Lab Safety & Scientific Inquiry Vocabulary

1 Lab Safety & Scientific Inquiry Vocabulary Safety Respect – someone or something considered to have certain rights or privileges; to give honor, hold in high esteem or show proper acceptance or courtesy. Responsibility – to take ownership of your own situations, obligations, reliability or dependability. Being responsible for your own actions. Scientific Inquiry Hypothesis – a possible answer or tentative explanation to a scientific question. The hypothesis should be written in a “cause and effect” method using starting the statement with the word “If” followed by the word “then” (an “if, then” statement). Example: “If you mix the colors red and yellow together, then the result is the color orange.” Observation – information gathered with the senses such as sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. (Observing scientific models, graphs, diagrams, etc…) Experiment – a procedure designed to test a hypothesis. Procedure – a written step-by-step plan for an experiment. 2 3 Scientific Question – a question that is precise and can be answered through observation, measurement, testing or analyzing your research. Scientific Method – a series of steps that a scientist follows to solve a problem or answer a question. Conclusion – a statement that explains the observations or the relationship between the variables; an explanation of what the results show. Variable – any factor that can affect the results of an experiment. Independent Variable – the variable the experiment is designed to test; the factor that you can change or manipulate. Dependent Variable – the factor that responds to changes in the independent variable. Control Group – a standard set-up in which all variables are controlled and the experimental results are compared. Experimental Group – a set-up that is identical to the control group of an experiment in every way, except for a change in the variable you are testing. Trial – each repetition of an experiment. Data – information gathered during a scientific experiment or investigation. 4 Analyze – to examine data to decide what the data show. Inference – a deduction or assumption based on an indirect observation and experience. Prediction – a statement suggesting what might happen in the future based on patterns in data and experiences. Qualitative – information or data that is described in words rather than with numbers. Quantitative – information or data that is expressed using numbers.