Module 2 and 3 Vocab Trombley

Empiricism

The idea that knowledge comes primarily from observation and experience.

Rationalism

The idea that reason and logical thinking are important sources of knowledge.

Paradigm

A broad framework or way of thinking that guides how scientists understand and investigate the world.

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation or idea that can be tested.

Null Hypothesis

A hypothesis that generally proposes that there is no effect or relationship between variables.

Model

A representation or framework used to describe and understand something in nature.

Zeitgeist

The general intellectual or cultural climate of a particular time period.

Technology

The practical use of knowledge, tools, and techniques to accomplish something.

Normal Science

Scientific work conducted within an existing paradigm, solving problems using the accepted framework.

Realist

The view that a scientific model is intended to represent something that actually exists in nature.

Instrumentalist

The view that a model is primarily a useful tool for predicting or explaining observations.

Type I Error

Rejecting the null hypothesis when it is actually true; a false positive.

Type II Error

Failing to reject the null hypothesis when it is actually false; a false negative.

Peer Review

The process in which other scientists evaluate research before it is accepted for publication.

Falsifiability

The ability for a hypothesis or claim to be shown to be false through testing or evidence.

Replication

Repeating research or an experiment to determine whether the same results can be obtained again.

Primary Research Paper

A paper that reports original research and its results.

Review Article

An article that summarizes and discusses existing research rather than presenting primarily new research.

Systematic Review

A structured review that systematically searches for and evaluates relevant research on a question.

Meta-Review

A review that examines and summarizes the results of multiple reviews.

Publication Bias

When published research is not representative of all research conducted, often because certain results are more likely to be published.

Replication Crisis

The problem that many published scientific findings cannot be successfully replicated.

Pure Science/Basic Science

Science focused primarily on understanding how the world works rather than immediately solving a practical problem.

Applied Science

Science focused on using knowledge to solve practical problems.

Intellectual Property Law

Laws that protect creations and inventions, giving creators certain rights over their work.

Government

A source of funding and support for scientific research, particularly research that serves public interests.

Academia

The educational and research community, particularly colleges and universities.

Industry

Businesses and organizations that conduct or use science and engineering, often for practical or commercial purposes.

Kilo

A metric prefix meaning 10³ or 1,000 times the base unit.

Hecto

A metric prefix meaning 10² or 100 times the base unit.

Deca

A metric prefix meaning 10¹ or 10 times the base unit.

Deci

A metric prefix meaning 10⁻¹ or one-tenth of the base unit.

Centi

A metric prefix meaning 10⁻² or one-hundredth of the base unit.

Milli

A metric prefix meaning 10⁻³ or one-thousandth of the base unit.

Micro

A metric prefix meaning 10⁻⁶ or one-millionth of the base unit.

Meter

The SI base unit for length.

Gram

A unit commonly used to measure mass.

Liter

A unit commonly used to measure volume.

cc

Cubic centimeter (cm³); 1 cc = 1 cm³ = 1 mL.

Kelvin

The SI base unit for temperature.

Celsius

A temperature scale commonly used to measure temperature.

Fahrenheit

A temperature scale commonly used in the United States.

Equality

An equation in which one side equals the other side.

Conversion Factor

A ratio based on an equality that allows you to convert from one unit to another.

Density

Mass per unit volume; ρ = m/V.

Buoyancy

The tendency of an object to float or be supported by a fluid.

Mass

A measurement of the amount of matter in an object.

Volume

The amount of space an object occupies.

Standard

An agreed-upon reference that allows measurements to be consistent and comparable.

Control

A reference or comparison used to help determine the effect of a variable.

Unit

A defined quantity used as a standard for measurement.

Base Unit

One of the fundamental SI units from which other units can be derived.

Derived Unit

A unit created by combining SI base units.

Compound Unit

A unit formed by combining multiple units, such as g/mL.

Random Error

Variation in measurements that occurs unpredictably from measurement to measurement.

Systematic Error

An error that consistently affects measurements in a particular direction or pattern.

Accuracy

How close a measurement is to the true or accepted value.

Precision

How consistent or repeatable measurements are with one another.

Rounding

Reducing a numerical answer to an appropriate number of digits.

Averaging

Combining multiple measurements to obtain a mean value.

XY-Scatter Plot

A graph used to display the relationship between numerical variables.

Bar Graph/Column Graph

A graph used to display data involving categories.

Pie Chart

A graph used to show how different categories make up parts of a whole.

Dependent Variable

The variable that responds to or changes because of the independent variable.

Independent Variable

The variable that is changed or manipulated in an investigation.

Trend Line

A line placed through data points to help show the relationship or trend in the data.

Linear Regression

A mathematical method for finding a linear representation of data.

Error Bars

Lines on a graph that show the uncertainty or variation associated with data measurements.