Nature of Science

A scientist wanted to know more about these blue birds at a beach. He goes to the beach and he writes down everything he sees the birds doing and all the sounds they make. This is an example of which scientific tool?

• observation

• analysis

• hypothesis testing

• replication

Marcia did an experiment to find out whether tulips grow faster under fluorescent lighting or incandescent lighting. Under flourescent lighting, Marcia's plants grew 1.5 cm taller in two months. She gave her notes to Alex, who did the same experiments with similar results. Which term describes Alex's experiment?

• plagiarism

• replication

• pseudo science

• repetition

Identifying the Test (Independent) Variable and Outcome (Dependent) Variable in an experiment will help you interpret results. What is the difference between the Test (Independent) and the Outcome (Dependent) Variable in an experiment?

• Test Variable changes due to the outcome variable, the Outcome Variable is what is measured in an experiment.

• Test Variable changes due to the outcome variable, the Outcome Variable is what stays the same in an experiment.

• The Test Variable is what we change in an experiment, and the Outcome Variable is what changes as a result of that change.

• The Test Variable is what is measured in an experiment, and the Outcome Variable is what changes as a result of that change.

Fred and Barney were given an assignment to go to a school basketball game and write down everything they each saw, heard, smelled, and touched. Afterwards the two students were to compare and contrast their findings and write up a summary of their combined data. In this case when they wrote down what they saw, heard, smelled and felt was considered?

• They were creating a hypothesis

• They were making inferences

• They were writing down their observations

• None of the above

What is the best definition of the term "theory", as it’s used in science?

• What is the best definition of the term "theory", as it’s used in science?

• It is well tested set of ideas that explains events that occur in nature.

• A theory is based on laws that can be proven true.

• It is a hypothesis that has been confirmed

What is the difference between a scientific theory and a scientific law?

• A theory is a well-tested range of representations and a law is a concrete physical representation.

• A theory is a well-tested range of observations of why something works and a law is a well-tested concrete explanation how things work

• A theory is a well-tested range of observations of how something works and a law is a well-tested concrete explanation of why things work

• A theory is a hypothesis that is yet to be proven false and a law is a hypothesis that will always be true.

A prevailing theory about heredity is challenged by newly discovered information from a few experiments. As a result, what might happen to the scientific knowledge about heredity?

• A new theory will immediately be established.

• All that is known about heredity will be erased

• Nothing because scientific knowledge cannot change once it is established.

• Scientific knowledge may change and grow over time.

The picture below shows a microscopic view of cork tissue, which Robert Hooke used to identify the first cell in 1665. Today, it is known that this discovery helped lead to the cell theory. What happened for the cell theory to be created?

• Hooke formed an explanation that was so convincing that the scientific community easily agreed that he was correct and made the cell theory.

• The scientific community elected the best cell biologist to perform one more experiment on Hooke's work, and he created the cell theory.

• The scientific community took Hooke to a court of law, and after many arguments they eventually ruled in favor of the cell theory.

• Many scientists performed studies that tested and built upon Hooke's work, eventually forming a unified understanding of cells.

Scientists need to know how gravity acts on a space shuttle so they can put the space shuttle into orbit. They use an equation that describes how gravity relates to the mass of two objects and the distance between the two objects. Which term describes this equation?

• observation

• model

• scientific law

• scientific theory

Which of the following describes a scientific law?

• Motorists may not travel faster than the posted speed limit.

• The net force on a vehicle is equal to its mass times its acceleration.

• Drivers must have a valid driver's license to operate a motor vehicle.

• Vehicles require one car length per 10 miles per hour of speed to safely stop.