Science at ISHR How Science Works Precision How small a measurement is. Millimetres are more precise than centimetres because they are smaller.
Feb 02, 2016
Science at ISHR
How Science Works
Precision
How small a measurement is. Millimetres are more precise than centimetres because they are smaller.
How Science Works
Accuracy
How close a measurement is to its true value.
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Science at ISHR
How Science Works
Random errors
Errors caused by factors we can’t control, like tiny temperature changes in a room. They can also happen if you make a mistake – like pushing the stopwatch button too early.
Science at ISHR
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Systematic errors
Errors caused by inaccurate equipment, equipment that doesn’t zero properly or by problems with a method.
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Reliability (‘reproducibility’)
If someone else / an independent research group can repeat your measurements and get the same results then your results are ‘reliable’ because they are ‘reproducible’..Science at ISHR
How Science Works
Reliability (‘repeatability’)
If you can repeat your measurements and get the same results then your results are reliable because they are repeatable. This will be evident because all of your data will be close to the mean.
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How Science Works
Independent variable
The variable you change to see what happens, or how it affects what you are measuring.
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Dependent variable
The variable that you measure.
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A fair test
An investigation or experiment where only the independent variable has been allowed to affect the dependent variable. This means only changing one variable and keeping the control variables unchanged.Science at ISHR
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Validity
Your results must be valid if you are going to be able to draw a conclusion from them. To get valid results you need to carry out a fair test.
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Valid data (measurement(s)) is
evidence that is reliable
and which is relevant to the question
being investigated
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Continuous variables
Variables that can have any numerical value. You should use a line graph to show this type of data.
Science at ISHR
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Categoric variables
Variables that are described by labels. You should use a bar chart to show this type of data.
Science at ISHR