3.1 Basic Definitions Flashcards
qualitative information
non-numerical information
quantitative information
numerical information
Tall, short, or heavy are examples of _______ information.
qualitative
5’10”, 180cm, 110lbs are examples of ________ information.
quantitative
an observation
qualitative information collected through the direct use of our senses
an interpretation (or “inference”)
an attempt to put meaning into an observation
a description
a list of properties of something
data
quantitative information which is experimentally determined or obtained from references
an experiment
a test or procedure that is carried out in order to discover a result
a hypothesis
a single, unproven assumption or idea which attempts to explain why nature behaves in a specific manner
a theory
set of hypothesis that ties together a large number of observations of the real world into a logically consistent and understandable pattern/ a tested, refined, and expanded explanation of why nature behaves in a given way
a law
a broad generalization or summary statement which describes a large amount of experimental evidence stating how nature behaves when a particular situation occurs
Theories are sometimes called _____ because they often provide a concrete way to examine, predict and test the working of nature.
models
Theories must be _______ or they are discarded as useless.
falsifiable
falsifiable
the ability to make testable predictions about the behaviours of the system under new conditions
