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 |