working scientifically and practical skills Flashcards
what is a hypothesis and what happens after one is made
a possible explanation for what scientists have observed about something
the next step is to test whether the hypothesis might be right or not. this involves making a prediction based on the hypothesis and testing it by gathering evidence from investiations . if evidence from the experiments backs up a prediction , you’re a step closer to figuring out if the hypothesis is true.
what is peer review and why is it important
where other scientists check the results and scientific explanations to make sure they are scientific.
it helps to detect false claims
what is a theory
accepted hypothesis
never become totally a fact
what is the issue with scientific discoveries in the media
havent been peer reviewed
may be presented in an oversimplified or innacurate way
what are the 4 issues that scientific developments can cause
economic issues : society can’t always afford to do things scientists recommend
social issues : decisions based on scientific evidence affect people e.g. should fossil fuels be taxed more highly?
personal issues : some decisions will affect individuals
environmental : human activity often affect the natural environment
what are different hazards from science experiments
microorganisms
chemicals
fire
electricity
what does repeatable mean
if the same person does an experiment again using the same methods and equipment, they will get similar results
what does reproducible mean
if someone else does the evperiment or a different method or equipment is used , the results will still be similar
what are accurate results
results are really close to the true answer
what is a random error
unpredictable differences caused by things like human errors in measuring .
what is a systematic error
a measurement that is wrong by the same amount every time
what is a zero error
what a reading is shown when it should be zero
