Physical Science Chapter 1
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41 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 science | the study of the natural world |
| observing | using one or more senses to gather information |
| inferring | making an inference, explaining your observation |
| predicting | making a forecast of what will happen in the future based on past experience or evidence |
| chemistry | the study of the properties of matter and how matter changes |
| physics | study of matter, energy, motion, and forces and how they interact |
| scientific inquiry | the different ways scientists study the natural world |
| hypothesis | possible answer to a scientific questions or explanation for a set of observations |
| parameter | factor that can be measured in an experiment |
| manipulated variable | only one variable parameter is purposely changed |
| responding variable | the variable parameter that is expected to change because of the manipulated variable |
| controlled experiment | an investigation in which only one parameter is manipulated at a time |
| data | facts, figures, and other evidence gathered through observations |
| communicating | sharing ideas and conclusions with others through writing and speaking |
| model | a picture, diagram, computer image, or other representation of an object or process |
| scientific theory | a well-tested explanation for a wide range of observations or experimental results |
| scientific law | a statement that describes what scientists expect to happen every time under a particular set of conditions |
| SI | expanded metric system called the International System of Units |
| weight | measure of the force of gravity on you |
| mass | measure of the amount of matter an object contains |
| volume | the amount of space an object takes up |
| meniscus | top surface of water in the graduated cylinder is curved. |
| density | mass per unit volume |
| celsius scale | water freezes at 0C and boils at 100C |
| Kelvin scale | water freezes at 273C and boils at 373K |
| absolute zero | temperature which is the same as -273C |
| estimate | an approximation of a number based on reasonable assumptions |
| accuracy | how close a measurement is to the true or actual value |
| reproducibility | how close a group of measurements are to each other |
| significant figures | a measurement include all of the digits that have been measured exactly, plus one digit whose value has been estimated |
| precision | measure of the exactness of a measurement |
| graph | "picture" of your data |
| horizontal axis | X-axis or the line that runs left to right |
| verticle axis | Y-axis or the line that runs up and down |
| origin | where the two axes cross |
| coordinate | a pair of numbers used to determine the position of a point on a graph |
| data point | the point showing the location of that intersection |
| line of best fit | a smooth line that reflects the general patter of a graph |
| linear graph | a line graph in which the data points yield a straight line |
| slope | a graph line tells ou how much y changes for every change in x (rise over run) |
| nonlinear graph | a line graph in which the data points do not fall along a straight line |
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