The Scientific Method

Natural Phenomena – Phenomena that occur without human input, such as lightning.

Phenomena – Facts or events that can be observed.

Falsifiable – Able to be proven false.

Hypothesis – Proposed scientific explanations developed prior to conducting an investigation.

Accuracy – Without mistake or error.

Evidence – Facts or information that show whether an explanation is true.

Validity – The quality of being logically or factually reasonable.

Controlled Experiment – An investigation in which one variable is changed and all other variables are kept the same.

Controlled Variable – A variable that is kept the same in a controlled experiment.

Manipulated (Independent) Variable – A variable that is changed to determine what effect the change will have on the responding variable in a controlled environment.

Responding (Dependent) Variable – A variable that changes as a result of changes to the manipulated variable in a controlled experiment.

Variable – A condition or factor that can influence the outcome of an experiment.