Graphing, Measurement and Scientific Method

data table

chart used to organize data (numbers) prior to creating a graph

theory

A hypothesis that has been tested with a significant amount of data supporting it

amino acid

building block of proteins, there are 20 different types of these, similar to lego blocks

conclusion

decision whether or not the hypothesis is supported by the data (results)

hypothesis

educated guess or prediction, starts with "I believe....."

control group

group that does not get the treatment (unchanged), comparison group

experimental group

group that is being tested - gets the treatment

centimeter

numbered lines on a metric ruler, 1/100th of a meter

protein

organic compound found in food and drinks such as meat, eggs & fish that our bodies use to make enzymes, hormones and antibodies

carbohydrate

organic compound that contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, its a source of energy for living things, examples are sugars and starches

lipid

organic compound that stores energy, examples are fats, oils and waxes

nucleic acid

organic compounds found in the nucleus of all living things, examples are DNA and RNA

graph

picture of data showing relationships & trends Ex. bar graph or line graph

slide

piece of glass used to hold a specimen (object) viewed under the microscope

data

results of tests completed during the experiment

millimeter

smallest lines on a metric ruler, 1/1000th of a meter

cover slip

square piece of glass or plastic used to cover specimen (object) on slide

biology

study of life

organic

substances produced by or found in living things, made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen

placebo

sugar pill or fake medicine

microscope

tool that uses two lenses to make an object easier to see

metric ruler

tool used to measure the length of an object

independent variable

variable controlled by the scientist, found on the x-axis of a graph

dependent variable

variable that is observed and measured, found on the y-axis of a graph