special terminology Flashcards
what is a hypothesis
an assumption based on your knowledge of the topic or observation
what is a null hypothesis
you do not expect to find a particular trend or pattern in your results
what are variables
factors that can change or be changed in an investigation
what is an independent variable
the variable you change
what is a dependent variable
the variable that you measure
what is a control variable
the variable that you keep constant
what is accuracy
how close a reading is to the actual value
error due to equipment will cause a decrease in accuracy
what is reliability
how trustworthy your data is
can be increased by repeating the readings
what is precision
how close repeat readings are to each other
can be improved b using measuring equipment that uses decimal places
how to make a good record table
- clear heading
- independent variable in the first column
- dependent variable in the next column (reading 1, 2 and 3)
- mean at the end
when do you use a line graph and what must it include
with continuous data
- smooth curve of best fit
- curve goes through or near most points
- the line fills most of the graph paper
when do you use a bar chart and what must it include
for comparing two sets of data
- use appropriate scales
- plot the data correctly
- label both axes correctly
what is meant by pattern
the relationship of the graph
what is meant by trend
the relationship between factors on the graph or table
what is meant by conclusion
how well your results support your hypothesis
