Science and Engineering Practices Flashcards
Scientific Method
The way scientists study and learn about the word
Observation
Using your five senses to gather information about something
Qualitative Observation
Using your senses to describe the characteristics of an object-color, texture, and taste.
Examples:
- Smooth texture
- Brightly colored
- Smells bad
Quantitative Observation
Using numbers or measurements to describe something
Examples:
- 10 meters
- 450 milliliters
- 176 grams
Inference
An explanation of an observation based on prior knowledge
Hypothesis
A prediction based on prior knowledge. Always written in an if-then statement
Example:
IF I put the ice cube in the sun, THEN the ice cube will melt.
A hypothesis should always:
- explain what you expect to happen
- be clear and understandable
- be testable
- be measurable
- contain an independant and dependant variable
Variable
Any factor that can be manipulated, controlled for, or measured in an experiment
Control Variable
What must stay the same in the experiment
Manipulated/Independent Variable
The thing that you are testing or changing in an experiment is graphed on the X-axis.
Dependent/Responding Variable
What you are measuring or observing in an experiment and is graphed on the Y-axis.
C-E-R
Claim, evidence, reasoning
Claim
Is the answer to the question you are trying to answer
Evidence
Scientific data that supports your claim.
Reasoning
The how or why the evidence supports our claim; scientific rule
Conclusion
A written summary of an experiment that uses evidence to prove what you learned.
Conclusion- You state whether your prediction was confirmed or not and try to explain your results.
