Scientific Explanations Vocabulary

Vocabulary terms and definitions from Lessons 1 and 2 of Scientific Explanations.

biology

study of all living things; life science

critical thinking

comparing what you already know with the information you are given to decide whether you agree with it

ethics

rules of conduct or moral principles

hypothesis

possible explanation about an observation that can be tested by scientific investigations

inference

logical explanation of an observation that is drawn from prior knowledge or experience

observation

using one or more of your senses to gather information and take note of what occurs

prediction

statement about what will happen next in a sequence of events

science

the investigation and exploration of natural events and of the new information that results from those investigations

scientific law

describes a pattern or an event in nature that is always true

scientific theory

explanation of observations or events based on knowledge gained from many observations and investigations

technology

practical use of scientific knowledge, especially for industrial or commercial use

accuracy

description of how close a measurement is to an accepted or true value

description

spoken or written summary of observations

digital

of, pertaining to, or using numbers (numerical digits)

explanation

interpretation of observations

International System of Units (SI)

internationally accepted system for measurement

precision

description of how similar or close measurements are to each other

significant digits

number of digits in a measurement that are known with a certain degree of reliability