Observing

The process of using one or more of your senses to gather information.

Quantitative observation

An observation that deals with a number or amount.

Qualitative observation

An observation that deals with characteristics that cannot be expressed in numbers.

Inferring

The process of making an inference, an interpretation based on observations and prior knowledge.

Predicting

The process of forecasting what will happen in the future based on past experience or evidence.

Classifying

The process of grouping together items that are alike in some way.

Making models

The process of creating representations of complete objects or processes.

Science

A way of learning about the natural word through observations and logical reasoning.

Skepticism

An attitude of doubt.

Scientific inquiry

The ongoing process of discovery in science; the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural word and propose explanations based on evidence they gather.

Hypothesis

A possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a scientific question; must be tested.

Variable

A factor that can change in an experiment.

Manipulated variable

The one factor that a scientist changes during an experiment; also called independent variable.

Responding variable

The factor that changes as a result of changes to the manipulated, or independent, variable in an experiment; also called the dependent variable.

Controlled experiment

An experiment in which only ONE variable is manipulated at a time.

Operational definition

A statement that describes how to measure a particular variable or how to define a particular term.

Data

Facts, figures, and other evidence gathered through observations.

Communicating

The process of sharing ideas with others through writing and speaking.

Scientific theory

A well-tested explanation for a wide range of observations or experimental results.

Scientific law

A statement that describes what scientists expect to happen every time under a particular set of conditions.