Critique a Scientific Explanation Using Logic and Evidence Flashcards
Scientific explanations of the world around is are based on:
Evidence from observation and experimentation
What is crucial in creating valid scientific exmplanations?
Drawing meaningful conclusions from data
It is an important skill to be able to analyze scientific arguments for:
Evidence
Empirical evidence, or evidence generated through experimentation, is a:
Primary feature of science
Who collects data, analyzes it, and then draws logical conclusions supposed by the data?
Scientists
Conclusions in science are not drawn from just a few ___
Observations
Scientists study:
Trends and patterns in large amounts of experimentally reproducible data
To have confidence in the data, scientists:
Repeat experiments with the same variables and procedures
Conclusions are often presented as:
Cause-and-effect relationships
Can Cause-and-effect relationships be difficult to establish conclusively?
Yes
Scientists use Cause-and-effect to explain:
Phenomena
Conclusions rely on:
The evidence that supports them
Analyzing the reliability of evidence is important in:
Evaluating the strength of a conclusion
Strong conclusions and theories are produced by:
Reproducible and convincing data
The process of analyzing data includes evaluating the following factors:
The presence of bias (either intentional or unintentional), Controlled setting (changing only one variable at a time), Accurate data collection, and Replicable results
What is a Placebo?
A substance with no medicinal effort that can be used as a control in an experiment
Common Placebos are substances containing:
Water and Sugar
Do experimenters and subjects know who is receiving the medicine and who is receiving the Placebo?
No, this helps to eliminate bias
It’s also important to analyze the ___ ___ when evaluating evidence
Experimental Design
Larger sample sizes and repeated trials provide more:
Confidence in the evidence collected
What is the Independent Variable?
Keeping all conditions the same EXCEPT for the variable being tested
What is the Controlled Variable?
Conditions being kept the same
Keeping controlled variables the same provides further confidence that:
The results observed are caused by the variable under consideration
