overlapping error bars mean?
Overlapping error bars means that there is not a significant difference between the groups of data.
How does the size of error bars affect the reliability of data?
The smaller the error bar, the more valid the data because the results are close to the average of the data. The larger the error bar, the less valid the data because the results are not precise.
An example of a strong hypothesis.
The (phenomenon), is caused by, (a specific reason). If (independent variable), increases or decreases, then the dependent variable increases or decreases because…
Independent Variable
The variable that is being changed or manipulated to get a result in an experiment.
Dependent Variable
The variable that is being measured. The data or result of an experiment.
