Experimental Design - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering hypotheses, variables, controls, experimental groups, bioluminescence, graph types, error bars, and CER.

Null Hypothesis (H0)

A statement that there is no significant difference or effect between the groups tested; the independent variable is not expected to affect the dependent variable.

Alternative Hypothesis (Ha)

A statement that the independent variable will have an effect on the dependent variable.

Independent Variable

The variable deliberately changed or tested in an experiment to determine its effect on the dependent variable.

Dependent Variable

The variable measured in response to changes in the independent variable (the outcome being observed).

Experimental Group

The group that receives the independent variable in order to test its effect.

Control Group

The group that does not receive the independent variable, used for comparison.

Positive Control

A control expected to produce a known positive result to validate that the experiment can detect an effect.

Negative Control

A control expected to produce no effect, helping to show that observed effects are due to the independent variable.

Constant / Controlled Variable

A variable kept the same across all experimental conditions to prevent it from influencing the outcome.

DRY MIX (Graphing mnemonic)

A memory aid for graphing: Dependent/Responding variable on the Y-axis and Independent/Manipulated variable on the X-axis.

Aerobic Respiration

Cellular respiration that uses oxygen to efficiently produce ATP, yielding more energy than fermentation.

Fermentation

An anaerobic energy-producing process that yields less ATP than respiration.

Luciferase

The enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of luciferin, producing light (bioluminescence).

D-Luciferin

The substrate used by luciferase in the bioluminescent reaction.

Oxyluciferin

The oxidized product formed when luciferin is used in the luciferase reaction.

ATP

Adenosine triphosphate, the primary energy currency of the cell.

Bioluminescence

Light produced by a chemical reaction within an organism or system, such as the luciferase reaction.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst that speeds up a chemical reaction without being consumed.

Catalysis

The process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by a catalyst.

Scatterplot

A graph showing the relationship between two variables; often used for observational data and trends.

Line Graph

A graph that shows how a dependent variable changes over time or along a continuum.

Histogram

A graph displaying a frequency distribution; bars touch and represent ranges of values.

Bar Graph

A graph that compares categories; bars do not touch.

Pie Chart

A circular chart showing the proportion of parts of a whole for categories.

Box-and-Whisker Plot

A graph that summarizes data variability through quartiles, median, and extremes.

Error Bar

A graphical representation of data variability, often indicating +/- 2 SEM; overlapping error bars suggest no significant difference.

Standard Error of the Mean (SEM)

A statistic that estimates how far the sample mean is likely to be from the population mean.

CER (Claim-Evidence-Reasoning)

A three-part framework for drawing conclusions: Claim (the answer), Evidence (data), and Reasoning (explanation linking evidence to claim).

Claim

A statement that answers the research question and is supported by evidence.

Evidence

Data or observations from an experiment used to support the claim.

Reasoning

Explanation that connects the evidence to the claim, showing why the evidence supports it.