Nature of Science

Which is included in the definition of a scientific theory?

• a well tested explanation of natural events
• a statement of what most people believe to be true
• a description of natural events based on casual observations
• a conclusion agreed upon by people without experimentation

A scientist must measure 15 mL of glycerine. Which instrument will she most likely use?

• scale
• graduated cylinder
• ruler
• thermometer

A scientist hypothesizes that the temperature at which an alligator's egg is incubated will determine whether the alligator will be male or female. The dependent variable is

• the incubator
• the gender of the baby alligators
• the temperature
• the size of the baby alligators

What is the volume of water displaced by the seeds?

• 15 mL
• 14 mL
• 5 mL
• 4 mL

All the things in an experiment that must be the same to make it fair are called

• controlled experiments
• controlled variables or constants
• independent variables
• dependent variables

If you were measuring the mass of a fly using a triple beam balance, you should use

• grams
• meters
• liters
• kilograms

An investigation was designed to determine the effect of ultraviolet light on mold spore growth. Two groups of mold spores were grown under identical conditions, except one group was exposed only to ultraviolet light, while the other group was grown in total darkness. In this investigation, the group of mold spores grown without receiving any ultraviolet light is known as the

• experimental group
• control group
• independent variable
• dependent variable

In an experiment, the factor that we measure at the end is called the

• conclusion
• independent variable
• dependent variable
• controlled variable

A scientist conducted an experiment to determine how the amount of salt in a body of water affects the number of plants that can live in the water. In this experiment the independent variable is

• the number of plants in the water
• the water
• the temperature of the water
• the amount of salt in the water

A scientist conducted an experiment to determine how the amount of salt in a body of water affects the number of plants that can live in the water. In this experiment the dependent variable is

• the amount of salt in the water
• the number of plants in the water
• the temperature of the water
• the water