AP bio skill 3

Observation

The act of noticing and describing events or processes in a careful, orderly way. Observations often lead to questions. Think of it as: What do you see, hear, or notice in the natural world?

Testable Question (Scientific Question)

A question that can be answered by designing and conducting an experiment. It's specific and focuses on the relationship between variables. Think of it as: What specific puzzle do you want to solve through experimentation?

Hypothesis

A proposed, testable explanation for an observation or a scientific problem. It's a prediction based on prior knowledge or inference that can be investigated. Think of it as: Your educated guess or prediction about the outcome of your experiment.

Null Hypothesis (H0)

A statement or idea that there is no statistically significant difference between specified populations, any observed difference being due to sampling or experimental error. Think of it as: The "no effect" or "no difference" prediction.

Independent Variable (IV)

The factor in an experiment that a scientist intentionally changes or manipulates. Think of it as: The "I change" variable.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The factor that is observed and measured during an experiment. Its value depends on the independent variable. Think of it as: The "data" you collect.

Controlled Variables (Constants)

All the factors in an experiment that are kept the same for all groups. It ensures that any observed changes in the dependent variable are due to the manipulation of the independent variable.

Control Group

A group in an experiment that does not receive the experimental treatment. It serves as a baseline or standard for comparison.

Experimental Group(s)

The group(s) in an experiment that receive the experimental treatment. Think of it as: The group(s) where you are testing the effect of your independent variable.

Experimental Procedures

The detailed, step-by-step plan for conducting the experiment. Good procedures ensure the experiment is repeatable.

Replication

A procedure should be repeated in order to increase our confidence in our findings and ensure that our results are reliable.