Scientific Method Flashcards
What are the steps of the scientific method?
Observations, questions, research, hypothesis, experiment, data, conclusions, refine/elaborate.
What do qualitative observations describe?
Qualities.
What do quantative observations use?
Numbers.
What are examples of qualitative observation?
Taste, the smell of something, or mood.
What are examples of quantitative observations?
Weight, height, length, population,
What is a hypothesis?
A testable prediction.
What is the general format of a hypothesis?
“If independent variable, then dependent variable.”
In a cause and effect format, what is the independent variable?
The cause.
In a cause and effect format, what is the dependent variable?
The effect.
What is a procedure?
A step by step plan.
In a procedure, what do the materials include?
All required equipment or items for an experiment.
What is the independent variable?
The variable that is being purposely changed or manipulated by the experimenter.
What axis is the independent variable graphed on?
The x-axis.
What is the dependent variable?
The variable that is being changed due to the independent variable/what is being measured?
What axis is the dependent variable graphed on?
The y-axis.
What does the experimental group receive?
The independent variable.
What is the experimental group?
The group that is being tested.
What is the control group?
The standard that is being tested against.
The control group is the absence of what?
The independent variable
What are constants?
The variables that are kept the same for each trial.
What do constants ensure?
That any difference measured between groups is due to the independent variable.
In what terms should data be analyzed in?
Statistical terms
What is a conclusion?
A summary of the results.
In a conclusion, a hypothesis is either what or what?
Rejected or supported.
When something is accurate, it is what?
Its close to the value.
When something is precise, it is what?
Its close together.
When refining, the scientific method is what?
Cyclic.
What does cyclic mean?
When steps need to be revisited at any time.
Why may experiments need to be revisited?
If a hypothesis wasn’t supported or if new evidence has occurred.
