Scientific Inquirery (Chapter 2) Flashcards
5a) Explain the difference between the experimental group and the control group in an experiment.
The difference between a control group and an experimental group is one group is exposed to the conditions of the experiment (experimental) and the other is not.
5b) What is the purpose of the control group?
A control group is basically a reference to compare to your variable groups. if you don’t have a control group, you may never know if the independent variable changes the dependent variable.
5c) What is a fair test?
A fair test is conducted by making sure that only one factor is changed at a time while keeping all other conditions the same.
6a) Explain the difference between the independent and dependent variables in an experiment.
An independent variable is the variable that is changed or controlled in a scientific experiment to test the effects on the dependent variable. A dependent variable is the one being tested and measured.
6b) What are controlled variables in an experiment?
In an experiment, the controlled variable is something that is constant and unchanged.
7) Why is repetition important in experiments?
It eliminates the conclusions being made based on what could be called flukes. The more times an experiment is repeated with the same results, the more likely it is that the result is the real result.
8a) What are the two types of experimental error?
Random errors in experimental measurements are caused by unknown and unpredictable changes in the experiment. These changes may occur in the measuring instruments or in the environmental conditions. Systematic errors in experimental observations usually come from the measuring instruments.
8b) How can the effect of each error be minimized?
Random errors can be evaluated through statistical analysis and can be reduced by averaging over a large number of observations. Systematic errors are difficult t detect and cannot be analyzed statistically , because all the data is off in the same direction (either too high or too low). potting and correcting for a systematic error takes a lot of care.
