Y9 Science - Investigation Skills

what are the stages in an investigation?

• Planning

• Conducting

• Communicating

what are the report components

• Title/Question

• Aim

• Hypothesis

• Method & Materials

• Safety

• Results

  • Tables

  • Graphs

• Analysis, Trends, Discussion, Evaluation, Limitations & Improvements

• Conclusion

what is an independent variable - IV?

the variable that is changed, different/independent in each trial of the experiment

what is a dependent variable - DV?

what changes as a result of the independent variable manipulation in experiments.

what are controlled variables - CV?

what stays the same

what is accuracy/validity?

Data is accurate if observed to be close to the true or expected value. refers to the trueness or correctness of test measurements.

what is precision/reliability?

Data values are precise if they are relatively close to each other. refers to the consistency/reproducibility of test measurement’s absence of variance

what is repeatability?

The data gathered should be consistently the same

what is a random error?

individual occurrences, unavoidable, reduce impact by repeating experiment, missing the time to read exact temperature

what is a systematic error?

the same mistake each time, reading a ruler incorrectly the same way each time, the thermometer is broken/old