Scientific Method Flashcards
investigation
the way to find out the answer
to a question
experiment
an organized procedure to
study something under controlled conditions
observation
the process of obtaining
information by using the five senses
hypothesis/prediction
a testable idea,
prediction, or explanation that leads to
scientific investigation. A hypothesis, or
prediction, an educated guess about the
outcome of a situation
inference
a conclusion about what will
happen based on evidence and what you
already know
conclusion
explains the pattern that you
see in the data
claim
a statement or conclusion that
answers the original question or problem
evidence
scientific data that supports the
claim
reasoning
a justification that connects the
evidence to the claim
analyze/analysis
to break down the
explanation into its meaningful parts
variable
anything that can be changed in
an experiment
independent variable
in a scientific
investigation, this is the factor that is
deliberately manipulated. (Remember: this
is the variable that the scientist changes.)
dependent variable
in a scientific
investigation, this is the factor that changes
because of the independent variable.
(Remember: the dependent variable is the
variable that is measured when we collect
our data.)
control/controlled variable
also known as
the constant variable, this is a variable that
remains unchanged throughout the
experiment.
reliability
getting the same results on
repeated trials of an investigation
