Which of these in an experiment?

• observations of bacteria under a microscope

• a controlled study of the effect of temperature on the growth of bean plants

• a survey to collect data on students' exercise habits

• a study of how blue jays build their nests

What do scientists collect during a scientific investigation?

• hypothesis

• questions

• data

• technology

What is the best definition of hypothesis?

• a question that can be answered

• a possible answer to a scientific question

• a question

• an observation

What do you do first in a scientific investigation?

• form a hypothesis

• ask a question

• gather materials

• collect data

Which of these is not an example of a scientific question?

• Which tastes better, juice A or juice B?

• Does salt make ice melt faster?

• At what temperature are bean seeds most likely to sprout?

• What is the average number of eggs that a female robin lays?

What must be true of any hypothesis?

• A. It must provide the answer to a scientific question.

• B. It must be testable.

• C. It cannot be based on observations.

• D. It must be proven correct.

Which sequence should you follow before planning a scientific investigation?

• A. ask a question > form a hypothesis > make an observation

• B. make an observation > ask a question > form a hypothesis

• C. make an observation > form a hypothesis > ask a question

• D. form a hypothesis > make an observation > ask a question

Conducting a lab experiment would be the best way to investigate

• A. how a tornado forms.

• B. how temperature affects the growth of bread mold.

• C. how land development affects a group of animals.

• D. how wolves communicate with each other.

Eric is observing chemical and physical properties of a substance. He heats a substance and observes that the substance turns from a brown solid to a black powder. He refers to several chemistry journals that claim this represents a chemical reaction. From his observation and research, he concludes that the substance goes through a chemical change when heated. How can Ethan best defend his conclusion?

• A. by verifying that the substance is now made up of different molecules than before it was heated

• B. by demonstrating that the substance is less dense after it is heated

• C. by verifying that the substance is made up of only one type of element

Melanie and Brody want to find out whether wooden bats or metal bats allow baseballs to travel farther. Melanie asks five different people to hit ten balls with each type of bat and she measures the distance each ball travels. Brody researches the physical properties of the pine wood and the aluminum metal and then estimates the possible distance a ball could travel with a given force. Based on the information above, which of the following statements is true?

• Melanie conducted a field study, while Brody conducted an investigation.

• Both Melanie and Brody conducted an experiment.

• Melanie has conducted an investigation, while Brody conducted an experiment.

• Melanie has conducted an experiment, while Brody conducted an investigation.