boring shit Flashcards
what should a scientist do after coming up with a hypothesis and why?
-share their findings in peer-reviewed journals
-so other scientists can check results and scientific explanations to makes sure they are reproducible and make sense
define repeatibility
-when you repeat the results at least 3 times and the results are similar each time
define reproducibility
-when you get the same set of readings with a different instrument
-when someone else with different equipment can reproduce your experiment
define accuracy
how close your answer is to the true answer
define precision
how close your data is to the mean of your repeated job
what is the resolution of an instrument?
the smallest change a measuring instrument can detect
define uncertainty
interval within which the true value can be expected to lie, with a given level of confidence or probability
define a sample
a subset of the whole population of data
define a systematic error
error due to the measured value differing from the true value by the same amount each time
define validity
suitability of the method used to answer the question being asked
define a valid conclusion
a conclusion supported by valid data, obtained from an appropriate experimental design and based on sound reasoning
when an object is in contact with a surface, what is the equal and opposite force called?
normal contact force
when writing an atom, which number goes at the top?
the bigger number
