Lab Safety, Scientific Method, Measurements & Graphing Study Guide

Flashcards covering lab safety protocols, the stages of the scientific method, variable identification, and metric measurement techniques and tools.

Open toed shoes and hair down

Two clothing or appearance choices that could create a safety problem during a lab.

Horseplay

Unsafe bahavior such as joking around or pretending to throw materials that can lead to breaking or spilling lab materials.

Eye wash station

The immediate safety equipment to be used if a chemical gets into a student's eyes.

Chemical disposal

The process of asking a teacher how to handle leftover chemicals instead of using a sink or trash can to avoid clogging or dangerous mixing.

Scientific method order

Observation, auestion, hypothesis, expiriment, data collection, conclusion.

Indepent variable

The variable that the scientist intentionally changes; it is normally located on the x-axis.

Dependent variable

The variable that is measured or observed as the result; it is normally located on the y-axis.

Constant

A factor that stays the same for all groups in an experiment, such as using the same type of plant.

Quantitative data

Data that works with numbers, such as the number of pages read or plant height.

Line graph

A reasonable choice for showing how one numerical variable changes with another because it is quant vs. Quant both numbers.

Ruler

A tool used to measure length.

Graduated cylinder

A tool used to measure liquid volume accurately.

Digital scale

A tool used to measure mass electronically.

Triple beam balance

A tool used to measure mass using beams.

Grams

The most appropriate metric unit for mass in a typical middle-school lab.

Liters and milliliters

Metric units used for measuring water.

Water displacement calculation

The method of finding an irregular object's volume by subtracting the initial water level from the level after submersion: $47 \text{mL} - 32 \text{mL} = 15 \text{ML}$.

Metric conversion: cm to mm

Converting $6.4 \text{ centimeters}$ results in $64 \text{milileters}$.

Milileters

The smaller units that divide centimeters on a metric ruler.

Rectangular volume calculation

For a storage box $7 \text{ cm}$ long, $5 \text{ cm}$ wide, and $4 \text{ cm}$ high, the volume is $7 \times 5 \times 4 = 140 \text{ cm}$.

Accuracy

Being close to a true world value.

Precision

Something that is really consitent.