chapter one what is science

A way of learning about the natural world. Science is also the knowledge gained through that process.

Using one or more of your senses to gather information

When you explain or interpret the things you observe.

Making a forecast of what will happen in the future based on past experience or evidence.

Scientific inquiry refers to the many ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence they gather.

A possible explanation for a set of observations or answer to a scientific question. In science, a hypothesis must be testable. This means that scientists must be able to carry out investigations and gather evidence that will either support or disprove the hypothesis.

A test of a hypothesis under conditions established by the scientist. In a controlled experiment, a scientist determines how one particular variable affects the outcome of the experiment.

One of the factors that can change in an experiment.

In an experiment, the variable that a scientist changes.

The variable that changes (or is measured for change) because of the manipulated variable.

The facts, figures, and other evidence gathered through observations.

A well-tested scientific concept that explains a wide range of observations. An accepted theory has withstood repeated tests. But if tests fail to support a theory, scientists change the theory or abandon it.

A statement that describes what scientists expect to happen every time under a particular set of conditions. For example, the law of superposition states that in horizontal rock layers, the oldest layer is at the bottom. Scientists have repeatedly tested this law and found it to be true.