Observation vs Inference: Key Concepts Explored

Which of the following is NOT one of the five senses used to make observations?

• Hearing

• Smell

• Thinking

• Sight

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-8

What type of data involves describing the qualities of an object?

• Statistical

• Numerical

• Qualitative

• Quantitative

Which of the following is an example of qualitative data?

• The temperature is 20 degrees

• The desk is 3 feet long

• The lab coat is white

• There are 5 chairs

What does quantitative data involve?

• Making inferences

• Counting and measuring

• Describing the quality of an object

• Using past experiences

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

Which of the following is an example of quantitative data?

• The lab coat is white

• The desk feels cold

• Miss Meredith is 5 foot 9

• The grass is green

Which type of observation is better for scientific experiments?

• Qualitative

• Quantitative

• Both

• Neither

What is an inference?

• A direct observation

• A measurement

• A hypothesis

• An explanation based on observations

Which of the following is an example of an inference?

• The grass is wet

• It rained last night

• The desk feels cold

• The lab coat is white

Why can inferences change over time?

• New observations can provide more information

• They are based on opinions

• They are based on past experiences

• They are always incorrect

What should you do to confirm an inference?

• Make more observations

• Ignore it

• Ask someone else

• Guess

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

NGSS.MS-PS2-5