Working Scientifically - UNFINISHED

Question 1

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 1

An explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation

Question 2

How do scientists test hypotheses?

Answer 2

They make a prediction based on it and test the prediction by gathering evidence from investigations

Question 3

How do scientists share their findings?

Answer 3

Peer-reviewed journals and/or at conferences

Question 4

What is peer-review?

Answer 4

Where other scientists check results and explanations to make sure they are scientific before publishing

Question 5

Why do scientists peer-review?

Answer 5

It helps detect false claims

Question 6

What do scientists do once they’ve found out about a hypothesis?

Answer 6

They carry out their own experiments and try to reproduce the original experiment

Question 7

What are accepted hypotheses called?

Answer 7

Theories

Question 8

What is a representational model?

Answer 8

A simplified description or picture of what is going on in ‘real life’

Question 9

What can representational models be used for?

Answer 9

To explain observations and make predictions

Question 10

What are computational models?

Answer 10

Models that have been formed by a computer to make simulations of complex ‘real life’ processes

Question 11

What are computational models used for?

Answer 11

When there is a lot of variables to consider

Question 12

Why would you use a computational model if there is a lot of vaiables?

Answer 12

You can easily change their design to take in new data

Question 13

Why is it important for scientists to tell the public about their discoveries?

Answer 13

Some discoveries show that humans should change habits or provide ideas for new technology

Question 14

What are issues with scientific studies in the media?

Answer 14

They aren’t often peer-reviewed, they are often simplified leading to misinterpretation, information may be biased and it may be inaccurate

Question 15

What are the 4 issues presented by scientific developments?

Answer 15

Economic, social, personal and environmental issues

Question 16

What economic issues are presented by scientific developments?

Answer 16

Society can’t always afford to do things scientists recommend without cutting back elsewhere

Question 17

What social issues are presented by scientific developments?

Answer 17

Decisions based on scientific evidence made will have an affect people’s lives e.g. scientists may believe alcohol should be banned to prevent health problems

Question 18

What personal issues are presented by scientific developments?

Answer 18

Some scientific developments will only affect certain individuals, how would you decide which individuals?

Question 19

What environmental issues are presented by scientific developments?

Answer 19

Human activity affects the environment but some development could cause environmental problems

Question 20

Why can’t scientists answer all questions?

Answer 20

Some questions are ethically based, or the data can’t be collected or there isn’t enough data to support a theory

Question 21

What is a hazard?

Answer 21

Something that could potentially cause harm

Question 22

What is risk?

Answer 22

The chance that a hazard will cause harm

Question 23

What needs to be considered with new scientific technology?

Answer 23

The benefits and risks

Question 24

How do you estimate risk?

Answer 24

By how many times something could happen in a large sample

Question 25

Why might people underestimate or overestimate risk?

Answer 25

Based on the familiarity of the activity and the effect an activity will have

Question 26

What are some hazards from experiments?

Answer 26

Microorganisms, chemicals, fire and electricity

Question 27

What are investigations used for?

Answer 27

To see if there is patterns or relationships between two variables

Question 28

What three things does evidence need to be?

Answer 28

Repeatable, reproducible and valid

Question 29

What does 'repeatable' mean?

Answer 29

If the same person does an experiment again using the same methods and equipment, they'll get similar results

Question 30

What does 'reproducible' mean?

Answer 30

If someone else does the experiment, or a different method or piece of equipment is used, the results will be similar

Question 31

What does it mean if data is 'reproducible' and 'repeatable'?

Answer 31

It's reliable and scientists are more likely to have confidence in it

Question 32

How do you make an experiment a fair test?

Answer 32

Control the variables

Question 33

What is the name of the variable that you change?

Answer 33

The independent variable

Question 34

What is the name of the variable that you measure?

Answer 34

The dependent variable

Question 35

What is the name of the variables you keep the same?

Answer 35

The control variables

Question 36

What is a control experiment?

Answer 36

An experiment that's kept under the same conditions as the rest of the investigation, but doesn't have anything done to it

Question 37

Why isn't a small sample as good as data based on a large sample?

Answer 37

A sample should represent the whole population

Question 38

How do you check reliability of data?

Answer 38

Repeat the readings and check the results are similar

Question 39

How many times should you repeat each reading?

Answer 39

3

Question 40

What is resolution?

Answer 40

The smallest change a measuring instrument can detect

Question 41

Why does equipment need to be calibrated?

Answer 41

If it's not calibrated, it could affect the accuracy of measurements

Question 42

What are random errors?

Answer 42

Errors caused by random things like human errors in measuring

Question 43

How do you reduce the chance of random errors?

Answer 43

Taking repeat readings and finding the mean

Question 44

What is a systematic error?

Answer 44

When a measurement is wrong by the same amount every time

Question 45

What is a zero error?

Answer 45

Equipment that isn't zeroed properly

Question 46

What is an anomalous result?

Answer 46

If you get one result that doesn't fit in with the others

Question 47

How do you calculate the mean?

Answer 47

Add the data together and divide by the total number of values

Question 48

How do you calculate the range?

Answer 48

Find the biggest number and subtract the smallest number

Question 49

How do you calculate the mode?

Answer 49

The number that appears the most often in a set of data

Question 50

How do you calculate the median?

Answer 50

Put all the data in order and the middle value is the median

Question 51

What is the first significant figure?

Answer 51

The first number that isn't zero

Question 52

What should you do if your calculation has multiple steps?

Answer 52

Only round the final answer

Question 53

What 3 types of data can bar charts show?

Answer 53

Categoric data, discrete data and continuos data

Question 54

What is categoric data?

Answer 54

Data that comes in distinct categories eg flower colour, blood group

Question 55

What is discrete data?

Answer 55

Data that can be counted in chunks, where there is no inbetween values eg number of people, you can't have half a person

Question 56

What is continuous data?

Answer 56

Numerical data that can have any value in a range e.g length or temperature

Question 57

Should you include a key with a bar chart?

Answer 57

Yes, if there is more than one set of data

Question 58

On a graph, which axis does the dependent variable go on?

Answer 58

Y-Axis

Question 59

On a graph, which axis does the independent variable go on?

Answer 59

X-Axis

Question 60

How should you plot points on a graph?

Answer 60

Use a sharp pencil, make neat little crosses, don't do dots

Question 61

What should you always include?

Answer 61

Units and axis labels

Question 62

What is a line of best fit?

Answer 62

A line that goes through or near as many points as possible, ignoring anomalous points

Question 63

What is the gradient?

Answer 63

A line/slope which shows you how quickly the dependent variable changes if you change the independent variable