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