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Worksheets

Nature of Science

Total questions: 66

Worksheet time: 1hrs 3mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Jane is investigating to find out if bean plants grow taller in

ordinary topsoil or special potting soil over a three week period.She sets up her investigation with 10 bean plants of equal size in each type of soil.


What should Jane do each day to make sure she gets valid

results?

a)

Water only the plants in special potting soil.

b)

Measure the plant height for each soil type.

c)

Move the plants in ordinary topsoil to different locations.

d)

Estimate the height of each plant's stem and record the

estimate.

2.

Thomas and Julie wanted to find out which material would insulate their teacher's coffee cup and keep the coffee hot for the longest period of time. They first wrapped her cup with bubble wrap and recorded the temperature of the coffee once every 15 minutes for 2 hours. They repeated the investigation, this time using newspaper instead of bubble wrap, but they got the same results for both materials. What could they do to make sure their results are valid?

a)

Repeat their experiment

b)

Use tea instead of coffee

c)

Use a different thermometer

d)

Conduct their investigation in a colder room

3.

Brianna's class wants to determine if boys or girls recycled

more paper each day. They set up separate recycling bins in

the classroom and labeled them "Boys" and "Girls." The

students then placed their paper items in the right bins. Which of the following should the students do each day before emptying the bins?

a)

Make lists of the different types of paper in each bin.

b)

Count and record the number of paper items recycled in each bin.

c)

Make a list of which student recycled which paper item in each of the bins.

d)

Record their estimate of numbers of times students placed items in each bin.

4.

Kevin wanted to find out which of his toy cars, the Corvette or the Mustang, would roll downhill faster. He made a ramp by putting several books under one end of a board so that the board was slanted. Which would be the best way for him to perform his experiment?

a)

Roll each car down the ramp separately five times and estimate which car looked faster.

b)

Roll both cars down the ramp together one time and see which one gets to the bottom first.

c)

Roll each car down the ramp separately one time, and time them with the second hand on his watch.

d)

Roll both cars down the ramp together five times and record which gets to the bottom first each time.

5.

Christopher uses the data on several packages of cereal to find out the amount of fat in one serving of each cereal. What best describes of the type of investigation Christopher is doing?

a)

experiment

b)

interview

c)

observation

d)

survey

6.

Kimberly made a model to show the spinning of a tornado. She filled a 2-liter soda bottle with water. Then she connected it neck-to-neck with an empty 2-liter bottle. She flipped the water-filled bottle upside down and turned it a few times. What is the difference between this activity and an experiment?

a)

This activity is not repeatable

b)

There are no well-defined variables

c)

No prediction was made before the activity began

d)

The activity is not done under controlled conditions

7.

Greg read the following facts about sow bugs.


A Sow bug bodies are made up of 7 segments.

B Sow bugs are crustaceans.

C Sow bugs have 14 legs.

D Sow bugs avoid light.


Greg can investigate all of these statements. Greg can do an

experiment to test the accuracy of one of the statements.

Which statement can he test?

a)

Statement A

b)

Statement B

c)

Statement C

d)

Statement D

8.

Tammy is investigating whether a person’s height remains the same all day long. She is going to measure the heights of 5 of her friends at different times of the day.What best describes the type of investigation Tammy is doing?

a)

demonstration

b)

experiment

c)

interview

d)

survey

9.

Dora thinks that there are more frogs in the pond by her

house when the water temperature is higher. She is

making a chart to use as she gathers data to see whether

she is correct. What data should Dora record on her chart?

a)

Time, air temperature, water temperature

b)

data, time, air temperature, number of frogs

c)

date, time, water temperature, number of frogs

d)

date, air temperature, wind speed, number of frogs

10.

Chloe wonders what type of string is best for growing crystals. She uses 4 types of string. She puts them all in glasses with the same baking-powder solution. Then she observes the crystal growth. How do you know that Chloe is doing an experiment?

a)

She will form conclusion about the type of string that is best

b)

She is observing how well crystals grow on each string

c)

All conditions expect string types are constant

d)

Before she started, she made a plan

11.

When a scientist performed an experiment, she did not get the results she expected. What should she do?

a)

change the results

b)

assume her results are correct

c)

assume her results are incorrrect

d)

do the experiment again to test her results

12.

A drug company is testing a new medicine. They give one group of test subjects the new medicine in a tablet. They give the other group a tablet with no medicine. Why is it important that one group get no medicine?

a)

To find out how long it takes people to get well with no medicine

b)

To find out whether people really get well or if they are just pretending

c)

To be sure it is the medicine that makes people well and not anything else

d)

To find out whether the new medicine makes people more sick than people who get no medicine.

13.

Gwen is doing research about hurricane damage in Florida. Which of the following resources would not be a reliable source of information about hurricanes?

a)

Websites written by a student

b)

Almanac entry about hurricanes

c)

Website run by a government agency

d)

Encyclopedia entry about hurricanes

14.

Scientists use different processes to investigate scientific questions. The methods that scientists use to investigate questions can vary. During which part of an investigation would a scientist gather evidence?

a)

asking a question

b)

analyzing results

c)

drawing conclusions

d)

Conduction an investigation

15.

Caleb and Anika each conduct an experiment in which they

investigate whether the amount of dishwashing liquid affects how many bubbles produced. They put different amounts of dishwashing liquid in two equal-sized jars. They put lids on the jars and shake them. Then they measure the height of the bubbles. Which of the following methods would affect their results?

a)

Caleb took more time to set up his experiment than Anika

b)

Anika shook the liquid in the jar for twice the amount of time.

c)

Anika used a jar with a metal lid and Caleb used a plastic lid.

d)

Caleb used a metric ruler and Anika used a metric tape measure.

16.

Rodrigo is investigating how sunlight affects the growth of plants. He gets two identical plants and labels them Plant 1 and Plant 2. He puts Plant 1 on a sunny windowsill. He puts Plant 2 in a dark closet. After one week, he compares the two plants and draw the picture below. What science skill does Rodrigo use?

a)

drawing conclusions

b)

inferring

c)

observing

d)

predicting

17.

Francis has been investigating the way a type of plant food

affects the growth of plants. He concludes that plants that get the food do better than the plants that do not get the food. Which of the following statements is evidence that best

supports Francis’s conclusion?

a)

He knows that plants need water and sunlight to grow well.

b)

He read on the label that the plant food would help plants grow.

c)

Plants without the food grew better than plants that got the food.

d)

Plants with the food grew better than plants that did not get the food.

18.

For an experiment, Rosalinda set up four beakers as shown below.

a)

size of the measuring cup

b)

amount of baking soda

c)

amount of liquid

d)

type of liquid

19.

When Katie reported to the class on her experiment, this was her final statement:

My experiment shows that the more times a wire is wrapped around the nail the stronger the electromagnet becomes.


Which of the following is the best description of what Katie did in her final statement?

a)

classify data

b)

make a prediction

c)

identify a problem

d)

draw a conclusion

20.

Barack did an experiment to test the amount of iron in different types of fruit juices. What is the best reason why Barack should record the steps of his experiment in his report of the results?

a)

to test each type of fruit juice the same way

b)

to be sure the experiment can be repeated to confirm the results

c)

to be sure he uses the same amount of fruit juice for each test

d)

to be sure he does not repeat the test using the same fruit juice twice

21.

Zack is testing whether temperature affects the distance a rubber band can be stretched before it breaks. He heats some rubber bands in the microwave oven. He puts some on the kitchen counter. He puts some in the refrigerator and some in the freezer. Which set-up is the control group?

a)

rubber bands on the counter

b)

temperatures of the rubber bands

c)

distance the rubber bands can stretch

d)

number of rubber bands in each group

22.

Using one or more of your senses to gather information is called

a)

Inferring

b)

Observing

c)

Predicting

d)

Hypothesizing

23.

An educated guess or testable prediction is a

a)

theory

b)

law

c)

hypothesis

d)

conclusion

24.

What type of graph shows trends over time?

a)

Circle graph

b)

Line graph

c)

Bar graph

25.

What type of graph is used to display percentages of a whole?

a)

circle graph

b)

line graph

c)

bar graph

26.

A prediction about a problem that can be tested is a ____________________

a)

variable

b)

hypothesis

c)

theory

d)

law

27.

One way to analyze data from a study is to _____________

a)

make a graph

b)

develop a hypothesis

c)

recognize a problem

28.

Which of the following is a scientific observation?

a)

The potato is brown in color.

b)

The potato tastes the best.

c)

The potato is better than the avocado

d)

The potato smells funny.

29.
What is another word for hypothesis?
a)
evidence
b)
graph
c)
investigation
d)
prediction
30.

Justin blows his nose, but mucus seems to leak through the tissue. He decides to test which tissue holds up the best while sneezing. What is the variable?

a)

sneezing

b)

Justin

c)

amount of tissue

d)

type of tissue

31.

Mr. McNeice wanted to know if different types of music affected people's heart rates, so he played different music and checked their pulses. What is the variable?

a)

type of music

b)

heart rate

c)

how long they listend to music

d)

Mr. McNeice

32.
Which question can best be investigated by a scientist?
a)
Should I buy a red shirt or a green shirt?
b)
Does chocolate milk or plain milk taste better?
c)
Does a plant need sunlight to grow?
d)
Which feels softer, cat fur or dog fur?
33.
The container is filled to the 350 mL mark with water. 
a)
observation
b)
inference
c)
problem
d)
hypothesis
34.
Why should an experiment be repeated?
a)
to form a hypothesis
b)
to reduce the chance of error
c)
to change controls
d)
to identify the problem
35.

How many variables should be tested at a time in a scientific investigation?

a)

none

b)

one

c)

two

d)

three

36.
Which statement is an observation?
a)
That house is empty because there are no lights on. 
b)
Her hair is brown. 
c)
Her hair is brown because she dyed it. 
d)
Her hair has not been cut in two years. 
37.

What step does every scientific experiment begin with?

a)

hypothesis

b)

question/problem

c)

procedures

d)

conclusion

38.
What is being changed in this experiment?
a)
ramp height
b)
the speed that the ball rolls
c)
type of ball
39.
What is being kept constant?
a)
ramp height
b)
speed of the ball rolling
c)
type of ball
40.

Jackie sets up an investigation to find out how many paperclips she can pick up with an electromagnet. She takes a long iron nail, wraps insulated wire around it 40 times, and connects the wire ends to the opposite terminals of a D-cell battery.

Jackie touches the tip of the nail to a pile of 100 paperclips and picks up 15 of them. She tries the investigation again and picks up 15 paperclips. Jackie concludes that her electromagnet can pick up 15 paperclips. What should Jackie do to improve her investigation?

a)

Jackie should use a regular magnet and not an electromagnet.

b)

Jackie should use a different type of battery.

c)

Jackie should do more trials to make sure her results are valid.

d)

Jackie should begin with more than 100 paperclips.

41.
Rigoberto writes down his hypothesis that more salt will dissolve in cold water than in warm water.  He adds salt to different temperatures of water and records his observations including the amount of undissolved salt.  He finds that there is more salt dissolved in warm water than cold water.  What should Rigoberto do next to make sure that his conclusion is valid?
a)
do another investigation with sugar
b)
repeat his investigation using a different liquid than water
c)
repeat his investigation to see if his results are the same
d)
change his results to match his original hypothesis
42.
Which question would be best to answer using a scientific investigation?  
a)
Why are people afraid during thunderstorms?
b)
How easy is it to shovel snow?
c)
Are some clouds prettier than others?
d)
Does temperature affect the amount of rain?
43.

A group of people trained to climb a mountain. As they practices in high altitudes, a researcher measured changes in their lung strength. Why is it important that her study has a control group?

a)

to ensure that everyone in the group was strong enough to climb a mountain

b)

to test equipment for measuring lung strength

c)

to share her research with as many people as possible

d)

to compare typical lung strength with the effects of training

44.
How many variables should be changed in a simple experiment?
a)
5
b)
3
c)
1
d)
6
45.
A scientist says that she has made an important discovery about sound waves.  What needs to happen for most other scientists to accept her results?
a)
The scientist has to explain her results to other scientists.
b)
Many scientists need to review the results.
c)
The scientist needs to publish her results in a journals.
d)
Other scientists need to be able to get the same results.
46.
Jaylynn says a baseball and a basketball will fall at the same speed.  Her friend disagrees.  Which of these is the best way for them to find out?
a)
drop both balls from a high place and compare how fast they fall
b)
ask an adult which one is right
c)
explain their reasons to each other
d)
ask twenty different people on the playgroup what they think
47.
Scientists are studying how bears kept in zoos behave.  Which of these would be the best control group?
a)
bears in the wild
b)
bears kept as pets
c)
other animals in zoos
d)
other animals in the wild
48.
1.  Why is it important to have a control in an investigation?
a)
Controls are used to show that different results are caused by changing the variable.
b)
Without controls, it is not possible to make a hypothesis.
c)
A control helps us to predict.
d)
Controls are the answer to the investigative question.
49.
A valid scientific investigation must be able to be 
a)
graphed.
b)
predicted.
c)
replicated (which means repeated)
d)
observed.
50.
Which would be the best source of information for a scientist?
a)
a TV program
b)
a book review
c)
a newspaper article
d)
an article in a science journal
51.
Jonathan and Renier dropped a rubber ball from the same height onto six different surfaces.  They measured the height of each bounce and recorded their data.  The graph shows their data.  Based on the data, which of the following is the best conclusion?
a)
All balls bounce higher indoors than they do outdoors.
b)
The surface has no affect on the height of the bounce.
c)
A rubber ball does not bounce as high as a super ball.
d)
A rubber ball bounces higher on harder surfaces.
52.

Students measured the amount of an unknown substance that dissolved in water at different temperatures. What was the variable in this investigation?

a)

water temperature

b)

water volume

c)

amount dissolved

d)

unknown substance

53.

Students planted bean seeds in the same kind of soil in separate cups. The cups were put next to each other on a sunny windowsill. Cup 1 was given 10 mL of water every other day. Cup 2 was given no water. Which of these is the variable in the experiment?

a)

The type of seed

b)

The amount of water

c)

The type of soil

d)

The amount of sunlight

54.

Which is an example of a scientific question...

a)

does the amount of water I drink effect how much I pee?

b)

Why is the sky blue?

c)

Do dinosaurs eat?

d)

Is Science fun?

55.

Several students want to know whether pea, bean, or corn plants grow the fastest. The students plant each of three peas, three beans, and three corn kernels in the same type of soil and in the same type of pot. Then they place all nine pots on the same windowsill and give each seed the same amount of water for two weeks. Which data are most important to record in order to compare the growth of pea, bean, and corn plants?

a)

type of seed and plant height

b)

amount of water and type of seed

c)

plant height and hours of sunlight

d)

hours of sunlight and amount of water

56.

Which question would best be answered with an experimental investigation?

a)

How does a seed grow into a tomato plant?

b)

Do tomato plants grow faster than cabbage plants?

c)

How does temperature affect cabbage plant growth?

d)

Do tomato plants have longer roots than cabbage plants?

57.

Which of the following statements correctly describes the difference between experiments and investigations?

a)

Experiments have predictions and conclusions, but investigations do not.

b)

Experiments do not require direct measurements, which are needed for investigations.

c)

Experiments are conducted only in a laboratory, but investigations are conducted outdoors.

d)

Experiments use controls and a variable, but investigations develop comparisons through observations.

58.

The variable is the ONE thing you _____.

a)

change

b)

keep the same

c)

experiment with

d)

investigate

59.
How many variables can be tested in a controlled experiment?
a)
one
b)
two
c)
three
d)
as many as possible
60.

A scientist is testing how different substances or liquids affect the rate of germination of sunflower seeds. She plants many different seeds and waters them all with different liquids or solutions. What would be considered the control of the experiment?

a)

Seeds watered with soda.

b)

Seeds watered with plain water

c)

Seeds watered with saltwater

d)

Seeds watered with juice

61.

A gardener is trying to test if the color of the light really does effect plant growth. Which of the following is the CONTROL group

a)

The plant growing in sunlight

b)

The plant growing in the dark

c)

The plant growing under a red lamp

d)

The plant growing under a blue lamp

62.

Why is it important for scientist to run multiple trials during an experiment?

a)

Multiple trials make the data more reliable.

b)

Multiple trials improve the design of the experiment.

c)

Multiple trials improve the predictions of scientists.

63.

Thomas and Julie wanted to find out which material would insulate their teacher's coffee cup and keep the coffee hot for the longest period of time. They first wrapped her cup with bubble wrap and recorded the temperature of the coffee once every 15 minutes for 2 hours. They repeated the investigation, this time using newspaper instead of bubble wrap, but they got the same results for both materials. What could they do to make sure their results are valid?

a)

Repeat their experiment

b)

use tea instead of coffee

c)

use a different themometer

d)

conduct their investigation in colder room

64.

Kimberly made a model to show the spinning of a tornado. She filled a 2-liter soda bottle with water. Then she connected it neck-to-neck with an empty 2-liter bottle. She flipped the water-filled bottle upside down and turned it a few times. What is the difference between this activity and an experiment?

a)

this activity is not repreatable

b)

there is no well-defined variable

c)

No prediction was made before the activity began

d)

The activity is not done under controlled conditions

65.

Kimberly wanted to show the spinning of a tornado. She filled a 2-liter soda bottle with water. Then she connected it neck-to-neck with an empty 2-liter bottle. She flipped the water-filled bottle upside down and turned it a few times. What is this an example of?

a)

experiment

b)

survey

c)

model

d)

interview

66.

Chloe wonders what type of string is best for growing crystals. She uses 4 types of string. She puts them all in glasses with the same baking-powder solution. Then she observes the crystal growth. How do you know that Chloe is doing an experiment?

a)

She will form a conclusion about the type of string that is best

b)

She is observing how well crystals grow on each string

c)

All conditions except string type are constant

d)

Before she started, she made a plan