Term | Definition |
descriptive investigation | A method of scientific exploration in which a hypothesis is not required. |
comparative investigation | A lab investigation that follows a plan to determine how changing one variable affects results; compares two or more things. You will manipulate a variable and form a hypothesis. Example:which shoe will hold up better on the basketball court? |
experimental investigation | a method of scientific exploration with a set hypothesis and controlled conditions |
science | An organized way of gathering and analyzing evidence about the natural and man-made world. |
observation | Information obtained through the senses. |
inference | A logical conclusion based on observations with past knowledge and experience |
collect | gather data |
record | saving data through written or technological devices |
safety | being protected from or unlikely to cause danger |
Corrosive | eating away gradually usually by chemicals (acid and bases) |
Flammable | Able to catch fire easily |
Flush | to spray or wash away |
irritant | a substance that causes slight inflammation or other discomfort to the body |
qualitative | Data in the form of words through senses |
quantitative | Data that is in numbers |
variable | A factor that can change in an experiment |
independent variable | a factor that can is changed or manipulated or the variable whose effect is being studied |
dependent variable | The outcome factor; the variable that may change in response to manipulations of another variable. |
controlled variable | Factor in an experiment that a scientist purposely keeps the same |
controlled experiment | An experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time. |
theory | A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data and is reliable |
hypothesis | A proposed answer to a question or a testable prediction or an educated guess |