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Tolli/Stapp - B
Scientific Method
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| science | A way of learning about the natural world. |
| scientific inquiry | The diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world. |
| observation | The process of using one or more senses to gather information. |
| inference | An interpretation of an observation based on evidence and prior knowledge. |
| hypothesis | A possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to scientific question; must be testable. |
| variables | All the factors that could affect the outcome of the 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 variable in an experiment. |
| controlled experiment | An experiment in which all of the variables except for one remain the same. |
| data | The facts, figures, and other evidence collected in an experiment. |
| scientific law | A statement that describes what scientists expect to happen every time under a particular set of conditions. |
| scientific theory | A well tested scientific concept that explains a wide range of observations. |