Scientific learning is the process of understanding the natural world through systematic observation, experimentation, and reasoning.
Variables
Variables are things that are controlled and measured as part of a scientific experiment. There are three main types of scientific variables.
- Independent variables: The variables that the researcher purposely changes or controls in experiment is called independent variables.
These are generally represented in X-axis in graphs and on R.H.S of mathematical equations. - Dependent variables: The variables that a researcher measures or observes in an experiment is called dependent variables. These are generally represented on Y axis in graphs and on L.H.S of mathematical equations.
- Controlled variables: The variables that a researcher tries to hold constant throughout the experiment is called controlled variables.
Example: Let’s say we’re conducting an experiment to find out how sunlight affects the growth of plants.
- Independent Variable: The amount of sunlight each plant receives. This could be different levels, such as full sunlight, partial sunlight, or no sunlight.
- Dependent Variable: The growth of the plants, which we measure by height or number of leaves. This is what we observe to see if changes in sunlight have an effect.
- Controlled Variables: Factors that we keep the same for all plants to ensure a fair test. These might include the type of plant, the amount of water each plant receives, the type of soil, the size of the pot, and the room temperature.
Physical quantities are properties of matter and energy that can be measured, like length, mass, time, temperature, and speed.
Physical quantities are typically divided into two main types:
- Fundamental quantities: Those quantities that are independent of other physical quantities are called fundamental quantities. Examples: Length, mass, time, electric current, temperature, amount of substance, and luminous intensity.
- Derived quantities: Those quantities which are obtained by multiplying or dividing one fundamental quantity with another are called derived quantities. Examples: Speed, force, area, and energy.