6th Grade Unit 1 Lessons 3 & 4 Scientific Investigations with Tools and Measurement

experiment

organized steps to study something under controlled conditions; a procedure completed to test a hypothesis

observation

using your senses and/or measuring to gather information

hypothesis

A testable prediction or possible explanation to answer a question before an investigation

variable

Any factor that can change in an experiment

independent variable

the factor a scientist changes in an experiment

dependent variable

the factor that responds to the independent variable; this is measured to gather data/results

data

evidence; information gathered from observations

constants (controlled variables)

the conditions of the experiment that must be kept the same so they don't affect the results

analyze data

Look at the information your gathered from the experiment and use this information to see what you learned. This includes looking back at observations and measurements made during the experiment and often organizing them in a graph, table, or chart.

conclusion

a summary of the experiment results, including whether or not the results support the hypothesis

experimental group

in an experiment, the group that is exposed to the independent variable being tested

control

In an experiment, setup that is identical to the experimental group EXCEPT the independent variable is not changed; this setup is used for comparison and should not show changes in the dependent variable

trial

a repeat of an experiment with a new collection of data or observations

repetition

a scientist conducts multiple trials gathering more data to determine whether results are reliable and consistent

replication

OTHER scientists do the same experiment to determine whether or not the results are the same and support the original findings and conclusions

measurement

a description that has both a number and a unit; a type of quantitative observation

range

the difference between the highest and lowest scores in a set of data

mean

the average for a set of numbers, calculated by adding the scores and then dividing by the number of scores

quantitative

observation/data involving numbers; example: 23 students are in the room

qualitative

observation involving descriptions (adjectives, NOT numbers); example: Mrs. Gainey is wearing a "red, cotton" shirt

International System of Units (SI)

a modern version of the metric system used by scientists around the world so they can communicate measurements even if they speak different languages

Kelvin

SI unit for temperature

gram

SI base unit for mass

meter

SI base unit for length

newton

SI unit of force, such as weight

cubic centimeter or milliliter

SI unit for volume

kilo-

prefix meaning 1000

centi-

a prefix meaning one-hundredth of a unit

milli-

a prefix meaning one-thousandth of a unit

scientific notation

a way of writing numbers that are very large or small; writing a quantity as a number multiplied by ten to a power (ten with an exponent)

balance

measures mass (how much matter makes an object)

graduated cylinder

used to measure volume of liquids - more precise than a beaker

meterstick or metric ruler

tools used to measure length

spring scale

tool used to measure weight or force

water displacement

used to calculate the volume of irregular shaped objects - place an object in water and see how much the water rises

accuracy

how close a measurement is to the true value

precision

how close a series of measurements are to one another or how reproducible they are