1. Scientific Method Vocabulary List
Science: The knowledge of everything around you. It is also a way of studying the
world and universe.
Scientific Method: The step-by-step process in which science seeks answers to
questions.
Hypothesis: A hypothesis is a testable statement seeking to explain something
about the natural world. Formally stated as an If…then statement.
Observation: Information gathered using your senses.
Properties: The appearance, color, shape, odor, size, weight, texture, hardness and
sound of a substance.
Experiment: A series of carefully planned steps that tests a hypothesis.
Variable: The condition being tested or changed in an experiment.
Control: The part of an experiment held constant, compared against the variable.
Conclusion: A judgment about your hypothesis following an experiment.
Prediction: Stating what you think might happen in the future.
Fact: An observation that has been confirmed over and over. Not often used in
science – they change too often!
Technology: The application of science to solve problems and make new inventions.
Earth Science: The study of the earth and its rocks, oceans, volcanoes, atmosphere
and other features.
Physical Science: The study of matter and energy. Chemistry explores matter and
the changes it undergoes. Physics studies forms of energy such as light and heat.
Refine: To improve upon.
Theory: An explanation of some feature of the natural world that can include facts,
laws, and tested hypotheses. A theory makes predictions about future observations.
Law: Descriptions of how the physical world behaves under certain circumstances.
Theories do NOT become Laws, and Laws did NOT start as Theories!
Definitions of theory, law, fact, and hypothesis adapted from the National Academy
of Sciences