| A | B |
|---|
| scientific method | organized set of investigation procedures |
| hypothesis | a testable explanation for a problem |
| experiment | testing the effect of one thing on another |
| variable | a factor that can cause a change in the result of an experiment |
| dependent variable | the variable whose values change because of the experiment |
| independent variable | the variable whose values are chosen by the scientist |
| constant | a variable whose values do not change during an experiment |
| control | a group or trial that acts as a standard for comparison in an experiment |
| bias | when a scientist's expectations change his/her interpretation of the results |
| model | a representation of an idea, event or object used to better understand it |
| theory | an explanation that is based on many observations and lots of data |
| scientific law | a statement of a recurring phenomenon that can be used for predictions, but does not attempt to explain |
| technology | the application of science to help people |
| precision | how close measurements are to each other |
| accuracy | how close measurements are to the "true" value |
| SI | Le Systeme Internationale d'Unites, otherwise known as the metric system |
| volume | the amount of space occupied by an object |
| mass | measurement of the quantity of matter in an object |
| density | mass per unit volume; how densely packed a sample of matter is |
| graph | visual display of information or data |
| society | group of people that share similar values and beliefs |
| constraints | design restrictions from outside factors (cost, environmental impact, materials availability) |
| prototype | full-scale model of a new product |
| pilot plant | smaller version of a real production facility to test manufacturing process |
| control system | device or collection of devices that monitors a system |
