Chapter One Assessment Review

Which science disciplines do engineers most use to solve real-world problems?

• science and mathematics

• biology, chemistry and physics

• history, geology, and physics

• psychology, sociology, and mass communications

Jacob is trying to figure out whether to drive, ride a bike, or just walk to school for his freshman year of college. He wants to create a table that shows cost, efficiency, speed, ease of storage, and emissions of the three options. What can he use to determine the best choice?

• Pugh Chart

• A System

• A prototype

• A trade-off table

Which of these events lead to the modification of a scientific idea?

• A scientist uses a computer to teach a scientific concept to students.

• Two scientists doing the same experiment in different parts of the world under the same conditions get the same results

• One scientist finds evidence that she feels doesn't fit a theory. Other scientists agree that her results are valid

• A scientist performs an experiment and finds out that one of the chemicals used in the experiment was contaminated

Simon presenting a project on scientific laws and theories. Which of the following statements should he include to explain the differences between the two?

• A scientific theories requires scientific evidence but scientific laws do not.

• Scientific theories are based on observations and scientific laws are based on opinions

• Scientific theories explain why something happens, and scientific laws describe what happens

• Scientific theories are rarely changed and scientific laws are modified frequently

Ashley conducts an investigation on the effects of water amounts for seed sprouting. She knows that replication and replicable results are important for the quality of the investigation. How can Ashley determine if her results are replicable?

• Ashley can carefully record her observations

• Ashley can perform the experiment multiple times

• Ashley can ask other students to perform the experiment

• Ashley can conduct her experiment with large sample sizes

A student is studying tiny organisms in pond water. How could she better observe critical details to distinguish amount the different organisms?

• Smell the sample of pond water

• Study a drop of the pond water under a microscope

• Rub a few drops of the pond water between her fingers

• Look closely at a test tube filled with the pond water

Read the following hypothesis: "Plants that receive too much water will not grow well because their roots begin to rot." Suppose an investigation is planned to explore the hypothesis. What is the independent variable of the investigation?

• the amount of water given to the plants

• the type of plant that is used in the experiment

• the height of the plants at the end of the experiment

• the mass of the plants at the end of the experiment

Niels Bohr, a Danish physicist, produced an early model of the atom. It was replaced by the electron cloud model of the atom. Which is the main reason scientist use a model of an atom?

• Most atoms are too large to study in a lab

• An atom is very small, and a model aids in its study

• all atoms are too dangerous to study without a model

• Most atoms are too far away for scientist to study in a lab

Which type of a graph is a good way to show data change over time?

• a line graph

• a circle graph

• a stem-and-leaf plot

• a box-and-whisker plot

What is the correct order of steps to follow in the engineering design process?

• report the results; identify a need; carry out research and brainstorm solutions; build and test a prototype

• identify a need; carry out research and brainstorm solutions; build and test a prototype; report the results

• build and test a prototype; report the results; identify a need; carry out research and brainstorm solutions

• carry out research and brainstorm solutions; build and test a prototype; report the results; identify a need