Understanding the Nature of Science and the Scientific Method

What is a fact in scientific terms?

• A hypothesis

• A theory

• An objective and verifiable observation

• A subjective opinion

Which of the following best describes a scientific principle?

• An untested hypothesis

• A statement based on repeated experimental observations

• A guess about the natural world

• A law that explains how something occurs

How does a scientific law differ from a theory?

• A law is unchangeable, while a theory can change

• A law is a guess, while a theory is a fact

• A law explains why, while a theory explains how

• A law describes how, while a theory explains why

What is the role of a theory in science?

• To describe how patterns in nature exist

• To explain why phenomena occur

• To provide a guess about natural events

• To become a law once proven

Which step is NOT part of the scientific method?

• Asking a question

• Conducting background research

• Ignoring data that doesn't fit

• Testing a hypothesis

What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative observations?

• Qualitative is more accurate than quantitative

• Qualitative describes qualities, quantitative uses numbers

• Qualitative uses numbers, quantitative uses words

• Qualitative is subjective, quantitative is objective

What does it mean for data to be precise?

• Data is close to the accepted value

• Measurements are consistent with each other

• Data is collected quickly

• Measurements are always correct

In an experiment, what is the independent variable?

• The variable that changes in response

• The variable that is deliberately changed

• The variable that remains constant

• The variable that is measured

Why is it important to have a control group in an experiment?

• To make the experiment more complex

• To provide a basis for comparison

• To increase the number of variables

• To ensure the experiment is ethical

What should be done to ensure data is not due to chance?

• Conduct the experiment only once

• Ignore any outliers in the data

• Have as many repeated trials as possible

• Use a small sample size