Nature of Science (7th)

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes science?

• The study of ancient civilizations

• The investigation and exploration of natural events and the new information that results from those investigations

• A collection of random facts

• The process of memorizing information

Open Ended

Why is it important for scientists to use reliable skills and methods in problem solving?

Multiple Choice

Which branch of science focuses on the study of living things?

• Biology

• Earth science

• Chemistry

• Physics

Multiple Choice

What is the first step a scientist usually takes when beginning a scientific investigation, according to the process of scientific inquiry?

• Making an observation

• Forming a hypothesis

• Drawing a conclusion

• Testing a prediction

Multiple Choice

Which of the following are possible outcomes of scientific inquiry?

• Technology

• New materials

• Possible explanations for phenomena

• All of the above

Open Ended

Why is it important for scientists to follow ethics when working with living things or conducting research with people?

Open Ended

Describe the difference between a scientific law and a scientific theory.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes a qualitative observation?

• An observation that uses numbers

• An observation that uses the senses

• An interpretation of observations

• A spoken or written summary of observations

Multiple Select

Which of the following are SI base units?

• meter

• second

• kelvin

• pound

Multiple Choice

How many significant digits are in the number 0.0002500?

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 5

Open Ended

Explain the difference between a balance and a thermometer as scientific tools. Include what each measures and how they are used in the laboratory.

Multiple Select

Which of the following are examples of computer hardware?

• Monitor

• Keyboard

• Microsoft Word

• CPU

Multiple Choice

What is biodiesel primarily made from?

• Living organisms

• Minerals

• Fossil fuels

• Synthetic chemicals

Open Ended

Describe how a controlled experiment can be used to test the effect of water on seed sprouting, based on the diagram.

Open Ended

Explain why replacing food crops with fuel crops for biodiesel production can be problematic.

Multiple Select

Which of the following are true about the Aquatic Species Program (ASP)?

• It studied how microalgae could capture carbon dioxide.

• It found that some microalgae strains produced large amounts of oil.

• It focused only on land plants.

• It established a collection of promising microalgae strains.

Multiple Choice

What effect does starving microalgae of nutrients have on oil production?

• It increases oil per cell but not total oil produced.

• It decreases oil per cell and total oil produced.

• It has no effect on oil production.

• It increases both oil per cell and total oil produced.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a challenge of growing microalgae in open ponds compared to bioreactors?

• Open ponds are more expensive than bioreactors.

• Open ponds provide more controlled conditions than bioreactors.

• Open ponds can be challenging to manage but might be less expensive.

• Open ponds always yield more oil than bioreactors.

Open Ended

Describe the process a scientist follows from forming a research question to reporting results, as shown in the diagram.

Multiple Select

Which of the following methods are used to increase light exposure for microalgae in bioreactors?

• Light rods

• Paddlewheels

• Solar panels

• Reflective mirrors

Open Ended

Explain how growing microalgae can help reduce the effects of global warming.

Multiple Choice

What is the main purpose of science according to the lesson?

• To memorize facts

• To investigate and explore natural events

• To follow strict rules

• To avoid asking questions

Open Ended

Based on what you learned today, how would you explain the importance of asking questions in science?