Scientific research final

What does 'scope' mean in a research project?

It refers to what is included and what is excluded in the project.

What are the steps of the research process?

Identifying a problem → reviewing sources → forming a question/hypothesis → designing study → collecting data → analyzing results → drawing conclusions → communicating findings.

What factors determine whether a study is feasible?

It depends on time, budget, access to participants/data, technology or tools available, ethics, and researcher expertise.

What are the purposes of research?

Description, exploration, explanation, prediction.

What is the independent variable?

The variable you manipulate.

What is the dependent variable?

The variable you measure to see if it changes.

What is the control group?

A group without treatment.

What is the experimental group?

A group with treatment.

Why are multiple trials necessary in research?

To increase reliability by reducing random errors.

How are variables arranged on a graph?

Independent variable on the x-axis and dependent variable on the y-axis.

Give an example of an independent and dependent variable in an experiment.

An example is testing plant growth with different light levels (independent: light level, dependent: plant growth).

What does slope represent in data analysis?

Rise/run shows how much the dependent variable changes with each unit of the independent variable.

What does a positive slope indicate?

A positive slope indicates that a variable is increasing.

What does a negative slope indicate?

A negative slope indicates that a variable is decreasing.

What do scatter plots and trendlines visualize?

They visualize the overall pattern of the data.

When is a line of best fit used?

To show general trend and overall pattern.

What does the 'area under the curve' represent?

It represents the total quantity accumulated over a range.

How can you interpret stopping distance scenarios?

By using a graph to see how different factors affect stopping distance.

What is the reliability of data?

Reliability is how consistent the results are.

What does replication mean in research?

Replication means doing the same experiment repeatedly.

What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative research?

Qualitative research is non-numeric, while quantitative research is numeric.

What makes a source reliable?

If it is peer-reviewed, it is considered reliable.

What makes a source unreliable?

If it is opinionated and unverified or lacks evidence, it is considered unreliable.

What is the role of a hypothesis?

A hypothesis is a testable prediction made before collecting data.

What is a key difference between APA and MLA formatting?

APA focuses on author-date format (scientific), whereas MLA focuses on author-page format (humanities).

Why do scientific journals use APA formatting?

It emphasizes clarity and data relevance, making scientific work easily understood.

What features do APA papers typically include?

Title page, abstract, main body, references, headings, and in-text citations.

What components should a proper reference page include?

Authors, publication year, title, and source (book, journal, URL).

How can science fair projects be classified?

Projects can be classified into fields like biology, physics, engineering, etc., based on the main problem being addressed.

What is the basic relationship between friction, stopping distance, and speed?

More speed usually increases stopping distance; friction helps reduce stopping distance.

How can you analyze motion from physical evidence?

By interpreting marks, distances, and positions to understand movement.

What is impulse and what units does it use?

Impulse is the change in momentum; its unit is Newton-second (N·s).