Nature of Science

The modern atomic theory has been around for over 200 years. Once atoms were thought to look just like marbles. Now, scientists see them as having a complex shape and distinct parts. What does this say about atomic theory?

• It was a bad theory from the start

• Scientists weren’t smart enough to understand it when it was first proposed

• It was a good theory that got modified as new information was discovered

• Atoms probably really don’t even exist

Answer explanation

As new information is learned, theories will be modified (changed).

Which of the following statements about the steps of the scientific methods is true?

• The steps must support the hypothesis.

• Steps are sometimes repeated.

• All steps must be used.

• Steps must always be used in the same order.

Answer explanation

Scientists repeat parts of the process as they continue to question the natural world.

Astrologers relate the locations of stars and planets to events in human lives. Centuries ago, astrology was thought to be a science. Why do scientist today classify it as a pseudoscience?

• Stars and planets can’t be distinguished from one another

• Scientists distrust anything from the past

• Astrology came before the telescope

• The claims made by astrologers cannot be measured and tested accurately

Answer explanation

Remember CONPTT: one T stands for Testable. In order for it to be considered true science, the claims must be testable.

During a biology class investigation, Hector examined the pH levels of soil samples collected by each of his class members. Hector identified that soil samples collected from students living near a rock quarry have a higher pH level, with ranges between 7.6 and 7.9 depending on proximity to the quarry. Hector went to these collection sites to acquire additional samples to verify these levels and found very similar results.

What can Hector infer about these observations?

• pH levels are between 7.6 and 7.9 near the quarry site

• Soil samples were taken near a quarry

• The presence of the quarry causes the soil to be alkaline (high pH)

• Hector's Biology class conducted an investigation on soil pH

Answer explanation

Observations are statements of gathered information from the senses. Inferences use background knowledge to draw a conclusion.

Experimental results that do not support a hypothesis can often be very valuable. Why?

• They can cause incompetent scientists to lose their jobs and make room for better scientists.

• They can cause scientists to develop new experiments that produce additional data.

• They can be changed to match the hypothesis for the published article.

• They can be labeled as a theory instead of a law.

Answer explanation

All experimental results are valuable as scientists are continually learning from results of hypotheses that support or do not support the data.

A paleontologist is a scientist who studies fossils. Fossils are the remains, or physical evidence, of an organism preserved by geological processes. Suppose that a paleontologist has written a scientific article about how she determined which dinosaur set of fossilized bones came from. What can you learn by reading this article?

• How bones become fossilized

• What dinosaurs looked like

• How scientists analyze results

• How scientists find dinosaur bones

Which of the following best describes a way economics can affect science?

• Health officials in a town may limit swimming in a lake based on pollution regulations

• A health crisis may cause scientists to drop some research to focus on finding a vaccine.

• Limited funding may cause scientists to research one topic over another.

• Legislators may make laws about the use of natural resources based on scientific findings

Answer explanation

The topic of this question was not addressed in class. It was meant to exercise your test-taking strategies. The question asks about economics, or money, so the answer should be about money.

What is a major difference between doing an experiment in the laboratory and doing fieldwork?

• Fieldwork is always done outside, and experiments are always done inside

• In an experiment, variables are controlled, while in fieldwork scientists try to determine what variables are affecting what they are seeing

• Data collected in an experiment is always better

• Fieldwork requires no accounting for variables

Answer explanation

In a lab setting, scientists can control the variables affecting the outcome, limiting it to one independent variable. In the field, there are many variables that may affect result outcomes.

There are several criteria that distinguish science from pseudoscience, including studying the process that can be explored after making a prediction. Which of the following situations could be considered a scientific study?

• Correcting a hypothesis to fit the data from the experiment

• Reading papers written by a university professor on her research

• Studying feeding relationships of consumers in a local ecosystem

• Debating the pros and cons of the flat Earth idea with its believers

Answer explanation

Correcting a hypothesis is not an appropriate scientific action. Reading papers is research. Debating is not a scientific practice. Studying the natural world qualifies as true science.

In 1915, Alfred Wegener proposed that continents "drifted" through Earth's crust, but his hypothesis was not accepted by his peers. He based his hypothesis on the fact that the edges of the continents match like puzzle pieces.

In the 1960's, the theory of plate tectonics was developed and is now accepted by the scientific community. Which of the following represents the empirical evidence that scientists needed before they accepted the theory of plate tectonics?

• Scientists have been able to observe continental plates moving with the naked eye.

• Researchers on different continents have found matching index fossils and geological layers along the edges of the continents

• Satellite imaging has shown that the continents' edges no longer match the maps used by Wegener.

• Improvements in communication technology have made it easier for scientists to communicate their ideas.

Answer explanation

More evidence found to support a theory's claims will allow a theory to be modified.