science skills

What is the introduction in a practical report?

A brief explanation of the scientific idea being tested.

What is the aim?

A clear statement of what the experiment is trying to find out.

What is a hypothesis?

A prediction of the result, usually including a reason.

What is the independent variable?

The factor you change.

What is the dependent variable?

The factor you measure.

What is the method?

Step-by-step instructions for how the experiment was done.

What are the materials?

A list of equipment and substances used.

What are results in a report?

Data collected, shown in tables, graphs or written observations.

What is the discussion?

An explanation of results, errors, patterns and whether the hypothesis was supported.

What is the conclusion?

A summary of the findings linked back to the aim.

What should a data table include?

Clear headings with units and organised rows/columns.

What graphs can you use in experiments?

Line graphs (continuous data) or bar graphs (categorical data).

What does TAILS stand for?

Title, Axes labelled, Intervals even, Line of best fit (for line graphs), Scale appropriate.

What are systematic errors?

Errors that are the same every time and affect accuracy (e.g., faulty equipment).

What are random errors?

Unpredictable errors that affect precision (e.g., slight differences in measurements).

What is accuracy?

How close a measurement is to the true value.

What is precision?

How close repeated measurements are to each other.