Unit 1.1 The Practice of Science Review 1

When is an explanation considered a scientific theory?

• when it is well supported by many studies and many scientists

• when it is still new idea that many scientists are studying

• when it is in its hypothesis form and remains untested

• when it is impossible to prove that it is false

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS4-2

In 1916, Albert Einstein wrote his general theory of relativity, which states that space and time curve near a massive object. This theory still stands today. Which of the following explains one reason why this is a scientific theory?

• It is about space.

• It is widely supported.

• It is an opinion by a scientist.

• It is unable to be tested scientifically.

Which of the following is the broadest explanation of an aspect of the natural world that has currently NOT been proven as false and has been studied and supported by a large body of scientists?

• scientific law

• scientific fact

• scientific theory

• scientific hypothesis

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.

In the mid-16th century, a scientist suggested that diseases were caused by microorganisms, organisms too small to see with the human eye. Experiments and discoveries over the centuries supported this idea, and the Germ Theory of Disease was created. Which of the following correctly identifies whether this an example of a scientific theory, or a hypothesis?

• a hypothesis, because it shows that one test is all that is necessary to be accepted by the scientific community

• a theory, because it shows an explanation supported by a large number of scientists and many investigations

• a hypothesis, because it demonstrates a scientist's prediction that turned out to be correct

• a theory, because it shows the formation of a hypothesis and an experiment being conducted 

The picture below shows Pluto, which was once classified as a planet in our solar system. In 2006, a group of astronomers decided that it was not a planet because of its size and location in space and classified it as a dwarf planet. 

What does the reclassification of Pluto show about scientific knowledge?

• that scientific knowledge is open to change when new interpretations are encountered

• that new advancements in technology will always alter current scientific knowledge

• that current scientific knowledge should be challenged and updated annually

• that scientific knowledge can always be altered by individual groups of scientists

Which statement best describes how scientific knowledge is durable?

• Ideas are only valid with empirical evidence and controlled experiments.

• Theories can be improved or modified as new information is discovered.

• Scientists' opinions do not influence their research.

• Knowledge is never challenged or proven false.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-2

Daniel is learning about how animals are classified into kingdoms and phyla. He is surprised to learn that living things were classified into two kingdoms, Animalia and Plantae, until the early 1900s. Where did scientists obtain the knowledge that they used to establish additional kingdoms?

• experiments conducted after the invention of the microscope

• experiments conducted after the invention of the microscope

• a wide variety of genetic and field investigations around the world

• research conducted only in outer space

What happens to scientific knowledge over time?

• It becomes accepted or modified with repeated observations and new evidence.

• It is always proven wrong when scientists test old experiments with new technology.

• It changes completely every time new evidence is found.

• It is lost if it is not tested and observed frequently.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS3-5

Directions: Read the information in the boxes below about Cody's and Levander's methods that they used to study squirrels to find out if squirrels prefer bread or pistachio nuts. Use the boxes to answer any questions that follow.

CODY'S METHOD     For two weeks, Cody placed 20 pieces of bread and 100 pistachio nuts on the bottom of a 100 meter by 100 meter cage holding 50 squirrels. He did this three times a day and each day recorded what the squirrels ate. At the end of his study, Cody concluded that squirrels prefer bread, since all of the bread was gone at the end of each feeding while some pistachio nuts remained.   

LEVANDER'S METHOD          For two weeks, Levander placed equal amounts of pistachio nuts and bread pieces on the floor of a 100 meter by 100 meter cage holding 50 squirrels, and recorded which food the squirrels ate first. Of the 50 squirrels he observed, 40 of them ate the bread first, so Levander concluded that squirrels prefer bread.  

Whose results are a better representation of what squirrels prefer?

• Levander's experiment, because he used equal amounts of each food source

• Cody's experiment, because he used different amounts of food

• Levander's experiment, because he did not manipulate a variable

• Cody's experiment, because he manipulated several variables 

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2