Steps of the Scientific Method

1. State the problem
2. Gather information
3. Create a hypothesis
4. Design and conduct an experiment
5. Gather and record results
6. Draw a conclusion (accept or reject hypothesis)

hypothesis

an educated guess or prediction that can be tested

experimental group

group in an experiment that there is a change given to as the test

control group

group in an experiment where is no change made

variable

a factor that is being tested or changed in an experiment

things that are needed for conducting a good experiment

• 2 groups (control and experimental)
• 1 variable
• constant conditions
• testable hypothesis
• many test subjects
• multiple trials

potential sources of error in any experiment

• inaccurate measurments
• not reading values correctly
• no control group
• recording data incorrectly
• too many variables
• too few subjects

Metric

worldwide system of measurement

when you go from LARGE to SMALL , you ____;

when you go from SMALL to LARGE, you ______

when you go from large to small, you multiply;

when you go from small to large, you divide

metric prefixes

(from largest to smallest)

kilo-

hecto-

deka-

(meter)

deci-

centi-

milli-

How to do metric conversions

1. Are you going from large to small or small to large?
2. Are you going to multiply or divide?
3. Does the number get bigger or smaller?
4. Which way do you move the decimal?
5. How many jumps does it take to go from one unit to the other?
6. Move the decimal point that many spots in the correct direction.

Volume

amount of space occupied by a solid, liquid, or gas

units of measure for voulme

liters

milliliters

cubic cenitmeters

quarts

gallons

tools for measuring volume

graduated cylinder

beaker

Erlenmeyer flask

graduations

the marks on a graduated cylinder

meniscus

bottom curve of the surface of a liquid

(where you read the meausurment of a liquid in a graduated cylinder)

formula for the solid volume of a cube

length x width x height

units of measure for mass

kilogram

gram

ton

pound

triple beam balance

device used to measure the mass of objects

parts of a triple beam balance

adjustment knob

arm

base

big rider

middle rider

beams

pointer

units of measure for length

• kilometer (use to measure long distances)
• meter (use to measure shorter distance)
• centimeter (use to measure lengths of smaller things)
• millimeter (use to measure really small things)
• inch  (English unit of measure)

ruler

device used to measure the distance/length of something

Celsius

metric measure for temperature

(unit is degrees)

definition of the scientific method

organized problem solving procedure