The study of ______ involves the study of the natural world.
Science
Empirical evidence
Evidence gained from observation.
Ex: observations, measurements, and other types of data scientists gather.
Science uses ____________ to support its explanations.
Empirical evidence
Scientific explanation
1) describes a natural process.
2) relies heavily on empirical evidence
3) others can test and refute
Scientists are often creative in
A) designing
or
B) comparing
experiments?
A) Designing
True or False:
Creative explanations must rely on new observations.
False. Creative explanations need not rely on new observations
The natural sciences are normally divided into life, earth and
A) physical
Or
B) behavioral
branches.
A) physical
The natural sciences are normally divided into life, earth and physical branches.
True or False:
Scientific laws can be thought of as a general description of what we see happening around us.
True
True or False:
Scientific theories can change when new evidence is found.
True
A scientific __________ has a lot of support and is more than just a "hunch".
Theory
A __________ is a representation of something in the natural world.
Model (scientific model)
Unlike in society, a scientific _________ is simply a description of what we see.
Law
Scientific law
1) describes a basic principle of nature that always occurs under certain conditions
2) laws simply tell you what to expect
3) are eternal and unchangeable
Plate tectonics is an example of a:
A) scientific law
B) scientific model
C) scientific theory
C. Scientific theory.
Scientific investigations that involve testing a single variable are called___________
Experiments
The findings of experiments are generally not accepted until they are:
A) modeled
B) proven
C) replicated
Replicated
The most reliable scientific information comes from
A) reporters
B) scientists
C) companies
working in a particular field.
B) scientists
What are some ways to confirm that an investigation is valid?
Peer review and replication
Replication (other scientists doing the investigation and get the same findings)
True or false:
Agriculture and medicine are affected by science.
True
Prediction
1) similar to a hypothesis because it makes a statement about what will happen under certain conditions. BUT
2) Does not include any explanation of relationships among factors.
Hypothesis
A testable idea or explanation that can be used to design a scientific investigation.
May be developed after making observations or after reading findings from other scientists' investigations.
Can be tested by experiment or observation
Independent variable
The factor that is deliberately changed in order to test the effect of the change on another variable.
In an experiment there is only one independent variable.
Dependent variable
The factor that is measured to gather results.
Constant
A variable that is not allowed to change in the investigation