Bio 101 Chapter 1 Flashcards
What are the steps to the scientific method?
- observe the phenomenon
- Hypothesize possible explanation of observed phenomenon
- Make a prediction
- Experiment
- Conclude
What is a prediction?
A prediction is more specific and can demonstrate that your hypothesis is supported. It is an if/then statement.
what is a theory?
a theory is an explanation for a set of related
observations that is based on well-supported hypotheses from several lines of research.
What is a hypothesis?
a hypothesis is a possible explanation for the observed phenomenon.
What are the two requirements for hypothesis?
If it is testable, and if it is falsifiable.
what is an independent variable?
The variable that *experimenter changes * for example the soil for an experiment
What is a dependent variable?
The variable that is measured by the experimenter. For example, it would be the plant growth of the experiment.
When do you use a line graph?
You use a line graph when there is a sequence ( you measure something for a month)
When do you use a bar graph?
Use a bar graph when there are categories (dog breeds for example)
When do you use a scatter plot?
Use a scatter plot when there is no sequence in the data. Or when the data points are not related to each other.
where is the independent variable on a graph?
x-axis
Where is the dependent variable on a graph?
y-axis
What is standard deviation?
The amount of variability in a
sample. Use the average or mean to find this
What can statistics tell us?
Statistics give us information in the form of numbers or graphs to understand the information
What exactly is a p- value?
A p-value is the probability of something due to chance. A 5% or P <0.05 is the commonly accepted threshold. (You want the number to be low, smaller than 5%)
