Science Inquiry Terms
Science inquiry- Starts with being curious about something you’ve observed, but
continues through gathering information, forming a hypothesis, developing and
performing an experiment or investigation and making a conclusion.
Science- Learning about nature in a way that values the knowledge for its own sake and
depends on observation and experiment, logical argument, and skeptical review.
Technology- The designing and use of devices, processes, and materials to solve
practical problems and satisfy human needs and wants.
Law- An action or condition that has been observed so consistently that scientists are
convinced it will always happen. It’s considered to be fact.
Variable- Any factor that will influence the outcome of an experiment.
Dependent variables will change depending on the independent variable. The
independent variable is the one you manipulate (the one you are testing).
Qualitative Observation- describe something using only words: for example: the
yellow-haired dog.
Quantitative Observation- using numbers as well as words to describe something: for
example: a dog with a mass of 14kg, a height of 46cm, an ear length of 10cm, and an age
of 150 days.
Hypothesis- A possible explanation for a question – your best guess at the answer.
Experiment- A test designed to check a hypothesis: to prove it right or wrong.
Conclusion- An interpretation of the results of an experiment as it applies to the
hypothesis being tested.
Model- A mental image, diagram, structure, or math formula that attempts to explain a
concept of hypothesis.
Theory- An explanation of an observation or event that is generally accepted, but hasn’t
been proven certain enough to be considered a law.