Physics Chapter 1 Vocab Formative

The study of the fundamental laws of nature.

• physics

• science

• the scientific method

• observation

An organized way of thinking about nature and understanding how it works.

• science

• physics

• observation

• the scientific method

The systematic approach scientists use to learn about the laws of nature

• science

• physics

• the scientific method

• inference

The starting point of any scientific investigation, in which you describe events in a logical and orderly way.

• observation

• inference

• science

• the scientific method

A logical interpretation of your observations.

• inference

• observation

• hypothesis

• theory

A detailed scientific explanation for a set of observations that can be verified or rejected by careful experiments.

• inference

• hypothesis

• observation

• scientific method

The variable you change in an experiment.

• independent variable

• dependent variable

The variable you measure to see how it responds to change.

• independent variable

• dependent variable

A detailed explanation of some aspect of nature that accounts for a set of well-tested hypotheses.

• scientific method

• observation

• inference

• theory