Nature of Science

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What is an observation in science?

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An observation is a statement based on what you see, hear, or measure. For example, 'Tiny bubbles form on the bottom of the pan.'

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What is a scientific investigation?

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A scientific investigation is a process used to answer questions by making observations, forming hypotheses, conducting experiments, and analyzing data.

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What is the scientific method?

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The scientific method is a systematic process that scientists use to conduct research, which includes making observations, forming a hypothesis, conducting experiments, and drawing conclusions.

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Why is it important to have a control in an experiment?

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Controls are used to show that different results are caused by changing the variable, allowing for a fair test.

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What is a hypothesis?

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A hypothesis is a testable prediction about the relationship between two or more variables.

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What does it mean for an investigation to be repeatable?

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An investigation is repeatable if other scientists can conduct the same experiment and obtain similar results.

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What is the purpose of conducting background research?

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Background research helps to gather information and understand what is already known about a topic before starting an investigation.

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What is a variable in an experiment?

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A variable is any factor that can change in an experiment. There are independent variables (manipulated) and dependent variables (measured).

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What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative observations?

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Qualitative observations describe qualities (e.g., color, texture), while quantitative observations involve numbers and measurements (e.g., height, weight).

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What is data in scientific research?

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Data is the information collected during an experiment, which can be analyzed to draw conclusions.