Scientific Inquiry: Observation, Hypotheses, and Theory

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the notes on observation, experimentation, hypotheses, and theory in scientific inquiry.

Observation

The act of viewing the world around us, which leads to questions and the formulation of hypotheses.

Experimentation

A disciplined, controlled method of asking and answering questions about the natural world in an unbiased way.

Hypothesis

A testable statement about nature that makes predictions and can be tested by observation or experiments.

Prediction

A statement about what will be observed if a hypothesis is correct.

Testable

A characteristic of a good hypothesis; it can be tested by experiments or observations.

Controlled experiment

An experiment that compares a test group with a variable to a control group without the variable, keeping other conditions the same.

Variable

A condition or treatment that differs among the groups in an experiment.

Test group

The group in which the variable is deliberately introduced.

Control group

The group in which no variable is introduced; serves as a baseline for comparison.

Scientific inquiry

The overall process of exploring the natural world, including observation, questioning, literature review, experimentation, and communication.

Exploration

Making observations, asking questions, and reading scientific literature to begin inquiry.

Investigation

Deliberate, careful ways of asking and answering questions about the unknown, including experiments and data analysis.

Literature review

Consulting published information about previous observations and experiments to inform new questions.

Hypothesis testing

Using observations or experiments to determine whether a hypothesis is supported or rejected.

Pollen

The powdery grains containing male gametes of flowering plants; observed on birds during pollination studies.

Pollination

Transfer of pollen to a flower's stigma, enabling fertilization and plant reproduction.

Darwin

Charles Darwin's work On the Origin of Species integrated observations with theory to propose natural selection as the mechanism of evolution.

Natural selection

Differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to heritable variation, leading to evolution.

Inheritance

Traits passed from parents to offspring across generations.

Evolution

The process by which life changes over time, supported by a large body of evidence; a central theory in biology.

Theory

A well-supported general explanation of natural phenomena, built from many tested hypotheses and observations.

Iridium anomaly

Unusually high levels of iridium in a rock layer, suggesting extraterrestrial (meteoritic) input at a mass extinction boundary.

Meteorite impact hypothesis

The idea that a meteor impact 66 million years ago caused widespread extinction, supported by the iridium anomaly.