Nature of Science Review-2

Chris is studying states of matter by heating water in a pan. Which statement from his notebook is an observation?

• I think there is air in the bubbles.

• The bottom of the pan must be very hot.

• It is hard to estimate the size of the bubbles.

• Tiny bubbles form on the bottom of the pan.

For a science project, Mike tracks how the side of a mountain changes over time. He records his observations of any changes that he sees each day in a notebook. Which statement from his notebook is an actual observation of the mountain?

• Four pieces of rock fell from the top of the mountain today.

• I think the mountain will lose more rocks each day this month.

• The mountain will probably be better for plant growth over time.

• I would like to continue to observe the mountain after my project.

Timothy is comparing two different orange trees.

Which of these sentences in Timothy’s notebook is an inference?

• Tree 2 has smaller oranges.

• Tree 2 is not as large as Tree 1.

• Tree 2 may not be getting enough water.

• Tree 2 does not have as many leaves as Tree 1.

David is using the scientific method to study how plants grow. In one step, he identifies variables and lists the equipment he will use. What is he doing in this step?

• gathering data

• planning an experiment

• drawing a conclusion

• investigating further

Look at the experimental setup. What information would this experiment give?

• the effects of air on plant growth

• the effects of light on plant growth

• the effects of soil on plant growth

• the effects of water on plant growth

Pierre wants to find out if a plant grows taller when given a new fertilizer called EverGrow. He plants seeds in pots and adds the proper amount of fertilizer according to the directions. What else should Pierre do to find out if EverGrow really does make plants grow taller?

• provide more light to his plants

• grow some seeds without fertilizer

• put the plants in windows in different rooms

• water some of the plants at the end of two weeks

Hannah’s mother wants to plant a garden in the spring and needs to know how deep to plant pea seeds. To help her mother, Hannah designed an experiment. She layered small stones and soil in an aquarium. She then planted four pea seeds at four different depths in the soil. She placed the seeds at depths of 1.0 cm, 2.0 cm, 4.0 cm, and 6.0 cm below the surface of the soil. Hannah watered the seeds and put the aquarium in a sunny location.

What should Hannah do next in order to have useful information for her mother?

• Record when the seeds sprout and begin to grow.

• Make sure the seeds have enough sunlight.

• Predict which seeds will sprout.

• Plant more seeds.

The graph shows the amount of rainfall, in inches, that fell in an area over a six-month period in 2003. Why is it helpful to record accurate data about rainfall in a given area?

• The data show exactly how much rain will fall every year during this six-month period.

• The data help meteorologists determine average rainfall patterns in an area.

• The data show which month will definitely be the rainiest month of every year in this area.

• The data show exactly how much rain will fall in this area in August every year.

John wants to compare how fast water (H2O) will drain through three different types of soil. He gets three soil samples of equal size, and puts each into a Styrofoam cup. Six equal-sized holes are punched into the bottom of each cup. One at a time, John adds 50 milliliters of water to each soil. He measures and records the amount of time required for the water to completely drain through each type of soil.

Study the description of John’s experiment above. Which of the following is John testing (independent variable) in this experiment?

• amount of water

• sample size

• type of soil

• time for water to completely drain