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Precision

How small a measurement is. Millimetres are more precise than centimetres because they are smaller.

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Accuracy

How close a measurement is to its true value.

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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.

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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

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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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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.

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Categoric variables

Variables that are described by labels. You should use a bar chart to show this type of data.

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