Scientific Method

Which of the following statements is a testable hypothesis?

A) The number of earthquakes in California will increase by 10 percent over the next 50 years

B) Dark plastic and white plastic will heat up at the same rate

C) Soil on a steep hill will erode more quickly than soil on a gentle slope, because the steep hill gets more sunlight.

D) A sugar cube will dissolve slower than loose sugar of the same mass, because it has less surface area.

Which of the following information belongs in the results section of an investigation

report?

a) A bibliography of written sources

b) A restatement of the hypothesis

c) A description of the purpose of the investigation

d) Charts and graphs of the data recorded

At which point in conducting a controlled experiment should a

conclusion be drawn?

a) As soon as the procedure is planned

b) As the variables are selected

c) Once the hypothesis is developed

d) After the data is obtained and analyzed

Which of the following is a necessary aspect of an investigation in order for the scientific community to accept the

findings?a) Government funding

b) Hypothesis proven correct

c) Small number of trials

d) Repeated trials of experimentation

A student wanted to look at plant growth in five different soil samples. He planted the same type of seeds in identical containers and left them together in full sunlight. He gave each plant the same amount of water and charted the growth of each plant stem. What is the manipulated variable in this experiment?

A) soil

B) light

C) container

D) seeds

Which question cannot be answered scientifically because the quantity

cannot actually be measured?

a) How happy is a chimpanzee when it finds it’s food?

b) How fast can a swallow-tailed butterfly fly?

c) How heavy is a mature female elephant?d) How much food can a water buffalo

consume in one day?

A biology class in Virginia conducted a survey of the plant species found on their school grounds. They found several plants that they didn’t recognize. What resources would be most helpful to the class in identifying the plants species?

a) A book about Virginia plant adaptations

b) A biology book

c) A dichotomous key on Virginia plant species

d) Local Home and Garden Newspaper Articles.

A biology class of 24 students decides to measure the height of each student and then calculate the average height for the class. Which of these is a possible source of error in this activity?a) The number of students in the class

b) The accuracy of making and recording measurements

c) The number of males and females in the class

d) The difference of ages of students in the class

A student wants to view cells under the compound microscope at a total magnification of 400X. If the eyepiece is 10X, which of the following objective lenses should be used?

a) 40X

b) 4X

c) 10X

d) 100X

A prediction was made that the best conditions for earthworm growth occur when there are fewer than five earthworms per

cubic meter of soil. This prediction is called a

A) Law

B) Theory

C) Hypothesis

D) Conclusion

Which of the following statements is a fact?

a) Acid rain affects all organisms no matter what their environment.

b) Acid rain results from secret policies

c) The lower the pH of a rain sample, the more acidic it is

d) The governor said we should be proud our state has little acid rain

 What is the correct order for steps in the

scientific method?

a. have a question, formulate hypothesis, develop method, gather data, draw conclusion

b. formulate hypothesis, have a question, develop method, gather data, draw conclusion

c. formulate hypothesis, have a question, gather data,develop method, draw conclusion

d. have a question, formulate hypothesis, draw conclusion, develop method, gather data

A mineral supplement designed to prevent the common cold was given to two groups

of people during a scientific study. Group 1: 50 mg a dayGroup 2: 100 mg a day

After eight weeks, neither group reported a case of the common cold. Which of the following would have made the outcome of this study more valid? A Test only one group with 150 mg of the supplement.

B Give the supplement to both groups for only 6 weeks.

C Create a third group that receives 75 mg of the supplement.

D Create a third group that does not receive the supplement.

The jackrabbit population sometimes decreases dramatically. One possible explanation for this decrease is that the coyote population has increased. This explanation is a scientific A) Law

B) Experiment

C) Hypothesis

D) Conclusion

• 1) D• 2)D• 3)D• 4)D• 5)A• 6)A• 7)C

• 8)B• 9)A• 10)C• 11)C• 12)A• 13)D• 14)C