Name: Class: Date: 2. A good experiment has several characteristics. Which characteristic is part of a good scientific experiment?

Transcription

1 Name: Class: Date: Scientific Investigation Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. 1. Scientists do many types of work. Their work often includes making field observations, conducting surveys, creating models, and carrying out experiments. Which description characterizes an experiment? A. observation of plants or animals in their natural environment B. use of physical or mathematical representation of an object or process C. conducting of an organized procedure to study something under controlled conditions D. collection of data from the unregulated world for comparative purposes 2. A good experiment has several characteristics. Which characteristic is part of a good scientific experiment? A. Results can be reproduced. B. Results are not reviewed by peers. C. Results are based on a small sample size. D. Results are based on an undisclosed process or procedure. 3. In chemistry, scientists classify some substances as bases. The following are all characteristics of bases. Which observation can you make about a base using the senses alone? A. feels slippery to the touch B. has a ph greater than that of pure water C. has a density greater than that of pure water D. conducts an electrical current when dissolved in water 4. The following table lists data obtained during a laboratory experiment about the effect of an object s mass on its free-fall acceleration due to gravity. Mass Free-fall (kg) acceleration (m/s 2 ) Based on these results, what prediction can you make about the free-fall acceleration rate when the object s mass is doubled to 100 kg? A. The acceleration will double. B. The acceleration will decrease by half. C. The acceleration will remain the same. D. The acceleration will increase to

2 Name: 5. Scientific investigations require appropriate equipment. Which of the tools below should not be used to give precise and accurate measurements? A. B. C. D. 2

3 Name: 6. Lee wants to make sure she understands the components of a good scientific investigation. She knows that it should be controlled and have a large sample size. Also, she thinks that the results should be communicated to other scientists. Which is another component that is necessary for a good investigation? A. It must be conducted in a big lab. B. It must be run by a university scientist. C. It must be done with expensive equipment. D. It must be able to be replicated by other scientists. 7. Kenji must conduct a scientific investigation for a science project. Which step should Kenji complete first? A. List the steps to be used for the procedure of the investigation. B. Use appropriate tools to collect data, and then organize the data using tables and graphs. C. Develop a testable question based on research or prior knowledge. D. Analyze data, recognize any patterns, and make inferences based on those patterns. 8. Which description is the definition of a hypothesis? A. an account of an observed event B. a statement that predicts a future event C. a testable idea that leads to scientific explanations D. a well-supported and widely accepted explanation of nature 9. Smitty drops a rock from a set height and measures the time it takes the rock to reach the ground. He uses this time and the distance of the fall to calculate the average speed of the rock. He tests four rocks of different masses. Which question is Smitty investigating? A. What causes an object to accelerate? B. How does mass affect the speed of a falling object? C. How does mass affect the force exerted by an object? D. How does the free-fall height affect the speed of a falling object? 10. Which description is the definition of variable in a scientific experiment? A. a set of possible outcomes for an experiment B. any factor that can change in a controlled experiment C. a question being explored by an investigation D. a range of values for a particular quantity in an experiment 11. Which sequence of events is a logical order of a scientific investigation? A. experiment --> hypothesis --> analysis of data --> conclusion B. hypothesis --> experiment --> conclusion --> analysis of data C. analysis of data --> conclusion --> experiment --> hypothesis D. hypothesis --> experiment --> analysis of data --> conclusion 3

4 Name: 12. A student measures the time it takes for a sheet of paper to fall to the ground from a marked height. The student then crumples the same piece of paper and drops the paper from the same height. The student observes that the paper fell faster the second time. What was the independent variable? A. the shape of the paper B. the height of the drop C. the length of time for the paper to fall D. the speed at which the paper fell 13. Rodney has been training a mouse to run a maze. He has been recording the data in the table below. Trial Time (s) If Rodney graphed his data, which of the following would show the shape of his graph? A. C. B. D. 4

5 Name: 14. Kenji must conduct a scientific investigation for a science project. Which step will Kenji likely complete last? A. List the steps to be used for the procedure of the investigation. B. Use appropriate tools to collect data, and then organize the data using tables and graphs. C. Develop a testable question based on research or prior knowledge. D. Analyze data, recognize any patterns, and make inferences based on those patterns. 15. Scientists do many types of work. Their work often includes making field observations, conducting surveys, creating models, and carrying out experiments. Which must be done before conducting an experiment? A. Choose a dependent variable and an independent variable. B. Prepare a physical or mathematical representation of an object or process. C. Observe plants or animals in their natural environment. D. Collect data from the unregulated world for comparative purposes. 16. Two students conduct the same experiment, but they get different results. What should the students do next? A. The students should check their procedure and tools for sources of error. B. Both students should throw out their data and start over. C. The students should compare data with other students and then use the data from the student who was closest to the rest of the class. D. The students should find the average of each data set and each report the average data. 17. Controlled experiments include variables. Which statement describes the difference between an independent variable and a dependent variable? A. The dependent variable does not change, and the independent variable does change. B. The dependent variable does not change, and the independent variable does not change. C. The dependent variable is the control that brings about the results of the independent variable. D. The dependent variable changes based on the independent variable. 18. Which description is the definition of the dependent variable in a scientific experiment? A. a factor that is not allowed to change B. the factor that is measured to gather results C. information gathered by observation or experimentation D. a factor that is changed to see how it affects another factor 5

6 Name: 19. Santos wants to record the volume of a balloon every minute for 5 minutes as water slowly fills it. Which table should he use to record his data? A. B. C. D. 20. Good experiments follow organized procedures. Which of these phrases describes another characteristic of a good scientific experiment? A. repeated trials B. uncontrolled surroundings C. small sample size for collecting data D. variable procedures for obtaining data 21. Which of the following is a true statement about any hypothesis? A. It must be testable using an investigation. B. It must communicate the conclusions of the experiment. C. It is not valuable if it is not supported by the results of the experiment. D. It should describe the experiment set-up, variables, and testing methods. 6

7 Name: 22. Which of the following is not a true statement about any hypothesis? A. It must be testable using an investigation. B. It should be a statement that includes an explanation. C. It must communicate the conclusions of the experiment. D. It should be possible to determine the variables from the hypothesis. Short Answer 23. Explain several reasons why it is good for scientists to share information from their investigations. 7