Nature of Science

Scientists do many types of work. Their work often includes making field observations, conducting surveys, creating models, and carrying out experiments. Which description characterizes an experiment?

• observation of plants or animals in their natural environment

• physical or mathematical representation of an object or process

• an organized procedure to study something under controlled conditions

• collection of data from the unregulated world for comparative purposes

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NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Raul wants to investigate how the angle of a ramp affects the speed of an object rolling down the ramp. He can conduct his investigation in a number of different ways. Which investigation should he perform?

• observe different bicyclists riding down hills of varying steepness

• record the time it takes one bicyclist to ride down hills of varying steepness

• perform an experiment in a lab in which the angle of the ramp is controlled and the speed of a rolling cart is measured

• observe video of various objects rolling down hills and estimate the angle of the hill and the speed of the object

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NGSS.MS-PS2-2

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NGSS.MS-PS3-5

Ryan made a list of activities that are scientific and activities that are not scientific. Which activity should Ryan classify as not scientific?

• sorting rocks by color and size

• measuring the height of a plant every day

• climbing to the top of a very tall mountain

• making notes about how many hours the sun shines each day

Lee wants to make sure she understands the components of a good scientific investigation. She knows that it should be controlled and have a large sample size. Also, she thinks that the results should be communicated to other scientists. Which is another component that is necessary for a good investigation?

• It must be conducted in a big lab.

• It must be run by a university scientist.

• It must be done with expensive equipment.

• It must be able to be replicated by other scientists.

A friend who knows a lot about science reads in a book that a piece of black paper will get warmer in sunlight than a piece of white paper. Which of these is a scientific reaction to this information?

• Accept the statement as true because your friend knows about science.

• Design an experiment to show whether the statement is correct or incorrect.

• Believe the statement because it was written in a book, so you can trust it to be true.

• Tell your friend that the statement makes no sense because color does not affect temperature.

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Renee rolls a steel ball down a ramp. She conducts multiple trials by releasing the ball from varying heights on the ramp. For each trial, she measures and records the release height of the ball and the distance the ball travels away from the ramp before falling to the ground. The figure below shows the experiment.

In this experiment, which variable is the independent variable?

• distance traveled by the ball

• path of ball once it leaves the ramp

• height from which the ball is released

• time it takes the ball to hit the ground

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NGSS.MS-PS2-2

When planning an experiment, a scientist must first choose a question to investigate. Renata conducts the experiment shown below. In the experiment, she changes the release height of the steel ball and measures the distance the ball travels from the ramp before falling to the ground.

Based on this evidence, which question is Renata investigating?

• How much force does the ball exert when it strikes the floor?

• How is the speed of the ball affected by the release height from a ramp?

• How does the release height of a ball on a ramp affect the distance it travels from the ramp before falling to the floor?

• How does the release height of a ball on a ramp affect the amount of time that passes before the ball hits the floor?

Cindy predicts that plastic foam insulates cold drinks better than metal or ceramic materials do. To test the hypothesis, she fills cups made from these materials with equal amounts of cold water. She records the temperature of the water in each cup, using scientific thermometers, every 10 minutes until the water reaches room temperature. Which of these conditions must be the same for this experiment to be valid?

• the thermometer that is in each cup

• the starting temperature of the water in each cup

• the ending temperature of the water in each cup

• the material that makes up each cup

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What is the purpose of repeating trials after reaching a conclusion in an investigation?

• to develop a new theory

• to repeat experiments and verify results

• to conduct experiments with more variables

• to revise each step of their research procedure

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Astrology is an example of pseudoscience. Astrologists use horoscopes that are based upon the positions of planets and stars to make predictions about a person’s life. Which claim describes how science is different than pseudoscience?

• Pseudoscience does not involve making observations.

• Pseudoscience does not examine phenomena in the natural world.

• Pseudoscience does not attempt to provide explanations for phenomena.

• Pseudoscientific conclusions are not supported by data gathered using scientific methods.