8th Grade Physical Science Nature of Science [3351]
Student
Class
Date
1. Which statement best describes a positive effect of a scientific discovery?
A. It makes some people upset.
B. It takes a long time to be useful.
C. It helps explain how things work.
D. It causes work to be more difficult.
2. Why do scientists perform multiple trials of the same experiment?
A. to include additional variables in the experiment
B. to complete the steps of the experiment in less time
C. to find a less expensive way to conduct the experiment
D. to increase the likelihood of accurate experiment results
3. Which process will most likely lead to the scientific acceptance of a hypothesis?
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A. duplicating the results of an experiment
B. revising the original hypothesis
C. developing a theory based on the data
D. changing the experimental procedures
4. In 1909, Ernest Rutherford conducted an experiment in which he shot a beam of positively-charged
particles at a thin gold foil. Based on the model of the atom at that time, Rutherford hypothesized that
these particles would pass straight through the gold foil and hit a target (diagram 1). Rutherford's results
are shown in diagram 2.
Which evaluation of Rutherford's hypothesis is most reasonable?
A. It was supported because some of the particles went through the foil without changing direction.
B. It was supported because some of the particles changed direction as they went through the foil.
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C. It was not supported because some of the particles went straight through the foil without changing
direction.
D. It was not supported because some of the particles changed direction as they went through the foil.
5. Kerry made a simple flashlight. She recorded the following statements in her lab book. Which statement
is an inference?
A. The wire was 35 cm long.
B. The flashlight contained a battery.
C. The plastic switch was better than the metal switch.
D. The bulb was lit for 20 minutes before it burned out.
6. Four students tried to find out which magnet was the strongest. They each shared one idea. Which idea
shows scientific thinking?
A. We can pick the longest magnet.
B. We can pick the heaviest magnet.
C. We can measure the strength of the magnets.
D. We can vote for the magnet that we think is the strongest.
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7. Mr. Jones set up a demonstration for his science class using two beakers. Each beaker contained 50 ml of
a clear liquid. The temperature of each liquid was 25°C. Mr. Jones placed a cube into each beaker at the
same time. Each cube measured 2 cm on all sides and had a mass of 5 grams.
The results of the demonstration are shown in the figures below.
What is the best question for students to investigate that would help explain the results of this
demonstration?
A. How long did it take for the cube in Beaker 2 to sink?
B. Would a different sized beaker provide the same results?
C. Will the cube in Beaker 1 sink if more liquid was added?
D. What caused one cube to float and the other cube to sink?
8. Matter is made of atoms that have positive centers of neutrons and protons surrounded by a cloud of
negatively charged electrons. This statement is
A. a theory.
B. a hypothesis.
C. an inference.
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D. an observation.
9. The diagrams below show five different tests Linda carried out using steel balls of three different sizes
and masses. She used the same ramp for all trials.
What is a question that Linda could test if she used these materials?
A. Do balls of different metals roll down the ramp faster?
B. Would increasing the friction on the ramp decrease the speed?
C. Would increasing the length of the ramp change the speed of the ball?
D. Does the size of the steel ball affect the time it takes to reach the bottom of the ramp?
10. The graph below was presented to a science class.
An accurate analysis of the data in the graph could be used to support a hypothesis that the United States
has
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A. become increasingly dependent on imported petroleum.
B. become more efficient in the conservation of petroleium.
C. regulated production by prohibiting companies from producing petroleum.
D. increased its reserves while consuming imported petroleum.
11. The graph below shows the amount of wind energy consumption in the United States from 1993-1997.
How much did wind energy consumption decrease from 1994 to 1995?
A. 1 trillion BTU
B. 3 trillion BTU
C. 33 trillion BTU
D. 36 trillion BTU
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12. A power company is building a new power plant to provide electricity for several communities. A group
of students was studying simple electromagnetics. They carried out the following experiments.
Which graph correctly displays the results of the experiment?
A.
B.
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C.
D.
13. A student hypothesizes that the mass of a substance affects how the temperature of the substance
changes when it is heated. The student uses the following procedure to test the hypothesis.



Each sample is initially at room temperature before heating.
Each sample is heated for the same amount of time with the same heat source.
The final temperature is measured for each sample.
Which of the following would be the best way to select the samples for testing the student's hypothesis?
A. Obtain samples of one substance, each with the same mass.
B. Obtain samples of one substance, each with a different mass.
C. Obtain samples of different substances, each with the same mass.
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D. Obtain samples of different substances, each with a different mass.
14. A student places four identically sized metal blocks on a hot plate at 80°C. Then the student places an
identical piece of wax on top of each block, as shown in the diagram below.
The student measures the time it takes for the piece of wax on each block to melt. Which of the
following questions is being studied in this experiment?
A. What is the melting point of the wax?
B. What is the melting point of each metal?
C. Which metal radiates heat the best?
D. Which metal conducts heat the best?
15. Kim and Dante's class is developing a new wheel for their toy cars. Kim and Dante tested identical
wheels on the gym floor. They each did four trials using the same exact steps to test how long it took the
wheel to go 5 meters. The following charts show their data.
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Which statement describes the data in the charts?
A. The results are accurate because they were measured in the same units.
B. Having several trials to compare and analyze makes these results correct.
C. Two people gathering results are too few to make the times recorded important.
D. The difference in results is an issue because they performed the same investigation.
16. Pablo wondered if different colored sand heats up differently in light. He set up two beakers, one
containing 50 grams (g) of light-colored sand and the other with 50 g of dark-colored sand. He placed
the beakers side by side under a lamp. He measured the temperature of the sand in each beaker every
two minutes and recorded his results in the table below.
Which variable did Pablo forget to control during his investigation?
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A. The experiment should have lasted longer.
B. The experiment was not completed outdoors.
C. The beakers of sand did not start at the same temperature.
D. The beakers of sand were not collected from the same area.
17. A student predicts that the distance an object moves depends on how hard it is pushed. He designs an
experiment to test his prediction. The student repeats the experiment 10 times.
Which of the following should stay the same each time he does the experiment?
A. the weight of the object
B. the temperature of the object
C. the force used to push the object
D. the distance the object moves
18. Use the chart below to answer the question.
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A student poured 10 milliliters of water into a small bowl and froze it. Then she place the frozen water
into cup 1. Next, she poured 10 milliliters of water into an identical cup (cup 2). She place both cups on
a balance and made observations as the frozen water in cup 1 melted. Which observation shows what
happened during the student's investigation?
A. observation 1
B. observation 2
C. observation 3
D. observation 4
19. Use the table below to answer the question.
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Which conclusion is supported by the data in the table?
A. By increasing the mass of a substance, its density will increase.
B. By increasing the mass of a substance, its volume will increase.
C. By increasing the volume of a substance, its mass will decrease.
D. By increasing the volume of a substance, its density will decrease.
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