EOC Scientific Method and Roles, Theories, and Laws 6th grade

Which description defines the variable in a scientific experiment?

• a set of possible outcomes for an experiment

• any factor that can change in a controlled experiment

• a question being explored by an investigation

• a range of values for a particular quantity in an experiment

Which of the following is an example of a scientific experiment?

• observation of plants or animals in their natural environment

• Physical or mathematical representation of an object or process

• an organized procedure to study something under controlled conditions

• collection of data from the unregulated world for comparative purposes

Which of the following is a key part of both an experiment and observations?

• dependent variable

• independent variable

• constant variable

• data

Which statement is a hypothesis?

• Sample X has a greater mass than sample Y.

• There are more than 100 elements in the periodic table.

• We have found that bean seeds sprout faster than corn seeds.

• I think bean seeds that receive 10 mL of water a day will sprout faster than bean seeds that receive 5 mL of water a day

Leah drops a rock from a set height and measures the time it takes the rock to reach the ground. She uses this time and the distance of the fall to calculate the average speed of the rock. She tests four rocks of different masses. Which question is Leah investigating?

• What causes an object o accelerate?

• How does mass affect the speed of a falling object?

• How does mass affect the force exerted by an object?

• How does the free-fall height affect the speed of a falling object?

A good experiment has several characteristics. Which characteristic is part of a good scientific experiment?

• Results can be reproduced.

• Results are NOT reviewed by peers.

• Results are based on a small sample size.

• Results are based on an undisclosed process or procedure.

In 1989, two university research scientists reported that they had produced a nuclear reaction during a simple tabletop experiment. Other scientists, however, were unable to reproduce the results of the original experiment. What characteristic of a good scientific investigation is missing from the original results?

• The results were made public.

• The research was conducted at a university.

• The results of the experiment were not reproducible.

• The experiment did not include sophisticated equipment.

Which practice greatly limits the value of experimental findings?

• having the findings published

• basing the findings on a large amount of data

• having the findings reviewed by a panel of peers

• using an experimental procedure that cannot be reproduced

The findings of an experiment are generally not accepted by the scientific community if the results are not...

• able to be published in an important journal

• able to be replicated by other scientists

• proven by the scientist conducting the experiment

• highlighted in the newspaper

Dr. Cobbin wants to make sure her scientific investigation is considered good. She knows that for an experiment to produce valid results, it must adhere to accepted methods. Which procedure would she NOT include as part of her valid scientific experiment?

• precise observations

• organized procedures

• uncontrolled variables

• controlled surroundings