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S&T 1.3
Scientific Inquiry
| 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. |