Scientific Method-Unit 1

Accuracy

how close a measurement is to the true value

Theory

a scientific explanation supported by a lot of evidence collected over a long period of time

Hypothesis

an unproved or preliminary explanation that can be tested by comparison with scientific evidence. early hypothesizes are rarely correct and are often modified as new evidence becomes available

Independent Variable

a variable that you believe might influence another variable

Dependent Variable

the variable that you believe is influenced by the independent variable

Control Variable

A variable that is kept constant during a experiment.

Inquiry

a process of learning that starts with questions and proceeds by seeking the answers to the questions

Deduce

to figure something out from known facts using logical thinking

Objective

describes evidence that documents only what actually happened as exactly as possible

Scientific Method

a process of learning that begins with a hypothesis and proceeds to prove or change the hypothesis by comparing it with scientific evidence

Conversion Factor

a ratio used to convert from one unit to another,such as from feet to meters

Experiment

a situation specifically set up to investigate relationships between variables

Average

a mathematical process in which you add up all the values, then divide the result by the number of values