Nature Of Science Practice Questions
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1. What must you find out after conducting an experiment and collecting data?
a. if the answers are right
c. if the answers can be corrected
b. if the results support your hypothesis
d. if the results can be changed
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2. Which tools can be used for collecting and analyzing data in science?
a. scissors, calculator, stapler, envelope
c. meterstick, stopwatch, balance, computer
b. scanner, computer, printer, speakers
d. stopwatch, screwdriver, meterstick, drill
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3. Where do scientists publish the results of their experiments?
a. in letters to friends
b. on television, radio, and the Internet
c. in academic papers, science magazines, and on the Internet
d. in books, magazines, and comic books
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4. Early scientists thought the shapes of birds’ wings helped birds fly. In their first experiments, they made
wings the same thickness and shape from front to back. This didn’t work. What might these scientists have
done after they analyzed their results?
a. tested the same hypothesis
c. taken a vacation
b. stopped conducting tests
d. designed new wing shapes
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5. Which of the following is the best definition of science?
a. the process of memorizing answers about the natural world
b. the process of gathering knowledge about the natural world
c. the process of reading the knowledge of the known world
d. the process of gathering knowledge about the ancient world
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6. At the end of an investigation, what should you do if you conclude that your results do not support your
hypothesis?
a. Buy new measurement tools.
b. Change the topic you are studying.
c. Repeat your investigation, and then change your hypothesis if necessary.
d. Repeat your investigation over and over until you get the results that support your original
hypothesis.
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7. What is a scientific model?
a. a representation of an object, but smaller
b. an exact representation made of similar material
c. a representation of an object or system
d. a familiar copy of an object
____
8. In science, what is a scientific theory?
a. the first idea to explain an observation
b. the best idea to explain a hypothesis
c. an explanation for many hypotheses and observations
d. an explanation for many questions and answers
____
9. What is a scientific law?
____ 10.
____ 11.
____ 12.
____ 13.
____ 14.
____ 15.
a. the final answer to a scientific question
b. a scientific statement of how something works, not why
c. an explanation of many experimental results and observations
d. an explanation of hypotheses, results, and observations
You want to determine if a new diet medication will make rats lose weight. What is the independent
variable?
a. measuring weight loss
c. the new diet medication
b. the rats
d. the food the rats eat.
You want to determine if a new diet medication will help rats to lose weight. What is the dependent variable?
a. measuring the weight lost
c. the new diet medication
b. the rats
d. the food the rats eat.
You want to determine if a new diet medication will help rats to lose weight. What factors should you keep
the same throughout the experiment for both sets of rats?
a. rats and medication
c. weight and medication
b. food they eat and weight
d. rats and food they eat
You want to determine if a new diet medication will help rats to lose weight. Why is it necessary to have two
sets of rats?
a. If some die, you have some left.
c. to compare rats taking the new medication
to rats without the medication
b. Some may be picky eaters.
d. to compare the rats old det (the food they
eat) to the new food they eat.
Conclusion for an experiment are only valid if
a. the experiment was controlled (fair test)
c. the conclusion are based all on all
available evidence
b. the conclusion are based on evidence
d. all of the above.
Measurements are not perfect because
a. people are always careless
c. measurements can only be as precise as
the tool being used.
b. no measurement tool is completely
d. both b and c are correct
accurate.
Short Answer
16. How does a controlled experiment compare results?
Essay
17. A student wants to determine if 25 dominoes will fall over faster (once the the first one has been tipped over
into the next) if the dominoes are closer together than the standard 2 cm apart. Design a controlled experiment
to test this idea.
Nature Of Science Practice Questions
Answer Section
MULTIPLE CHOICE
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SHORT ANSWER
16. ANS:
A controlled experiment uses a control group to compare results with a test group.
PTS: 1
ESSAY
17. ANS:
Set up 25 dominoes, 2cm apart. Tip the first domino over into the second while timing the amount of time it
takes for all of the dominoes to fall. Repeat this procedure two more times and average the results. Next, reset
the dominoes only 1.5 cm apart. repeat the procedures above three times for the new set up. Compare the
results for the two set-ups.
PTS: 1