Writing Science: the Figure, the Error Bar and the Claim · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Writing a result others can check

Science · Scientific Inquiry · ages 23-24
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. How do statistical and systematic uncertainties differ?

    • Both shrink with more data
    • Statistical shrinks with data, systematic does not
    • Both grow with more data

  2. What is accuracy?

    • Closeness to the truth
    • Tight clustering of repeats
    • A long method section

  3. How many digits should a result show?

    • Every digit the calculator shows
    • Round to earned precision and state the rule
    • Hide the uncertainty entirely

  4. What must a method section contain?

    • Instruments, settings, calibrations, sizes, steps
    • Adjectives and slogans
    • Only the final claim

  5. What makes a figure stand alone?

    • 3D effects and bright colors
    • As many digits as possible
    • Labeled axes, legend, bars, claiming caption

  6. What should a figure caption state?

    • The claim the figure supports
    • The hobbies of the authors
    • The name of the journal

  7. Lee reports a bare number with no uncertainty. What is wrong?

    • Numbers need no context at all
    • Uncertainty belongs in captions only
    • A result is a number plus its uncertainty

  8. What is the repeatability test?

    • The figure uses color
    • Another group can redo it from the description
    • The result shows many digits
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_uUQ4gKXTN0-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Writing a result others can check W1-mt_uUQ4gKXTN0-s1

  1. Statistical shrinks with data, systematic does not · Only the statistical part averages down.
  2. Closeness to the truth · Accuracy aims at truth; precision aims at clustering.
  3. Round to earned precision and state the rule · Digits beyond the error bar are fiction.
  4. Instruments, settings, calibrations, sizes, steps · Repeatability needs the full recipe.
  5. Labeled axes, legend, bars, claiming caption · Axes, legend, bars, and caption carry the claim without the text.
  6. The claim the figure supports · The caption carries the claim, not decoration.
  7. A result is a number plus its uncertainty · Bare numbers promise more than they know.
  8. Another group can redo it from the description · Redoability from text alone is the bar.
Worksheet · LightMySky