Key Words

Question 1

Independent variable

Answer 1

Something in an experiment that you choose to change.

Question 2

Dependent variable

Answer 2

Something in an experiment that you measure so you can see the effect of the independent variable.

Question 3

Control variable

Answer 3

Something in an experiment that you must keep the same to make sure it doesn’t affect the dependant variable.

Question 4

Repeatable

Answer 4

Results are repeatable if you do the experiment again and get the same results.

Question 5

Reproducible

Answer 5

Results are reproducible if someone else does the experiment and gets the same results or if you do using a different method.

Question 6

Preliminary experiment

Answer 6

You do this before the main experiment to identify the best range for the independent variable.

Question 7

Precise

Answer 7

Precise instruments are able to measure very small differences.

Question 8

Accurate

Answer 8

Accurate results are close to the true value.

Question 9

Hypothesis

Answer 9

This says how the independent variable might affect the dependant variable.

Question 10

Mean value

Answer 10

Add up the repeated results and divide by the number of results to get an average.

Question 11

Random error

Answer 11

Errors that occur in results that cannot be planned for. Calculating a mean value reduces the effect of random error.

Question 12

Zero error

Answer 12

If equipment doesn’t measure from zero, you get a zero error.

Question 13

Systematic error

Answer 13

If you make the same mistake every time you measure the results, this causes a systematic error.

Question 14

Measurement error

Answer 14

If you read the equipment incorrectly (eg. not standing level with the thermometer) it will cause a measurement error.

Question 15

Anomaly

Answer 15

A result that doesn’t fit in with the pattern.

Question 16

Fair test

Answer 16

To make a test fair, all the variables must be kept the same except for the independent variable.

Question 17

Range

Answer 17

Range of data is the maximum to the minimum value.

Question 18

Interval

Answer 18

The gap between two readings.

Question 19

Resolution

Answer 19

The smallest measurement that an instrument can make.

Question 20

Calibration

Answer 20

Making an instrument measure correctly. E.g setting scales to zero when there’s nothing on them.

Question 21

Sketch graph

Answer 21

A sketch on plain paper of the line or bars. Axes are labeled but not scaled.

Question 22

Categoric variables

Answer 22

These can be given names or labels; for example, types of rock, size of shoe (you can’t have 4.3 or 5.7 so it’s not continuous).

Question 23

Continuous variables

Answer 23

These are always numbers. They will have been counted or measured and fall on a scale where you could have any number in between those recorded (e.g temperature, height or distance).