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WorksheetsInference or Observation
Total questions: 10
Worksheet time: 5mins
An observation is...
information that tells the reader what science says about a topic or object.
a statement that only scientists can make.
information that is gathered using our senses, and may include the use of scientific tools an instruments.
not really necessary to the scientific process.
Qualitative observations are...
subjective observations, therefore not necessary in science.
related to the quality of the event/object that you are observing.
very detailed measurements that use scientific tools or instruments.
something only used in the social sciences.
Quantitative observations are...
difficult to incorporate in your science classroom.
more important than qualitative observations.
subjective, but still an important part of science.
based on accurate numbers and measurements.
An inference is...
an interpretation or an explanation of an observation.
a very detailed observation.
information that you create to fill in the gaps of your knowledge.
a literary term that doesn't really mean anything in science.
Which of the following is strictly an observation without any inferences?
The insect has a large, round body, 8 legs, a small head and two long proboscises attached to the head.
The animal has a flat, round body.
It has a large round section, a smaller round section, and several long, thin, segmented parts that might be attached to the underneath area.
It's an animal.
Which of the following statements is an inference?
It is grey.
It is small.
It is ugly.
It is a tick.
Which of the following are quantitative observations of this picture?
It has 8 long, thin, segmented parts coming from the center.
It is small with a slightly rough appearance.
It is flat.
It is 1.3mm long.
Which of the following are qualitative observations of the picture?
There are small, hair-like structures on the segmented parts of the thing in the picture.
The segmented parts are about 100 microns thick and each segment about 200 microns long.
The largest part is round and looks flattened.
The tick is venomous.
Select all of the observations that could be made about this image.
The plastic bags are floating in the deep ocean.
There are 2 pale blue, irregular shapes with several small, white spots on a very dark background.
The smoke from the pipe looked blue against the night sky.
The overall shape made by the 2 blue irregular shapes is an x.
Select all of the inferences that could be made about this image.
The blue shapes are made out of gas.
The blue shapes are types of deep sea jellyfish.
The blue shapes are an X-shaped radio galaxy.
The blue shapes are beautiful.
