Legacy 6th Science grade Assessment

A scientific ____________ is a statement that describes what always happens under certain conditions in nature.

• law
• theory
• method
• variable

What is a theory?

• Describes what happens
• Explains a process

Information gathered using your 5 senses.

• Observation
• Inference

What is an inference? 

• Just a guess.
• A statement based off of your observations. 
• The same as an observation. 
• Examples of something. 

Kalinda was trying to explain to her friend the difference between a theory and a law in science.  She used the theory of plate tectonics and the law of superposition as examples.  Kalinda explained the difference by using nonscientific language.  Which statement did Kalinda use to correctly describe the difference between a theory and a law in science?

• A theory describes a natural event, while a law explains it.
• A theory explains a natural event, while a law predicts it.
• A theory explains a natural event, while a law describes it.
• A theory predicts a natural event, while a law explains it.

Which of the following can be used to test a hypothesis?

• experiment
• theory
• law
• variable

When in the lab you should wear...

• open-toed shoes.
• sandals.
• closed-toes shoes.
• no shoes.

When should you look over the experiment instructions? 

• After starting the lab
• When your teacher tells you to
• Before starting the lab
• It doesn't really matter.  Instructions are silly!

Bob and Lizzy are working in the lab.  They are goofing off and break a glass test tube.   Which rule did the break?

• Know the location of the safety equipment. 
• Do not eat or drink in the lab. 
• Read instructions. 
• No playing around!

The law of universal gravitation states that both mass and distance of objects affect the gravitational force between them.  Gravitational force increases as the mass of the objects increase.  Gravitational force decreases as distance between the objects increases.  Why are these statements considered scientific law, and not scientific theory?

• The statements tells what happens, and not why the even occurs.
• This statement involves mass and distance measurements.
• This statement explains the attractive force between two objects.
• This statement predicts what will happen under certain conditions.