Nature of Science 1.1-1.3 Review

Which description defines pseudoscience?

• process of investigation that resembles science and follows scientific methods

• process of investigation that resembles science but does not follow scientific methods

• process of investigation that does not resemble science but follows scientific methods

• process of investigation that does not resemble science and does not follow scientific methods

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Which activity requires a scientist to use creativity?

• observing the behavior of a mouse in a maze

• measuring the distance an object travels during an experiment

• designing an experiment to test the relationship between force and slope

• repeating an experiment several times to determine whether the results are valid

Which phrase is evidence of the limits of what science can study?

• any phenomenon that a scientist can observe or model

• only a phenomenon that a scientist can observe with instruments

• only a phenomenon that a scientist can observe without instruments

• only a phenomenon that a scientist will be able to explain with certainty

When scientists obtain new information, what happens to an existing scientific theory?

• It is revised.

• It is reevaluated.

• It becomes a law.

• It remains the same.

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Which evidence best supports a scientific explanation?

• personal bias and the opinion of the scientist

• hypothesis formed after initial observations

• imagination and originality of the hypothesis

• experimental data obtained by using technology to get objective measurements

Which term describes the information that a scientist gathers during an investigation?

• hypothesis

• observation

• data

• variable

Juan, a biologist, notices that a particular group of hummingbirds leaves during the colder winter months and returns during the warmer spring months. Juan hypothesizes that the birds fly south to locations with warmer weather and blooming flowers during the winter months. Which procedure should Juan use to test his hypothesis?

• Observe the direction the birds fly when they depart in the winter.

• Survey northern and southern residents about the birds in their areas.

• Tag the hummingbirds with transmitters and track their movement.

• Set up observation posts in the south to verify the time of year that birds arrive.

Ana is in charge of studying how air quality affects the respiratory health of the citizens in her state. Which testable claim does she investigate?

• The quality of the air varies throughout the state.

• Air quality in her state is worse than it is in other states.

• Air quality has a relationship to respiratory problems.

• Air quality is worsening due to increasing population and industrialization.

A microbiologist investigates the outbreak of an unknown illness, which is thought to be caused by a new strain of bacteria. Doctors have determined the bacteria are located in the lungs. Initial work on treating the illness is dependent upon analysis of the bacteria. Which investigational method should the microbiologist use to start the process to analyze the bacteria?

• Review the patients’ medical charts

• Interview people who have become sick

• Review the treatment medications and their effectiveness

• Take samples of the bacteria and grow cultures in a lab setting

Scientists use many different methods of investigation. When possible, scientists want to actually experiment or observe an event. Which method is useful when developing a scientific reasoning for an event that cannot be studied directly?

• Conduct a field survey of bird populations in the area.

• Observe the effect of various fertilizers on corn crop yields

• Use a computer model to study how the ocean liner Titanic sunk.

• Use a wind tunnel to measure air drag on various types of automobiles