Answering Scientific Questions

constant

a factor in an experiment that is the same in each test group

hypothesis

a possible answer to a question based on research done; an educated guess about the outcome of an experiment

scientific method

a process involving a series of steps used by scientists to solve problems or to study the world around them

problem

a question based on an observation; the question that scientists hope to answer by conducting an experiment

independent variable

a variable that is changed in an experiment to produce a result

scientific theory

a well-tested and widely accepted explanation of observations and experimental results

experiment

an activity used to test your hypothesis, scientifically designed so that the results are valid

data

the facts, figures, and other evidence gathered through qualitative and quantitative observations

scientific law

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

procedure

A way of organizing, writing, and conducting the experiment.

analysis/ results

data collected and studied by scientists from an experiment

experimental group

the group that is exposed to the treatment in an experiment

control group

the group that is not exposed to the treatment in an experiment

conclusion

the statement made after analyzing the results that either proves or disproves a hypothesis

dependent variable

the variable that changes in response to the independent variable