| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Scientific inquiry | The ongoing process of discovery in science; the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on evidence they gather. |
| Hypothesis | A possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a scientific question; must be testable. |
| Variable | A factor that can change in an experiment. |
| Manipulated variable | The one factor that a scientist changes during an experiment; also called independent variable. |
| Responding variable | The factor that changes as a result of changes to the manipulated, or independent, variable in an experiment; also called dependent variable. |
| Controlled experiment | An experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time. |
| Data | Facts, figures, and other evidence gathered through observations. |
| Scientific theory | A well-tested explanation for a wide range of observations or experimental results. |
| Scientific law | A statement that describes what scientists expect to happen every time under a particular set of conditions. |
