Scientific Inquiry

Chapter 1, Lesson 3

Diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence they gather.

scientific inquiry

Possible answer to a scientific question.

hypothesis

Factor that can change in an experiment.

variable

Factor that is purposely changed to test a hypothesis.

manipulated variable

Factor that may change in response to a manipulated variable.

responding variable

Experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time.

controlled experiment

Facts, figures and other evidence gathered through observation.

data

Well-tested explanation for a wide range of observations.

scientific theory

Statement that describes what scientists expect to happen every time under a particular set of conditions.

scientific law