Investigation Skills

What's the difference between a hypothesis and a theory?

• "Theory" is another word for "fact;" "hypothesis" is another word for "guess"

• Hypotheses can't be proven; theories can

• Theories have been confirmed through tests; hypotheses haven't

• Theories contain many hypotheses; a hypothesis only contains one theory

Place the following steps in sequence: A) Recognizing a problem; B) Testing a hypothesis; C) Drawing inferences

• A, C, B

• A, B, C

• B, C, A

• C, B, A

What must you do before you make a hypothesis?

• Run an experiment

• Make observations

• Form a theory

• Draw conclusions

If you were running an experiment to determine the temperature at which beans sprout the fastest, what would be the independent variable?

• The number of beans you plant

• The height of the sprouts you grow

• The amount of water you give the beans

• The temperature at which each bean is kept

You should run an experiment several times to make sure your results are consistent. In the preceding phrase, what does "consistent" mean?

• Obvious

• Perfect

• Unchanging

• Testable

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

Which of the following is a testable hypothesis?

• Roses are more beautiful than violets

• A plant needs at least five hours of sunlight per day to grow

• Ice cream is delicious

• Humans will someday land on Mars

What happens if you test a hypothesis multiple times and the data doesn't support your prediction?

• Change the data to support your prediction

• Run the experiment again until you get the results you're looking for

• Conclude that your hypothesis cannot be proven

• Re-think your hypothesis

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-PS2-5

Which of these scenarios describes something that's precise, but not accurate?

• A field goal kicker who misses wide right on ten straight attempts

• A baseball player who hits safely in 56 consecutive games

• A darts player who hits nine straight bullseyes in a row

• A hockey player whose shots miss the net in all directions

Which of these scenarios describes something that's accurate, but not precise?

• A thermometer that reads 36 degrees, when the actual temperature is 37 degrees

• Making an educated guess on a test question and getting the wrong answer

• An archer who hits the same spot on her target 10 times in a row

• A stopwatch that correctly measures time to the nanosecond

Someone asks you for the time. Your digital watch says it's 11:14 and 10 seconds. Under ordinary circumstances, you'd say it's:

• 11:14 and ten seconds

• 11:14

• 11:20

• 11:00