Lec 2 Flashcards
Hypothesis
1) testable explanation,2) an explanation for a natural/ physical phenomenon, 3) answers a tightly focused questions
Example sentence: The hypothesis was that increased sunlight would lead to higher plant growth.
Theory
an explanation for broad patterns in nature
Example sentence: The theory of evolution explains the diversity of species on Earth.
Prediction
an expected outcome of a specific study, which is reasoned from the hypothesis
Correlation
the co-occurrence of two events or process; doesn’t imply causation
Causation
the relationship that leads one event to another
Control group
the group that is controlled since no variable was introduced
Mean
average; a useful way to summarize observational and experimental data
Test group
the group where the variable was introduced
Variable
the introduction of something different
Peer review
where scientist review each others manuscripts; determines if they get published or not
Replication
the process of copying DNA and passing
Dependent variable
the outcome in a scientific study; sometimes called the “response” variable, often on the y-axis
Grant
money provided by a government agency or private foundation that is used for research expenses
Independent variable
a variable that differs in a scientific study and that might influence the response
Manuscript
A written document describing the questions that a researcher sought to address, experiments they did and the results from said experiment (S)
