Unit 1 Exam Study Guide Flashcards
Science is a ___________ about the _______.
Science is a way of knowing about the natural world.
The natural world is also known as the _________.
Physical world
Science knowledge is based on ____________.
empirical evidence
Ideas can be _____________ by others.
tested and reproduced
Knowledge __________________ and is strengthened by multiple lines of evidence.
builds on previous knowledge
Knowledge is durable, but _________ over time with new evidence.
can change
In constrast to scientific ways of knowing, non-scientific ways of knowing rely on what?
Non-scientific ways of thinking rely on tradition, personal experience, intuition, feelings, and authority.
What is a scientist’s habits of mind?
The scientists ways of thinking and approaching their work.
What are science practices?
Scientists do a number of things as part of their jobs. These are called science practices.
What are seven scientist’s habits of mind?
- Curiosity
- Creativity
- Collaboration
- Persistence
- Skepticism
- Open-mindedness
- Attention to detail
What are seven science practices?
- Ask scientific questions and identify problems
- Plan and conduct investigations
- Analyze and interpret data
- Use mathematical and computational thinking
- Use evidence to explain observations
- Argue conclusions based on evidence
- Communicate information through publishing papers.
What is the scientific process?
The scientific process brings together the habits of mind and scientific practices.
What is the first step of the scientific process?
Exploration and discovery. The scientific process starts with questions and wondering.
In the first step of the scientific process,_____________________, which may come from these four things:
scientists begin an investigation by asking questions
1. Making observations
2. Chatting with colleagues about an idea
3. Finding inspiration through reading
4. Out of curiosity
In the second step of the scientific process…
questions lead to possible explanations (called hypotheses), which can be tested by collecting data.
What is the second step of the scientific process?
Testing ideas (gathering/interpreting data). Testing ideas is at the center of the scientific process.
What is the third step of the scientific process?
Community analysis and feedback. The community of scientists evaluates ideas.
In the third step of the scientific process…
scientists communicate their ideas and data at conferences and in publications so that they can be evaluated by other scientists.
What is the fourth step of the scientific process?
Benefits and outcomes. Science influences society and is influenced by society.
In the fourth step of the scientific process…
Over time the process of science builds knowledge that can benefit society.
What is a scientific question?
A scientific question has to do with the natural world and the answer can be tested.
What are four examples of scientific questions?
- Questions are about understanding the natural world.
- Answers/explanations based on evidence.
- Answers/explanations can be tested/rejected.
- Answers/explanations can be revised as scientists gather more evidence.
What are three examples of non-scientific questions?
- Questions are about many subjects (natural, supernatural events, philosophy).
- Answers/explanations based on opinion, culture, beliefs, and values.
- Answers/explanations are based on authority and not always open to revising.
What do scientific and non-scientific questions have in common?
Answers and explanations can be used to inform decisions.
How can hypotheses be tested?
Hypotheses can be tested by doing experiments and/or making observations.
What is an experiment designed/used for?
An experiment is a manipulation designed to test a hypothesis. Used to collect data (empirical evidence).
What is the control group?
The control group is used as a comparison group. Helps establish cause and effect.
What is the experimental group?
The experimental group receives the treatment or is otherwise manipulated for the sake of the experiment.
What is a positive control group?
It’s the control group with a treatment that you know will produce a result that already works.
What is a negative control group?
It’s the control group with a treatment that will not produce any result.
What is the purpose of the negative and positive control group?
Both show whether experiments are working and act as a benchmark for comparison to the experimental group.
Ideally, control and experimental groups should….
be the same in every way except for the one variable that is changed/manipulated.
What is a variable?
The variable is any value that changes in an experiment.
What is the explanatory variable?
The explanatory variable is the variable that is manipulated/changed (to show possible cause).
What is the response variable?
The response variable is the variable that is measured (to show possible effect).
What are the controlled variables?
The controlled variables are kept constant between the treatment groups/test subjects.
The investigator should…
manipulate only one explanatory variable at a time, while all other variables are controlled.
________ influences __________
Explanatory (Cause) influences Response Variable (Effect)
What are two components of a good experimental design?
- Large sample sizes to account for variability.
- Reduce bias, such as randomly allocating test subjects to groups.
What are the two components of interpreting results?
- Scientists look for a relationship between explanatory/response variables.
- Scientists graph their results to see a relationship.
What is a correlation?
A correlation is an association between two or more variables (interrelated). Not necessarily a cause-and-effect relationship.
What is a positive correlation?
Positive correlations are variables that behave in the same way (positive scatter plot).
What is a negative correlation?
Negative corrections are variables that behave in an opposite way (negative scatter plot).
What type of graph is useful for seeing correlations?
Scatter plots
Two variables can be _______ but have no __________.
Two variables can be correlated but have no meaningful relationship.