Nature of Science and Engineering Practices Flashcards

A set of 15 vocabulary flashcards covering scientific evaluation methods, engineering design processes, and wildlife crossing case studies.

Cost Effectiveness

The degree to which something produces benefits compared to its cost.

Trade-off

A situation in which you must choose between two things, giving up one in exchange for the other.

Credibility

The confidence that can be placed in the truth of scientific findings.

Accuracy

A description of how close a measurement is to an accepted value.

Reliable Methods

Procedures that are specific enough that when repeated, the same results occur, helping to reduce error as much as possible.

Prototype

A model that is used to test a design, allowing engineers to explore processes that happen too slowly, too quickly, or on extreme scales.

Physical Models

Models that you can observe with your sense of sight and touch, which show the relationship between parts and performance under specific conditions.

Constraints

Limitations put on the design of a solution that are often beyond the control of engineers, such as cost, energy, space, and environmental factors.

Scientific Theory

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

Scientific Law

A rule that describes a pattern in nature

Independent Variable

Is the factor that is changed by the investigator to observe how it affects an dependent variable

dependent variable

is the factor measured or observed during an experiment.

Control Group

is the part of an experiment that contains the same factors as the experimental group, but the independent variable is not changed.

Qualitative data

is the use of words to describe what is observed in an experiment.

Quantitative data

is the use of numbers to describe what is observed in an experiment. Quantitative measurements are made using the International System of Units (SI). Using this system allows data to be understood by scientists from

Observation

is the act of using one or more of your senses to gather information and take note of what occurs.

hypothesis

is a possible explanation for an observation that can be tested by scientific investigations.

Constants

are the factors in an experiment that remain the same.

Engineering Design Process

is a series of steps used to find solutions to specific problems. These steps can be repeated as often as needed to find the best solution.