Scientific Method Vocabulary

Observation

information gathered using your senses

Variable

a factor changed in an experiment

Independent variable

a factor that you change

Dependent variable

a factor that changes as a result of the independent variable

Confounding variable

a factor that confuses your result

Control

the part of an experiment held constant, compared against the variable

Qualitative Data

descriptive data without numbers, such as hardness, shape, color

Quantitative Data

numerical data from measurements

Trial

each test of a treatment

Repeated trial

when a treatment is tested more than once

Constants

possible variables that are kept from changing during the experiment

Theory

an explanation of some feature of the natural world that can include facts, laws, and

tested hypotheses - makes predictions about future observations

Law

descriptions of how the physical world behaves under certain circumstances