Term | Definition |
scientific method | organized process of asking questions and solving problems |
investigation | finding answers to a question using scientific observations and measurements made to describe and understand something |
experiment | a test to answer a scientific question in a measurable way; usually an experiment tries to figure out a cause-and-effect relationship among different variables |
lab report | a written record of how an experiment was done and what was learned |
hypothesis | a prediction (based on background knowledge) to answer the question in an experiment |
manipulated variable | part of an experiment you change on purpose (in a measurable way) also called the "independent" variable |
responding variable | part of an experiment that changes (in a measurable way) because of the manipulated variable…also called the “dependent” variable |
controlled variable(s) | part(s) of an experiment that are kept the same |
control group(s) | the set-up(s) in an experiment that are kept constant (no manipulated variable) |
experimental group(s) | the set-up(s) in an experiment that are changed (manipulated variable only) |
procedure | numbered instructions that tell exactly what was done in an experiment (may include diagrams) |
data / results | measurable data or descriptive observations collected in an experiment |
analysis | written summary of the data/results from an experiment |
conclusion | answer to the question in a lab, it tells whether or not the hypothesis was correct |
table | a neat display of words or numbers organized in columns and rows |
graph | a visual display of numeric information or data showing the relationship between two or more variables; for example: line graph, pie chart, bar chart, scatter plot, etc. |
defining variables | part of a lab report where all the variables in the experiment are classified and described |
rate | another name for a ratio; a comparison of two measurements that are related to each other in a regular an predictable way |
proportion | when two ratios are equal to each other |
cause & effect | Cause and effect is a relationship between events or things, where one is the result of the other or others. This is a combination of action and reaction. |