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Y9 Science > Working Scientifically > Flashcards

Working Scientifically Flashcards

1
Q

What is an observation?

A

When an object or process is looked at carefully

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2
Q

What is an investigation?

A

An experiment or set of experiments designed to produce data to answer a specific question or test a theory

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3
Q

What is data?

A

Words or numbers that you obtain when you make observations or measurements

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4
Q

What can an observation do?

A

Give you an idea that you can test in an investigation

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5
Q

What questions can be asked about refridgerated tennis balls?

A
  • How does the size of a ball affect how high it bounces?

- How does the temperature of a ball affect how high it bounces?

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6
Q

What is a variable?

A
  • Anything that might affect the outcome of an investigation

- The things that are affected as a result of the change

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7
Q

What is an independent variable?

A

A variable you change that changes the dependent variable

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8
Q

What is a dependent variable?

A

A variable that changes when you change the independent variable

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9
Q

What is a control variable?

A

A variable that you have the keep the same in an investigation

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10
Q

What is a prediction?

A

A statement that says what you think will happen that is backed up using scientific knowledge

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11
Q

What should a plan include?

A
  • The scientific question you are trying to answer
  • The independent and dependent variables
  • A list of variables to control and how you will do it
  • A prediction
  • List of equipment
  • A risk assessment
  • What you will use to collect accurate and precise data
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12
Q

What is a plan?

A

A description of how you will use equipment to collect valid data to answer a scientific question

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13
Q

What is accurate data?

A

Data that is close to the true value of what you are trying to measure

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14
Q

What is precise data?

A

Data that gives similar results if you repeat the measurement

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15
Q

What is a spread?

A

The difference between the highest and lowest measurements of a set of repeat measurements

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16
Q

How much spread does precise data have?

A

Not much when measurements are repeated as they are closely grouped together

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17
Q

What is uncertainty and why does it occur?

A

The doubt in a result because of the way that a measurement is made

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18
Q

When is data repeatable?

A

When an investigation, or measurement, is repeated serveral times but still show similar outcomes

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19
Q

When is data reproducible?

A

When other people carry out an investigation and get similar results to the original investigation

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20
Q

What is continuous data?

A

It can have any data, such as length or temperature

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21
Q

What is discrete data?

A

It can have only whole-number values, such as number of paperclips or woodlice

22
Q

What is categoric data?

A

When the data is a word, such as ‘blue’ or ‘hot’

23
Q

What measurements can you test?

A
  • The biggest and smallest - this is the range

- How many different measurements you can test

24
Q

What is a risk assessment?

A

A description on how you will make it less likely that people will be injured, or equipment damaged, and what to do if this happens

25
Q

What is an outlier?

A

An anomalous result that is very different to the others

26
Q

When should you plot a line graph?

A

If both the independent and dependent variables are continous

27
Q

When should you plot a bar chart?

A

If the independent variable is categoric

28
Q

When should you plot a pie chart?

A

When you have discrete or categoric data

29
Q

What variables should go on each axis?

A

Independent - x axis, dependent - y axis

30
Q

Why are line graphs important?

A

It helps you to spot a pattern; how the dependent variable depends on the independent variable

31
Q

What is an analysis?

A

The process of looking at data and writing about what you have found out

32
Q

What is a line of best fit?

A

A line that goes through as many points above or below the line; ignores any outliers

33
Q

What is a conclusion?

A

What you write down to say what you have found out during an investigation

34
Q

What should you include in a conclusion?

A

What you have found out - what does the investigation show and any relationship between the two variables

Explain what you found out - Use scientific knowledge to explain the pattern as well as comparing your results with your prediction

35
Q

How can you evaluate your investigation?

A
  • Discuss the quality of the data that you have collected

- Suggest and explain improvements to your method so you can collect data of better quality if you did it again

36
Q

What is confidence in a conclusion?

A

How sure you are of your conclusion based on the data

37
Q

When would you have less confidence in your conclusion?

A

If there were lots of outliers

38
Q

When would you have more confidence in your conclusion?

A

If there was a small spread in the data, e.g. measurements for one temperature do not overlap with the measurements for another

39
Q

What types of error can affect scientific measurements?

A

Random and systematic

40
Q

What is a random error?

A

An error that can affect the speed, or cause outliers, e.g. the temperature of the room suddenly changing because someone opens a door

41
Q

What is a systematic error?

A

An error that can make your measurements less accurate, e.g. a newtonmeter reading 1N even when there is nothing attached to it

42
Q

What other factors can be used to explain your confidence?

A

Possible errors, outliers and spread

43
Q

How can you get better data?

A
  • Including a bigger range, or taking more readings

- Using different apparatus - giving a smaller spread and fewer outliers

44
Q

What is a hypothesis?

A

An educated guess, or a guess based on information you already know

45
Q

What should you do when testing the hypothesis?

A

Make a prediction based on the hypothesis and test it

46
Q

What is validity?

A

How well a test measures what it is supposed to measure

47
Q

What should valid results be like?

A

Repeatable, reproducible and answer the original question

48
Q

What is an example of representive data?

A

If your sample is representative of the entire population you will be able to confidently generalise the results of your study to that population

49
Q

How should a conclusion start?

A

As the independent variable changes, the dependent variable increases/decreases/stays the same

50
Q

What is an example of a conclusion drawn from a graph?

A
  • As the pH increased the time for no starch to be detected decreased
  • up to 7.0 pH where it was 1.5 mins
  • after pH 7.5 the time increases again

Y9 Science (5 decks)

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