Scientific Practices

Before an investigation, you state that you think a plant will grow taller if it gets more sunlight. What part of the scientific inquiry process is this?

• Hypothesis
• Experiment
• Observation
• Conclusion

A scientist sorts rocks into categories based on their color, texture, and hardness. This is an example of:

• Sorting
• Grouping
• Classification
• Labeling

What scientific theme deals with the idea that energy and matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed?

• Stability and change

• Cause and effect

• Energy and matter

• Scientific inquiry

A scientist finds that the plants in her experiment grew taller with fertilizer, supporting her hypothesis. What should she do next?

• Stop the experiment and write a report.
• Change the fertilizer to a different brand.
• Conduct further experiments to confirm the results.

• Water the plants less frequently.

A pond ecosystem that remains balanced over many years with consistent plant and animal populations demonstrates what scientific theme?

• Stability and change

• Data classification

• Scientific inquiry

• Modeling systems

Which of the following is an example of critical thinking in science?

• Repeating a known experiment without modifications.
• Accepting a theory without questioning it.
• Observing a natural phenomenon without analysis.
• Designing an experiment to test a hypothesis.

What is the next step after a scientist forms a hypothesis in the scientific inquiry process?

• Make observations to gather data.
• Revise the hypothesis based on assumptions.
• Draw conclusions without testing.
• Conduct an investigation

A scientist writes, 'If I add fertilizer to the soil, then the plant will grow taller because fertilizer provides essential nutrients.' What is this statement an example of?

• A conditional statement or hypothesis
• A conclusion based on evidence
• An observation
• A scientific theory

What is the systematic process of asking questions, collecting evidence, and drawing conclusions?

• Scientific inquiry

• Data classification

• Making a prediction

• Drawing a conclusion

Which of the following is the best example of a scientific model?

• A photograph of a volcano

• A live animal in a zoo

• 3-D globe of the Earth

• A list of facts about dinosaurs