Practical skills Words
- Accurate When a measurement is close to the real value.
- Calibrate Check that an instrument is measuring correctly,by comparing against a standard.
- Categoric variable A variable that has a label rather than a number e.g colour.
- Continuous variable A variable that has a number rather than a label e.g 2.4W, 30cm or 4A.
- Control variable The variables that must be kept the same.
- Dependent variable The variable that you measure.
- Directly proportional As one value increases, the second value increases by the same amount.
- Discrete variable A variable that can only take specific values
- Fair test When only one variable is changed,and all others are kept the same.
- Gradient The slope of a graph
- Hypothesis A theory based on what you think.
- Independent variable The variable in an experiment that you change
- Interval The smallest division between two measurements.
- Inversely proportional If one measurement doubles, the other measurement goes down to a half.
- Peer review When a theory or set of results is reviewed and verified by other scientists.
- Precise When results are close together.
- Prediction A more detailed hypothesis where you state what you think will happen.
- Random error A random error is when an experiment produces wrong results due to a random factor.
- Range The highest and lowest results in a set of results.
- Reliable Results are reliable if they can be obtained again and again.
- Repeatable Results are repeatable if the same person repeats the same method and gets similar results.
- Reproducible Results are reproducible if two different people follow the same method and get similar results.
- Resolution A measuring device with a high level of resolution is one that is able to measure a smaller change.
- Systematic error A systematic error is when a method or piece of equipment has the same error on it and this error comes out in all of the measurements.
- Uncertainty If results could be between a number of values then we say that the result is uncertain.
- Valid Results are valid if the experiment was done as a fair test
- Variable Something that you can change in an experiment.
- Zero error When a measuring instrument gives a reading even though the true value is zero.