Steps of the Scientific Method Experimental Design Observations and Inferences Scientific Thinking Other Stuff 100 100 100 100 100 200 200 200 200 200 300 300 300 300 300 400 400 400 400 400 500 500 500 500 500

What is the first step of the Scientific Method?

Investigative Question

What is the best format for a hypothesis?

If I change this. . . this will happen. . . because. . . .

What is used to test a hypothesis?

An experiment or investigation.

What do you look for when you analyze the data?

Patterns, trends, relationships, mistakes, important information

What two things do you do if your results don’t match your hypothesis?

Ask if your experiment was faulty and if your experiment was okay you have to come up with a new hypothesis and start again

Which is the variable that you make ONE CHANGE to?

Manipulated Variable

Which is the variable that is the result based on the change you made?

Responding Variable

Which are the variables that you keep the same throughout the entire experiment?

Controlled Variables

What do we call the trial that happens under “normal” conditions What do we call the trial that happens under “normal” conditions? (We don’t make any changes to.)

The Experimental CONTROL Group

What is the difference between precision and accuracy?

Precision is how exact you are and accuracy is how correct you are.

What type of observation has to do with a description of the object?

Qualitative Observation

What type of observation has to do with amounts or measurements?

Quantitative Observations

How can you make your observation better?

By making it more detailed

What do we call a guess based on observations?

An inference

What type of observation is the following statement What type of observation is the following statement. There were 15 blue M&M’s

15 is a Quantitative Observation Blue is a Qualitative Observation

What do we call a replica that scientist use to study with?

A Scientific Model

What makes something a system?

Pieces that are interconnected and rely on each other to do a single job.

Give one advantage and one disadvantage of a model.

Advantages: safer, convenient, cheap, make things smaller/larger, speed things up, you can repeat them, etc. Disadvantages: May not be as accurate/realistic/detailed, based on someone’s ideas, could be faulty or outdated, etc.

What type of graph would you use if you wanted to sort a lot of individual objects into different categories?

A histogram or pictogram

Give one similarity and one difference between a Scientific Theory and a Scientific Law.

Similarity: They are both based on evidence from repeated observations or experiments. Difference: A Scientific Theory is an idea that will change over time. A Scientific Law is pretty close to being 100% right.

What is Science?

Asking questions and finding answers, inquiry, investigating, experimenting, exploring, learning, etc.

What tools to you use to analyze the data?

Graphs, charts, diagrams, tables, etc.

If you are making an inference what types of words would you use?

Possibly, might, could be, maybe, perhaps, etc.

After scientist find their conclusion what is the last step?

Communicate their Results (so other scientists can repeat the experiment or take the next step)

What is the word that means “trueness” of your data?

Validity