8th Grade - Cluster Quiz for Nature & Process of Science

What are some things to consider when designing an experiment?

• Cost and availability of materials and resources.

• How many people are available to help.

• Which variables you will test and control at one time.

• How many logbooks you will need.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-4

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A student studying spiders creates the table shown above. What is the best conclusion the student can make based on this information?

• Web spiders are larger than hunting spiders.

• Wolf spiders are the largest of these spiders.

• Hunting spiders usually have warning color patterns.

• Jumping spiders are faster than yellow garden spiders.

Angela performs an experiment that examined the relationship between the size of the fish and the amount of oxygen the fish uses. After analyzing her data, Angela creates the graph: Which statement would be the most accurate about the graph?

• The size and amount of oxygen used stays the same.

• The smaller the fish, the more oxygen the fish uses.

• The larger the fish, the more oxygen the fish uses.

• You cannot make a relationship between fish size and oxygen.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Use the experiment described below to answer questions 4 and 5:

Kim wanted to determine if certain seeds require sunlight in order to germinate. She placed one seed on a moist paper towel in the sunlight. She placed a second seed on an equally moist paper towel in a dark closet. The seed in the sunlight germinated but the seed in the dark closet did not. Kim concluded that this type of seed needs sunlight in order to germinate.

What is the dependent variable in Kim’s experiment?

• Seed location

• Seed germination

• Amount of sunlight

• Amount of moisture

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Kim wanted to determine if certain seeds require sunlight in order to germinate. She placed one seed on a moist paper towel in the sunlight. She placed a second seed on an equally moist paper towel in a dark closet. The seed in the sunlight germinated but the seed in the dark closet did not. Kim concluded that this type of seed needs sunlight in order to germinate.

Which of the following would best describe an improvement to Kim’s experiment that would strengthen her claim?

• Start the samples on different days.

• Use different amounts of water.

• Place the seeds in new locations.

• Use many seeds to conduct the experiment.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

In scientific research, scientists should clearly publish the procedures used in their experiments, along with their observations and data. Why is it important for someone else to know the procedure?

• Knowing the procedure allows for replication of the experiment.

• Knowing the procedure helps others understand the reasons for the experiment.

• Knowing the procedure allows for the experiment to be repeated.

• Knowing the procedure can explain how the data were interpreted by the scientist.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS2-5

Two types of models that can be used to show details of the structures of cells are shown below. Which of the following describes a limitation of the drawing but NOT the clay model?

• It does not represent the main parts of a cell.

• It does not contain the correct number of nuclei.

• It cannot represent a living cell, since a true cell is three-dimensional.

• It cannot represent a living cell, since the cytoplasm should be in constant motion.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-2

Astronomers send probes to other planets to take pictures of their surfaces. An astronomer thinks that briny water flows on Mars because he noticed certain features in one picture of Mars. Which method did the astronomer use to form this hypothesis?

• Reading scientific literature

• Conducting a scientific investigation

• Analyzing a scientific procedure

• Conducting a controlled experiment

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

The validity of scientific theories and laws depends on evidence. Which of the following statements of evidence supports a law rather than a theory?

• Electrons orbit the nucleus of an atom within a certain radius.

• DNA analysis reveals that a modern species is related to an extinct species.

• Seafloor spreading occurs at a rate of three centimeters per year in the mid-Atlantic.

• The amount of matter in a closed system is the same at the start of a reaction as at the end of the reaction.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-5

Atomic theory, which describes the atoms that make up matter, has been explored for centuries. Scientists in ancient Greece first proposed that matter was made of units called atoms. For many years, scientists thought atoms were solid and could not be divided. Then, in the nineteenth century, scientists began to discover the particles that make up atoms. Modern techniques have allowed scientists to split atoms into increasingly smaller particles. Which of the following statements about theories is supported by the history of the atomic theory?

• If new evidence contradicts earlier theories, it is a result of an experimental error.

• Experiments with modern equipment cannot be used to support earlier theories.

• A theory is discarded when new evidence contradicts a part of the theory.

• Theories can change in response to new evidence.