Term |
Definition |
dependent variable |
measured to show the relationship between variables |
independent variable |
experimenter changes or manipulates |
control group |
group that does not receive any treatment; it stays the same throughout the experiment |
experimental group |
group that receives the treatment throughout the experiment |
hypothesis |
educated guess based on observations; must be testable |
analysis |
representation of the data collected in the form of graphs, charts and/or tables |
experiment |
tests the hypothesis, produces data |
observations |
based on your senses; can be qualitative (descriptions) or qualitative (using numbers) |
control variable |
variable that does not change throughout the experiment |
how to write a hypothesis |
if…then statement; if the independent variable increases then the dependent variable increases/decreases |
conclusion |
summary / judgement based on the results of the experiment; states whether the hypothesis is supported or rejected |
problem |
written in the form of a question; it is what you want to solve or answer through the experiment |
experiment |
series of steps that tests your hypothesis |
how to write a conclusion |
As the independent variable…the dependent variable… |
Science is a cycle |
it is always changing, never ending; it is a fluid process that is repeatable |
how to write a problem |
How does the independent variable affect the dependent variable? |
Example of an observation |
The road is wet |
Example of an inference |
It must have rained |
inference |
an explanation of an observation |