Scientists can learn the effect of the variable being tested by comparing the results of the control group to itself instead of the experimental group.

Sam is conducting a scientific experiment by taking a survey about students’ streaming show preferences.

To make a prediction in science means to state what you think will happen based on evidence..

After reaching a conclusion, repeating the experiment is often the next step in a scientific investigation to verify findings.

Which method is best for studying how plants grow in their environment?

Mia wants to find out whether her plant with soda or water makes it grow faster. To eliminate hidden or unknown variables, a scientist must conduct a _______ experiment.

Emma loves watching birds in her backyard. She wants to learn why some birds visit her feeder more than others. What does a real scientist do when studying something like this?

Jake is testing which toy car goes faster down a ramp. Before he starts, he guesses that the red car will win. What is Jake doing when he makes this guess?

Sarah wants to study how animals behave. She could set up a test in her classroom (experiment) or watch animals at the park (a field study). What’s the difference between these two ways of studying?

Mia conducted an experiment to study pea plant growth. She planted one pea seed in each of four cups with the same type and amount of soil. Mia added 75 ml of tap water to each cup and placed the cups in four different locations: Cup 1: Balcony, Cup 2: Dark pantry, Cup 3: Bookshelf, Cup 4: Under a grow light. Mia recorded the growth of each pea plant and created a graph of the results. Which statement is an opinion rather than a fact?

Lily is testing if adding sugar to water helps flowers stay fresh longer. She has one group of flowers in plain water (control group) and another in sugar water (experimental group). What can a scientist learn from comparing the results of the experimental group to the control group?

Birds use different songs to communicate in their habitats. Mr. Lee’s class counted the birds they saw in the park and made a chart of their observations. Emma looked at the chart and said: “I believe there are more birds near the trees because they feel safer there.” Which statement below is an observation based on the data?

Noah is looking at a photo of a dog lying on a cozy blanket in a backyard. The dog has a glossy, well-groomed coat and is happily chewing on a bone. What is an inference Noah could make about this dog?

Jupiter is one of the brightest objects in the night sky. Jupiter’s atmosphere is filled with thick clouds of ammonia and methane, creating extreme conditions with temperatures dropping to -234°F (-145°C) and intense storms. Why do scientists rely on space telescope observations and remote space probe readings rather than conducting experiments directly on Jupiter?

Lena tried to open a stuck window in her classroom, but it wouldn’t move. She thought about how sometimes people use a cloth to get a better grip or spray water to loosen things. Lena didn’t have special tools, but she wondered if using a cloth or water might help open the window. What would be a testable question Lena could use to begin her investigation?

A pizza shop owner tracks the popularity of five different pizza toppings over a week. The owner recorded the following data: Pepperoni: 60, Cheese: 50, Veggie: 42, Supreme: 68, Sausage: 35. How many more people preferred cheese pizzas than veggie pizzas?

Sarah is testing different fertilizers to see which one helps bean plants grow the tallest. She plants five bean seeds in five separate pots. She waters each plant every other day with the same amount of water but adds a different fertilizer to four of the pots: fish emulsion, compost tea, bone meal, and chemical fertilizer. The fifth pot gets only water with no fertilizer. Sarah measures the height of each plant after two weeks. What is the control group for Sarah’s experiment?

Lila is watching how a butterfly changes from an egg to a caterpillar, then to a chrysalis, and finally to a butterfly. She’s observed this process many times with different butterflies. While many scientific investigations follow all the steps in the scientific method, some do not. Which step in the scientific method best describes what Lila is doing?

Emma, Liam, and Sophia are testing whether adding plant food to water helps sunflowers stay fresh longer. They buy eight sunflowers and place four in vases with plain water and four in vases with water mixed with plant food. They record how many days each flower lasts before its petals start to wilt. The sunflowers in the plant food water lasted only slightly longer than those in plain water. Before concluding that plant food does not significantly affect how long sunflowers last, what should they do?