Scientific Method & Variables

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What is the scientific method?

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A systematic process used for scientific investigation, involving observation, hypothesis formulation, experimentation, and conclusion.

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What is a hypothesis?

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An educated guess or possible answer to a scientific question that can be tested through experimentation.

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What is a control group?

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A group in an experiment that does not receive the experimental treatment and is used as a benchmark to measure how the other tested subjects do.

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What are controlled variables?

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Factors in an experiment that are kept constant to ensure that the test results are valid.

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What is an independent variable?

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The variable that is changed or controlled in a scientific experiment to test its effects on the dependent variable.

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What is a dependent variable?

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The variable that is measured in an experiment; it is affected by changes in the independent variable.

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

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It allows for comparison against the experimental group to determine the effect of the independent variable.

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What is the first step in the scientific method?

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Identifying a question or problem that needs to be investigated.

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What does it mean to analyze data in an experiment?

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To examine and interpret the data collected during the experiment to draw conclusions.

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What is the purpose of a conclusion in a scientific experiment?

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To summarize the results of the experiment and determine whether the hypothesis was supported or rejected.