Scientific Method Question Preview (ID: 34695)


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Which of the following statements is an example of a prediction?
a) The metal was shiny and brittle.
b) The sugar had a mass of 15 grams.
c) The type of sugar will affect the respiration rate of yeast.
d) The amount of oxygen produced by the plant decreased as the amount of light decreased.

Chandra has three pieces of metal with equal masses. Each piece is the same color but different shape. She suspects that all three pieces are made of the same element and decides to measure the volume of each piece. Which hypothesis is she testing?
a) If the pieces of metal have the same volume, then they are all made of the same element.
b) If the pieces of metal have different volumes, then they are all made of the same element.
c) If the pieces of metal have the same volume, then each piece is made of a different element.
d) If the pieces of metal have different volumes, then each piece is made of a mixture of elements.

Cathy designs an experiment to investigate how well cups made of different materials maintain the temperature of a cold drink. Which step will increase the accuracy and validity of Cathy’s results?
a) Use a different beverage in each cup.
b) Conduct the experiment in a cool room.
c) Conduct multiple trials and have another scientist repeat the experiment
d) Analyze the experimental results and organize experimental data in a table.

Scientists conduct many types of scientific investigations. Their efforts often include fieldwork, surveys, models, and experiments. Which statement about scientific investigations is true?
a) They rarely involve the collection of data under controlled conditions.
b) They follow exactly the same steps because there is only one scientific method.
c) They include multiple trials to increase the consistency of the data that are collected.
d) Their primary focus seldom includes comparing or describing the unregulated world.

A book publisher that sells textbooks to schools wants to make the words in its books as fast to read as possible.  Which of the following would NOT be an example of a test variable they might investigate?
a) type of font
b) size of the font
c) size of the font
d) number of words printed per page

Scientific investigations involve many steps and processes. Which characteristics define a laboratory experiment?
a) hypothesis, models, and calculations
b) test variables, data, and uncontrolled conditions
c) data, conclusions, and unregulated environment
d) tested and outcome variables, data, and controlled conditions

Jim wants to test how thick the insulation should be in sleeping bags for people to sleep outdoors in cool temperatures. What would the tested variable be in Jim's experiment?
a) type of insulation material
b) initial temperature of the boxes
c) thickness of insulation material
d) length of time to reach 30 degrees Fahrenheit

Mia wants to determine how the temperature of water affects how fast bacteria will grow. She places 2 types of bacteria in a warm and cold bowl. What is the outcome variable in Mia's experiment?
a) type of bacteria
b) size of water bowls
c) temperature of water in the bowls
d) amount of bacteria at the end of the experiment

To learn about scientific experimentation, Mrs. Newberry asks each student to perform an experiment. Which student’s activity is an experiment?
a) Carl notices that boys are taller than girls in his class.
b) Paige uses a graph to show the height of her pea plant each week.
c) Patrick explains that a backyard fossil is from the Jurassic period.
d) Bill puts sugar in hot and cold water and monitors the rate of dissolution.

Mr. Chan wants his students to understand the purpose of scientific inquiry: to acquire scientific knowledge. Which of the following strategies is NOT useful for a scientist?
a) assumption
b) experimentation
c) investigation
d) observation

Mia wants to determine how the temperature of water affects how fast bacteria will grow. She places 2 types of bacteria in a warm and cold bowl. What is the tested variable in Mia's experiment?
a) type of bacteria
b) size of the water bowls
c) temperature of the water in the bowls
d) amount of bacteria at the end of the experiment

Hillary conducts an experiment based on shooting a ball from a cannon. She tests whether the angle of the cannon affects the time the ball is in the air. Which of the following is her control variable?
a) time in the air
b) height of the ball
c) size of the cannon
d) angle at which the ball is shot

Michael wants to do an experiment involving the moon. Which of the following would be classified as an experiment?
a) He will identify the types of rock on the moon.
b) He will make a poster of the moon phases.
c) He will calculate his weight on the moon.
d) He will determine whether children’s test scores improve during a full moon.

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