Variables in Science Flashcards
What is an Independent Variable?
The variable that is deliberately changed or manipulated in an experiment.
What is a Dependent Variable?
The variable that is measured or observed to see how it responds to changes in the independent variable.
What is a Controlled Variable (Constant)?
Variables that are kept the same throughout the experiment to ensure a fair test.
What is an Extraneous Variable?
A variable that could affect the outcome of the experiment but is not the focus of the investigation.
What is a Confounding Variable?
An external variable that changes alongside the independent variable and can affect the dependent variable, potentially skewing results.
What is a Continuous Variable?
A variable that can take any value within a range, such as temperature or time.
What is a Discrete Variable?
A variable that can only take specific values, such as the number of students or items.
What is a Categorical Variable?
A variable that represents categories or groups, such as colour or type of material.
What is a Variable?
Any factor, trait, or condition that can exist in differing amounts or types within an experiment.
What is a Manipulated Variable?
Another name for the independent variable, indicating that it is intentionally altered.
What is a Responding Variable?
Another name for the dependent variable, indicating that it responds to changes in the independent variable.
What is a Control Group?
A group in the experiment that does not receive the treatment or independent variable change and is used as a comparison.
What is an Experimental Group?
The group in an experiment that is exposed to changes in the independent variable.
What is a Variable Relationship?
The connection or interaction between the independent and dependent variables.
What is a Hypothesis?
A testable statement predicting how changes in the independent variable will affect the dependent variable.
What is a Fair Test?
An experiment where only the independent variable is changed, and all other variables are controlled to ensure reliable results.
What is Accuracy?
The degree to which a measured value is close to the true or accepted value.
What is Precision?
The degree to which repeated measurements under the same conditions yield the same result.
What is Reliability?
The consistency of results obtained from repeated trials or experiments.
What is Validity?
The extent to which an experiment measures what it is intended to measure.
What is Qualitative Data?
Data that describes characteristics or qualities, often collected through observations or interviews.
What is Quantitative Data?
Data that involves numbers and measurements, often collected through experiments or surveys.
What is Measurement Error?
The difference between the measured value and the true value due to inaccuracies in measurement tools or techniques.
What is Range?
The difference between the highest and lowest values in a data set.
