Chapter 1: What is Science

inferring

Explaining or interpreting the things you observe

data

Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis

inductive reasoning

uses specific observations to make generalizations

subjective

personal feelings affect how you make a decision or reach a conclusion

hypothesis

possible answer to a scientific question (if...then... format)

observing

using one or more of your senses to gather information

evaluating

Comparing observations and data to reach a conclusion about them

scientific law

A statement that describes what scientists expect to happen every time under a particular set of conditions

ethics

A system of moral principles.

predicting

Making a forecast of what will happen in the future based on past experience or evidence

scientific inquiry

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

experimental bias

a mistake in the design of an experiment that makes a particular result more likely

personal bias

an outlook influenced by a person's likes and dislikes

variables

factors that can change in an experiment

objective

make decisions and draw conclusions based on available evidence

deductive reasoning

way to explain things by starting with a general idea and then applying the idea to a specific observation

dependent variable

(statistics) a variable in a logical or mathematical expression whose value depends in the independent variable

scientific investigation

A systematic approach to solving problems

independent variables

A variable that a scientist changes to find out how this change affects other variables in the experiment.

scientific theory

A well tested concept that explains a wide range of observations

skepticism

An attitude of doubt

controlled experiment

An experiment in which only one variable is manipulated at a time.

quantitative observation

An observation that deals with a number or amount

qualitative observation

An observation that deals with characteristics that cannot be expressed in numbers.

Science

An organized way of gathering and analyzing evidence about the natural world.

cultural bias

An outlook influenced by the beliefs, social forms, and traits of a group

making models

Creating representations of complex objects or processes

classifying

The process of grouping together items that are alike in some way