The Nature of Science -Unit Review

Observations are made using our five senses. We can then use those observations to draw conclusions. Which of the following is an example of a conclusion made from an observation.

• "The object is flat."
• "The flower smells like mint."
• "Crickets chirp to attract mates."
• "The food is both sweet and salty."

Joshua has been growing plants that receive 1/2 cup of water two times per week. Now he wants to see what happens to the plants when the amount of water is reduced, as shown in the chart.
Which plant is the control group?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Asa watches his mom rub soap on her fingers to help her get a ring unstuck. He thinks that soap must reduce friction. He designs an investigation to test his theory. He pulls a weight across a board and records the force with a spring scale. He them puts soap on the board and pulls the weight again. Which of the following variables is Asa measuring?

• the speed with which the weight is pulled
• the amount of weight being pulled
• the force needed to pull the weight
• the type of surface the weight is being pulled

Mrs. Ryan's class wanted to find out how the drop height of a tennis ball would affect the height that it would bounce back up. They recorded their data in the table provided.
Which statement is based on evidence?

• The lower the ball is dropped, the better the bounce.
• The higher the ball is dropped, the better the bounce.
• When the ball was dropped from 30 cm, it bounced back up 15 cm.
• When the ball was dropped from 30 cm, it bounced back higher.

Sandy observes the phases of the moon during a two-week period. She sketches and labels the phases and shares her drawings with the class. Which statement best describes Sandy's investigation.

• It involved modeling
• It involves experimentation
• It involves repeated observations
• It involves both repeated observations and experimentation