Scientific Method

• Independent Variable: the factor that changes.
• Dependent variable: the variable that’s affected by the change
• Hypothesis: If IV, Then DV, Because science
• Observation: experience through your 5 senses
• Inference: a conclusion that you reach after making observation
• 1. Question
  2. background research
  3. hypothesis
  4. test with experiment
  5. procedure working? -If no, set up again
  6. analyze data / draw conclusion
  7. Result align with hypothesis
  8. communicate results 


  Scientific method
• Question: testable, measureble
• Bar Graph: represent qualitative data that is categorical
• Scatter Graph: show relationship between 2 variables
• Control Variable: does not change in experiment
• Why Control Variable is important?

  because it can help the IV by keeping all the other variables the same
• What does a good hypothesis include?


  a clear statement and a testable prediction
• Can hypothesis prove to be correct or incorrect?

  only can be accepted or rejected
• What goes good, consistent measurement look like?

  accuracy, precision
• Triple beam balance: to the nearest tenth
• Centigram balance: to the nearest hundredth
• Accuracy: how close measurements are to their true value
• Precision: how close measurements of the same item are to each other
• What does conducting multiple trials have to do with this?

  reduce random errors
• What does a data table include?

  1. title
  2. IV/DV
  3. Column headings
  4. row labels
  5. units
• When is a bar graph used vs. a scatter?

  Bar graph: represent qualitative data that is categorical.

  Scatter plot: for showing the relationship between two variables
• How to construct a graph and analyze:

  1. Choose the type of graph
  2. collect data
  3. Label the axes and graph
  4. Analyze graph
  5. draw best fit line
  6. calculate slope
  7. draw conclusion
• What does the best fit line tell us with regards to correlation?

  tell us the direction of correlation is positive or negative
• How to calculate slope? slope = change in x |change in y​=​y2​−y1​​ | x2-x1
• When analyzing a graph, how does the best-fit line connect to the hypothesis?


  the Best fit line can confirm the hypothesis based on the observed data
• How can you use the best-fit line to make estimates both within the data set you collected as well as outside of it?

  Interpolation within, extrapolation outside.
• Mass: The amount of matter, measured in mg/g/kg
• Is mass the same as weight? How is it measured (name of tool and usage)?

  No, Mass is the amount of matter and Weight is the amount of gravity. Measured with triple beam balance or centigram balance
• Volume: The amount of space taken by an object, measured in (cm3) or (L). Measured with graduated cylinder
• How is volume measured?


  Displacement method: 1. add water and record volume to the cylinder 2. Add item to cylinder and record new water level 3. Subtract two volumes.

  Regularly Shaped: l x w x h = cm3
• When is scientific notation used?

  • used for very big or small numbers
  • Multiply by the power of 10
  • Large numbers: put decimal after first digit and drop the zeroes, add base and exponent
  • Small numbers: move decimal after non-zero digit and drop zeroes in front, negative exponent
• Metric Conversion:

  Ex. 534mL to L

  534mL x 1L / 1000mL = 0.534L