Intro to Science Terms

Question 0

bias

Answer 0

a personal and sometimes unreasoned judgment or prejudice

Question 1

accuracy

Answer 1

how close a measurement is to the true accepted value

Question 2

conclusion

Answer 2

a summary of what you have learned from an experiment

Question 3

controlled experiment

Answer 3

an experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time

Question 4

cultural bias

Answer 4

an outlook influenced by the beliefs, social forms, and traits of a group

Question 5

curiosity

Answer 5

an attitude that is based on wondering or wanting to know more about something

Question 6

data

Answer 6

facts, figures, and other evidence gathered through observations

Question 7

deductive reasoning

Answer 7

a way to explain things by starting with a general idea and then applying the ideas to a specific observation

Question 8

density

Answer 8

the measurement of how much mass of a substance is contained

Question 9

engineering

Answer 9

the application of science to satisfy needs or solve problems

Question 10

estimate

Answer 10

an approximation of a number based on reasonable assumptions

Question 11

ethics

Answer 11

the rules that enable people to know right from wrong

Question 12

experimental bias

Answer 12

a mistake in the design of an experiment that makes a particular result more likely

Question 13

feedback

Answer 13

output that changes a system or allows the system to adjust itself

Question 14

field

Answer 14

any area outside of the laboratory

Question 15

hypothesis

Answer 15

a possible explanation for a set of observations

Question 16

inductive reasoning

Answer 16

using specific observations to make generalizations

Question 17

input

Answer 17

material, energy, or information that goes into a system

Question 18

International Systems of Units

Answer 18

a system of units used by scientists to measure the properties of matter

Question 19

making models

Answer 19

the process of creating representations of complex objects or processes

Question 20

manipulated variable

Answer 20

the one factor that a scientist changes during and experiment;
also called the independent variable

Question 21

mass

Answer 21

a measure of how much matter is in an object

Question 22

matter

Answer 22

anything that has mass and takes up space

Question 23

measurement

Answer 23

a figure or amount obtained by measuring

Question 24

model

Answer 24

a representation of a complex object or process used to help people understand a concept that they cannot observe directly

Question 25

objective

Answer 25

describes the act of decision-making or drawing conclusions based on available evidence

Question 26

output

Answer 26

material, energy, result, or product that comes put of a system

Question 27

personal bias

Answer 27

an outlook influenced by a person’s likes and dislikes

Question 28

precision

Answer 28

how close a group of measurements are to each other

Question 29

process

Answer 29

a sequence of actions in a system

Question 30

responding variable

Answer 30

the factor that changes as a result of changes to the manipulated, or independent, variable in an experiment;
also called the dependent variable

Question 31

safety symbol

Answer 31

a sign used to alert you to possible sources of accidents in an investigation

Question 32

scientific inquiry

Answer 32

the ongoing process of discovery in science; activities students use to develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas
(diverse ways scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence from their work)

Question 33

scientific law

Answer 33

a STATEMENT that describes what scientists expect to happen

A scientific law states what happens in nature.

Question 34

scientific reasoning

Answer 34

a logical way of thinking that is based on gathering and evaluating evidence

Question 35

scientific theory

Answer 35

a well-tested EXPLANATION for a wide range of observations

A scientific theory tries to explain why something happens.

Question 36

significant figures

Answer 36

all the digits in a measurement that have been measured exactly,
plus one digit whose value has been estimated

Question 37

skepticism

Answer 37

an attitude of doubt

Question 38

subjective

Answer 38

describes the influence of personal feelings on a decision or conclusion

Question 39

system

Answer 39

a group of related parts that work together to perform a function or produce a result

Question 40

technology

Answer 40

how people modify the world around them to meet their needs or to solve practical problems

Question 41

variable

Answer 41

a factor that can change in an experiment

Question 42

volume

Answer 42

the amount of space that matter occupies

Question 43

weight

Answer 43

a measure of the force of gravity