Experimental design

Hypothesis

A prediction that can be tested by an experiment. What you think is going to happen in the experiment

Scientific Method

A series of steps followed to answer problems including collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis with an experiment, and stating conclusions

Conclusion

A summary based on your data. Was your hypothesis proven correct or not?

Dependent Variable

The experimental factor that is being measured; the variable that may change in response to the independent variable. What data you are going to collect

Independent Variable

The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect is being studied. You chose it (what you are studying or when you are going to take measurements)

Validity-- valid

means that the results of an experiment can be trusted because the experiment had: 1). a control and an experimental group 2). was repeated many times ( many trials) 3).has a large number of subjects in both control and experimental group. 4)You can repeat it and get the same results 5). are peer reviewed.

subjects

subjects are people, animals, things, that are being tested on in an experiment. To improve the validity of an experiment you should use many subjects. The number of subjects in the control group should be the same as the number of subjects in the experimental group.

Data

the measurements and observations you gather in an experiment

trials

the number of times you do an experiment. It is always better to do many trials. This improves the validity of the experiment

constants

these are all the variables that you keep the same between the control group and the experimental group

experimental group

this group is the group in an experiment that receives the independent variable or treatment

control group

this group is treated exactly like the experimental group EXCEPT that it does not get the independent variable (treatment), you use it to compare the experimental group to.