Nature of Science Terms Flashcards
Mastery of Nature of Science Vocabulary Definitions
constants
factors in an experiment that remain the same.
control group
the part of an experiment that contains the same factors as the experimental group, but the independent variable is not changed.
dependent variable
the factor measured or observed during an experiment.
hypothesis
a possible explanation about an observation that can be tested by scientific investigation.
independent variable
the factor that is changed by the investigator to observe how it affects a dependent variable.
observation
the act of using one or more of your senses to gather information and take note of what occurs.
qualitative data
the use of words to describe what is observed in an experiment.
quantitative data
the use of numbers to describe what is observed in an experiment.
scientific law
a rule that describes a pattern in nature.
scientific theory
an explanation of observations or events based on knowledge gained from many observations and investigations.
constraints
limitations put on the design of a solution.
cost-benefit analysis
a process of comparing the predicted benefits and costs of a solution.
criteria
requirements or specifications for a solution to be successful.
engineering
the application of science and mathematics to solve problems.
engineering design process
a series of steps used to find the solution to specific problems.
prototype
a model that is used to test a design.
accuracy
a description of how close a measurement is to an accepted value.
cost effectiveness
the degree to which something produces benefits compared to its cost.
credibility
the confidence that can be placed in the truth of scientific findings.
trade-off
a situation in which you must choose between two things, giving up one in exchange for the other.
significant digits
numbers that convey the meaning according to its accuracy.
scientific abstract
a quick overview of a scientific paper that summarizes what was done and learned in an investigation.
anomalous data
rare events, items, or observations in a data set that are suspicious because they differ significantly from standard behaviors or patterns.
line of best fit
a line drawn onto a scatter plot that shows the mathematical relationship between the variables in the form of an equation.
error
differences between observed values and what is true in nature.
percentage error
measures the difference between an observed value and a theoretical value as a percentage of that theoretical value.
random error
measurements that differ from the true value inconsistently that are caused by slight fluctuations in an instrument, the environment, or the way a measurement is read that are different every time.
systematic error
measurements that are consistently different from the true value in nature, often due to limitations of either the instruments or the procedure.
superstition
a belief or way of behaving that is based on fear of the unknown and the view that the world is inherently unpredictable and unexplainable by logical methodologies.
international system of units
a system of physical units that are based on powers of ten that are used by scientists around the world. Also called the “Metric System”
meter
SI unit for distance, that was originally based on the distance from the equator to the north pole
gram
SI unit for mass, based on the mass of 1cm3 of pure water.
liter
SI unit for volume, equal in size to a cube 10cm x 10cm x 10 cm.
kelvin
SI unit for temperature, uses degrees that are equal in size to the celsius scale but with zero set to the lowest possible temperature in the universe.
celsius
A commonly used temperature system used by scientists, zero degrees is the temperature at which water freezes and 100 degrees is the temperature at which water boils.
newton
SI unit for force, equal to the strength of a push required to accelerate a 1 kg object at a rate of 1 m/s2
mean
The mathematical average of a set of data, calculated by adding all values together and dividing by the number of values there were.
median
The middle number in a set of data that has been ordered from lowest to highest.
outlier
an observation that lies an abnormal distance from other values in a random sample from other values in a data set.
repetition
when someone conducts multiple trials of their same experiment to reduce the effect of errors.
replication
when a different scientist conducts another scientist’s procedure and observes whether the prior finding is the same or different.
scientific model
a physical and/or mathematical and/or conceptual representation of a system of ideas, events or processes.
objective
an attempt to uncover truths about the natural world by eliminating personal biases, emotions, and false beliefs.
subjective
centered on a person’s own mind and perspectives, as opposed to being general, universal, or scientific.
empirical evidence
information gathered directly or indirectly through observation or experimentation that is replicably obtained.
second
SI unit for time, this is the only SI unit that is not based on the power of ten.
milli-
SI prefix meaning 1/1000th.
centi-
SI prefix meaning 1 /100th.
kilo-
SI prefix meaning 1000.
