Honor Bio 1.3 Flashcards
What is a hypothesis?
A hypothesis is a testable prediction or educated guess about the relationship between two or more variables in an experiment. It is often stated in an “If… then…” format.
What is an independent variable?
The independent variable is the variable that is intentionally changed or manipulated by the researcher in an experiment to observe its effect on the dependent variable.
What is a dependent variable?
The dependent variable is the variable that is measured or observed in an experiment. It is expected to change in response to the manipulation of the independent variable.
What is a control group?
A control group is the group in an experiment that does not receive the experimental treatment. It serves as a baseline to compare the effects of the independent variable.
What is the importance of a control group?
A control group is crucial for determining whether the changes observed in an experiment are due to the independent variable or other external factors. It helps validate the experiment’s results.
How do you identify a good control group for a scientific experiment?
A good control group should be as similar as possible to the experimental group, except for the exposure to the independent variable. This minimizes confounding variables and ensures valid comparisons.
How do error bars help analyze data in a graph?
Error bars represent the variability or uncertainty in data. Shorter error bars suggest more precise data. If error bars overlap, it indicates that differences between groups might not be statistically significant. Non-overlapping error bars suggest a significant difference.
