Science Test: Unit One (Ninth Grade)

Observation

The gathering of information using one's five senses or scientific instruments.

Interpretation or inference

An educated guess or statement based on guesses, seeing the experiment, and using background knowledge.

Quantitative data

Any information that can be counted or measured and expressed using numbers.

Qualitative data

Non-numerical information that describes an object based on the five senses.

Density

A measurement that describes how much mass is packed into a given amount of space.

Mass

The amount of matter or substance that makes up a physical object.

Volume

The amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object or substance.

Background Knowledge

Existing knowledge, context, and previous research that explains why a new experiment is important.

Hypothesis

A proposed, testable claim that answers a research question based on prior knowledge and observations.

Analysis

The careful study of something by breaking it down into smaller parts to understand how it works.

Data

A collection of raw facts, numbers, words, or observations that represent the basic building blocks of information.

C.E.R.

Claim, Evidence, Reasoning.

Independent variable

The factor that a researcher can manipulate

Dependent variable

The outcome or factor that one observes and records during an experiment.

Line Chart

To connect data points in a line to make predictions, especially when the X-axis is time.

Pie Chart

To show how pieces of data make up a whole, often in the form of percentages.

Column Chart

To compare numerical values across a set of data.

Scatter Plot Chart

To show the relationship between two numerical variables and look for patterns or trends.

Graduated Cylinder

A tall, narrow laboratory tool used to measure the volume of a liquid.

Beaker

A cylindrical flat-bottomed vessel with a pouring lip used primarily to hold substances.

Pipette

A precision laboratory tool used to measure, dispense, and transfer small exact volumes of liquid.

Meniscus

The curved upper surface of liquid inside a container caused by surface tension and interaction between the liquid and container walls.

Porosity

A scientific measure of the empty, void space inside a material compared to its total volume.

Formula for Density

D=M/V

Mass unit label(s)

Grams

Volume unit label(s)

Centimeters cubed (cm³) and Millimeters (mL)

Measuring the volume of an object

Through water displacement, or by measuring length, width, and height and multiplying them together.

Independent variable axis

The horizontal X-axis.