Year 8 Science · Unit 4 · Lesson 1

What Counts as Scientific Data?

Foundation Worksheet

Name
Date
Class

Learning Goals

Warm Up

Sort it!

Write each statement from the pool into the correct category box. Decide whether each one counts as scientific data or not.

The reaction mixture turned blue after 45 seconds The experiment smelled really bad The plant grew 3.4 cm in 7 days I think the chemical is dangerous The water temperature was 22°C The rock looks scary The solution had a pH of 7.4 That looked like a lot of gas The mass of the sample was 18.6 g It feels colder today

Scientific Data

Not Scientific Data

Your Turn

Fill the gap

Choose the correct word from the word bank to complete each sentence. Two words will not be used.

data objective quantitative qualitative evidence measurement subjective opinion repeatability

Scientific is information collected through systematic observation or measurement that can be used to answer questions. For data to be useful in science, it must be — meaning it is based on facts that anyone can verify, not on personal feelings. When a scientist writes "the reaction turned bright blue after 30 seconds," this is an example of data because it describes a quality using words. In contrast, recording "the temperature rose to 45°C" is an example of data because it uses a number with a unit. Assigning a numerical value to a property using a standard unit is called a . When data is used to support or refute a claim, it becomes . A statement like "I think the solution is poisonous" is not scientific data — it is a personal .

Show What You Know

1. Give one example of scientific data and one example that is NOT scientific data. Explain the difference between them.

Recall 2 marks

2. Why is repeatability important in scientific data collection? Give a specific reason.

Recall 2 marks

Wrap Up

In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?

HSCScience · Year 8 Science · Unit 4 · Lesson 1 · Foundation Worksheet