HSC Vocab

Question 1

a one paragraph (<100 words) summary of a project, including the question investigated, the methods used, the principal results and conclusions.

Answer 1

Abstract

Question 2

The degree of closeness of measurements of a quantity to the actual (or accepted) value.

Answer 2

Accuracy

Question 3

a signed statement that indicates an understanding of the Honor Code’s rules, and the consequences for violating them.

Answer 3

Acknowledgement

Question 4

similar to a pledge but made after completion of an academic exercise rather than before. The student affirms in writing that no unauthorized assistance was used on that particular assignment/exam.

Answer 4

Affirmation

Question 5

A step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end, especially by a computer.

Answer 5

Algorithm

Question 6

A summary and/or evaluation of each of the sources used to write a paper

Answer 6

Annotated Bibliography

Question 7

A set of rules or guidelines that a publisher observes to ensure clear and consistent presentation of written material typically used in scientific publication.

Answer 7

APA: American Psychological Association

Question 8

chemical analysis so as to determine the strength or quality of a material’s/compound’s components

Answer 8

Assay

Question 9

a chart with rectangular shapes with lengths proportional to the values that they represent. The data can be plotted vertically or horizontally.

Answer 9

Bar Chart

Question 10

A section that contains all sources that have been used to write a paper, whether they are directly cited or not.

Answer 10

Bibliography

Question 11

NFPA color code meaning: Health Hazard

Answer 11

NFPA Placard Blue

Question 12

A group technique for generating ideas and stimulating creative thinking through unrestrained spontaneous participation in discussion. Can include sketching and free writing.

Answer 12

Brainstorming

Question 13

Amount of atmospheric carbon released based on activity and energy usage.

Answer 13

Carbon Footprint

Question 14

in an academic setting, refers to any illegal or improper act intended to help a student improve a test score or grade.

Answer 14

Cheating

Question 15

A quoting of an authoritative source for substantiation.

Answer 15

Citation

Question 16

The process of designing, writing, testing, debugging / troubleshooting, and maintaining the source code of a computer program.

Answer 16

Coding

Question 17

A process to enhance learning and group outcomes, including effectiveness or performance in organizational setting

Answer 17

Conflict Management

Question 18

A general agreement.

Answer 18

Consensus

Question 19

the practice of limiting the use of a resource, or preserving natural resources, landscape and/or species.

Answer 19

Conservation

Question 20

The limits of the design. This may include how the device can be powered, the size of the device, the cost of the device

Answer 20

Constraints

Question 21

In an experimental trial, a group of subjects who are NOT exposed to the variable under study. The results of experimentation will be measured against this group.

Answer 21

Control Group

Question 22

refers to any statistical relationship between two random variables or two sets of data.

Answer 22

Correlation

Question 23

A design process that intends that all materials used should able to be returned to original source and zero waste produced.

Answer 23

Cradle to Cradle Design

Question 24

a rule or principle for evaluating or testing something

Answer 24

Criteria

Question 25

Facts or statistics used for reference and analysis

Answer 25

Data

Question 26

The process of going through a program's code to locate and fix a problem or mistake.

Answer 26

Debug

Question 27

A tool for systematically ranking alternatives according to a set of criteria.

Answer 27

Design Matrix

Question 28

The boundaries of the study or limitations of the experiment as set by the researcher

Answer 28

Delimitations/Constraints

Question 29

a statistic characterizing human populations (or segments of human populations broken down by age or sex or income etc.)

Answer 29

Demographic

Question 30

The observed variable in an experiment or study whose changes are determined by the presence or degree of one or more independent variables.

Answer 30

Dependent Variable

Question 31

A systematic problem-solving strategy, with criteria and constraints, used to develop many possible solutions to solve a problem or satisfy human wants and narrow down the possible solutions to one final choice.

Answer 31

Design Process

Question 32

a statement that explains what will be included in the design of a device to solve a particular problem based on research. It should explain what the device needs to be able to do, but without any specifics about the device itself.

Answer 32

Design Statement

Question 33

Amount of difference between a value and the mean.

Answer 33

Deviation

Question 34

the process of classifying and annotating texts, photographs, etc

Answer 34

Documentation

Question 35

a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment

Answer 35

Ecosystem

Question 36

a fundamental entity of nature that is transferred between parts of a system in the production of physical change within the system and usually regarded as the capacity for doing work

Answer 36

Energy

Question 37

an federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment

Answer 37

EPA

Question 38

refers to those principles that are intended to define the rights and responsibilities of scientists in their relationship with each other and with other parties including employers, research subjects, clients, students, etc

Answer 38

Ethics

Question 39

examine and judge carefully; appraise.

Answer 39

Evaluate

Question 40

the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid

Answer 40

Evidence

Question 41

An activity designed to test a hypothesis according to a set criteria.

Answer 41

Experiment

Question 42

The group that is exposed to testing conditions or to the independent variable during an experimental trial

Answer 42

Experimental Group

Question 43

Mathematically characterized by or being an extremely rapid increase

Answer 43

Exponential

Question 44

a federal agency responsible for monitoring trading and safety standards in the food and drug industries

Answer 44

FDA - Food and Drug Administration

Question 45

Detectable effects or behaviors of a system in response to an action.

Answer 45

Feedback

Question 46

a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different countries, a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology

Answer 46

Globalization

Question 47

Frequency distribution graph.

Answer 47

Histogram

Question 48

"adherence to the facts : sincerity, fairness and straightforwardness of conduct requires following laws and rules, playing fair and avoiding all forms of cheating."

Answer 48

Honesty

Question 49

a systematic and enforceable code of rules and consequences by which student academic conduct is governed, regardless of an individual student's consent or lack thereof. Often called Code of Academic Integrity.

Answer 49

Honor Code

Question 50

a promise voluntarily made by students that they will not commit any act of academic dishonesty.

Answer 50

Honor Pledge

Question 51

a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation.

Answer 51

Hypothesis

Question 52

the variable that is manipulated in a scientific experiment.

Answer 52

Independent Variable

Question 53

An energy source that will never run out.

Answer 53

Inexhaustible Energy

Question 54

the non-logical, but rational, means, through observation of patterns of facts, to indirectly see new meanings and contexts for understanding.

Answer 54

Inference

Question 55

the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

Answer 55

Integrity

Question 56

influences that a researcher cannot control. They are the shortcomings, conditions or influences that place restrictions on your methodology and conclusions.

Answer 56

Limitations

Question 57

A resource that controls or limits the growth or survival of an organism, or the extent of an organization or project

Answer 57

Limiting Factor

Question 58

A straight line path of flow, direct point to point with no alternative routes.

Answer 58

Linear

Question 59

A straight line that best represents all data points of a scatter plot. This line may pass through some, all, or none of the points displayed by the scatter plot. Also referred to as a Trend Line or Regression Line.

Answer 59

Line of Best Fit

Question 60

Evaluative report of information related to your selected area of study. The review should describe, summarize, evaluate and clarify the current research.

Answer 60

Literature Review

Question 61

text written by someone to consider the critical points of current knowledge including substantive findings, as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to a particular topic.

Answer 61

Literature Review

Question 62

A measure of center in a set of numerical data, computed by adding the values in a list and then dividing by the number of values in the list.

Answer 62

Mean

Question 63

A measure of center in a set of numerical data.

Answer 63

Median

Question 64

a section to describe how an experimental design procedure will be carried out or was carried out

Answer 64

Methods

Question 65

The value that occurs most frequently in a given data set.

Answer 65

Mode

Question 66

A visual, mathematical, or three-dimensional representation in detail of an object or design, often smaller than the original.

Answer 66

Model

Question 67

US organization with international membership, it establishes and updates fire protection and prevention safeguards.

Answer 67

NFPA - National Fire Protection Agency

Question 68

NFPA color code meaning: Fire Hazard

Answer 68

Red

Question 69

NFPA Placard color meaning: Specific Hazard: acid, alkili, corrosive, oxidizer, polymerization, radioactive, or no water.

Answer 69

White

Question 70

NFPA color code meaning: Instability

Answer 70

Yellow

Question 71

A function that represents the distribution of variables as a symmetrical bell-shaped graph.

Answer 71

Normal Distribution

Question 72

a standard or pattern, especially of social behavior, that is typical or expected of a group.

Answer 72

Norms

Question 73

process of designing a product that will become useless within a set period of time

Answer 73

Obsolete

Question 74

a federal agency of the United States that regulates workplace safety and health

Answer 74

OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Question 75

data points that seem to lie outside the data set

Answer 75

Outliers

Question 76

a government authority or licence conferring a right or title for a set period, especially the sole right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention.

Answer 76

Patent

Question 77

evaluation of scientific, academic, or professional work by others working in the same field.

Answer 77

Peer Reviewed Journal

Question 78

a type of graph in which a circle is divided into sectors that each represent a proportion of the whole.

Answer 78

Pie Chart

Question 79

using the words and thoughts of another without attribution, usually in order to attain an unearned grade of to avoid the effort involved in original research and writing; seeking to take credit for someone else's work.

Answer 79

Plaigarism

Question 80

the "wrongful appropriation" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work

Answer 80

Plaigarism

Question 81

The energy that a piece of matter has because of its position or nature or because of the arrangement of parts.

Answer 81

Potential Energy

Question 82

The degree to which repeated measurements show the same result; refinement in a measurement, calculation, or specification, especially as represented by the number of digits given.

Answer 82

Precision

Question 83

An original or direct source of information (i.e., diary/journal, research publication, survey/interview, letters, photos, documents, autobiographies, and observations)

Answer 83

Primary Source

Question 84

The calculated likelihood that a given event will occur.

Answer 84

Probability

Question 85

a concise description of the issues that need to be addressed by a problem solving team and should be presented to them (or created by them) before they try to solve the problem.

Answer 85

Problem Statement

Question 86

A sequence of instructions (or algorithm) written in a language a computer can understand and put into action.

Answer 86

Program

Question 87

A method in which a computer can be given instructions to create an app or application.

Answer 87

Programming Language

Question 88

A written document that describes the experimental design of a research project.

Answer 88

Proposal

Question 89

A model used to test a design concept by making actual observations and necessary adjustments.

Answer 89

Prototype

Question 90

Data Values that possess names or labels.

Answer 90

Qualitative Data

Question 91

Data Values that represent a measurable quantity.

Answer 91

Quantitative Data

Question 92

the area of variation between upper and lower limits on a particular scale.

Answer 92

Range

Question 93

numerical data collected during an experiment before calculations or statistics have been applied

Answer 93

Raw Data

Question 94

any natural resource that can replenish itself naturally over time, as wood or solar energy

Answer 94

Renewable Energy

Question 95

The ability of system to resist external change/interference or to adapt from external disruption.

Answer 95

Resilience

Question 96

the number of observations or replicates to include in a testing protocol

Answer 96

Sample Size

Question 97

Research and writing performed by an academic that is usually based on original research or experimentation

Answer 97

Scholarly Research

Question 98

a written document that outlines information and procedures for handling and working with chemicals.

Answer 98

SDS - Safety Data Sheet

Question 99

the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time.

Answer 99

Simulation

Question 100

A person, group or organization that has interest or concern in an organization.

Answer 100

Stakeholder

Question 101

measures the amount of variation or dispersion from the average

Answer 101

Standard Deviation

Question 102

The collection and analysis of numerical data in large quantities.

Answer 102

Statistics

Question 103

acronym for the fields of study in the categories of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the United States.

Answer 103

STEM

Question 104

A method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.

Answer 104

Sustainability

Question 105

Multiple and alternate paths of flow to be taken, optional points of direction & destination.

Answer 105

Systematic

Question 106

a style of written document that is clear and conveys exact meaning to the reader using supporting evidence

Answer 106

Technical Text

Question 107

One complete execution of a testing protocol. Each time an experiment is run.

Answer 107

Trial

Question 108

an ethical value that includes traits of character such as integrity, honesty and promise-keeping that generate trust.

Answer 108

Trustworthiness

Question 109

The federal department that administers programs that provide services to farmers (including research and soil conservation and efforts to stabilize the farming economy); created in 1862

Answer 109

USDA - United States Department Agriculture