UNIT 1: EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN VOCABULARY

Ms. Moore

7 Blue Science

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE

•Factor that affects the value of the dependent variable; in an experiment, you control the value of this. A variable is any factor, trait, or condition that can exist in differing amounts or types. An experiment usually has three kinds of variables: independent, dependent, and controlled. The independent variable is the one that is changed by the scientist.

DEPENDENT VARIABLE

•Factors whose value is the result of what you are testing. Also called a responding variable. A dependent variable is what you measure in the experiment and what is affected during the experiment. The dependent variable responds to the independent variable. It is called dependent because it "depends" on the independent variable.

CONTROL

•The factors you keep constant or hold fixed in an experiment.

CONSTANTS

• A variable whose value cannot be changed once it has been assigned a value.

HYPOTHESIS

•An idea that can be tested by an experiment.

PROBLEM

•A question to be considered, solved or answered.

INFERENCE

•An explanation of information that is based on facts, but not direct observation.

THERMOMETER

•Device used to measure temperature

GRADUATED CYLINDER

• A narrow container used to measure the volume of liquids.

SCALE

•Graphing: Series of equally spaced marks that stand for equal intervals. Two-dimensional drawing showing a relationship (usually between two set of numbers) by means of a line, curve, a series of bars, or other symbols.

BEAKER

•A container, usually made of heat resistant glass, that has a spout for pouring and marks for measurement

LITER

•Unit of liquid volume used with the SI (metric) system

GRAM

•Unit of mass used in the SI metric system

CONCLUSION

•The result or outcome of an act or process.

DATA

•Information you gather during an experiment.

MENISCUS

•Curved surface of liquid such as water, where it meets the sides of its container.

CELSIUS

•Temperature scale in which the freezing point of water is zero degrees and the boiling point is 100 degrees. This is the SI unit for temperature.

FAHRENHEIT

•Temperature scale commonly used in the United States, in which the freezing point of water is 32 degrees and the boiling point is 212 degrees.

LINE GRAPH

•Graphical device that displays quantitative information or illustrates relationships between two changing quantities (variables) with a line or curve that connects a series of successive data points.

BAR GRAPH

•a chart that uses bars to show comparisons between categories of data.

QUALITATIVE DATA

•Data that is recorded with descriptions

QUANTITATIVE DATA

•Data that uses numbers, usually measurements with units.

INTERPRET

•To explain the meaning of information, words, or actions.

PROCEDURE

•a step-by-step instruction to achieve a desired result,

INVESTIGATE

•carry out research or study, to discover facts or information

MASS

•A measure of the amount of matter in a solid, liquid, or gas.

VOLUME

•A quantity that describes an amount of space. When you measure this you want to know 2 things: How much space does an object take up? How much empty space is in a container?