| A | B |
|---|
| science | a way of learning about the natural world and the knowledge gained through that process |
| scientific inquiry | the diverse ways in which scientists explore problems and seek to answer questions about the natural world |
| observation | using all five senses to gather information |
| inference | an interpretation based on observation and prior knowledge |
| hypothesis | a possible explanation for a set of observations or an answer to a scientific question |
| controlled experiment | an experiment in which all factors except one are kept constant |
| variable | any factor that can change in an experiment |
| manipulated variable | the one factor that a scientist changes during an experiment; also called the independent variable |
| responding variable | the factor that changes as a result of changes to the manipulated variable in an experiment; also called the dependent variable |
| data | the facts, figures and other evidence gained through observation |
| scientific theory | a well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations |
| Earth science | the science that focuses on planet Earth and its place in the universe |
| geologist | a scientist who studies the forces that make and shape planet Earth |
| oceanographer | a scientist who studies Earth's oceans |
| meteorologists | scientists who study the causes of weather and try to predict it |
| astronomer | a scientist who studies the universe beyond the Earth |
| environmental scientist | a scientist who studies the effects of human activities on Earth's land, air, water and living things and also tries to solve problems relating to the use of resources |
