Scientific Method
A scientist has two identical plants. One receives fertilizer and water. The other receives only water. Which plant is the control?
The plant receiving only water.
Which statement is an observation?
A. The flower is beautiful.
B. The flower has six red petals.
B. The flower has six red petals.
What galaxy is our solar system located in?
The Milky Way.
Stars are found together in enormous groups called ______.
Galaxies.
Why do scientists share their results with other scientists?
So others can examine and repeat/replicate the investigation.
What is the best way for a scientist to test a hypothesis?
A. Write an opinion
B. Conduct an experiment
C. Make a drawing
D. Read a story
B. Conduct an experiment.
Which statement is an opinion?
A. Three birds are sitting on the branch.
B. The birds look happy.
B. The birds look happy.
What three major things make up galaxies?
Gas, dust, and stars.
Which are found in the greatest quantity in the Milky Way?
A. Planets
B. Asteroids
C. Stars
D. Comets
C. Stars.
What does it mean to replicate an experiment?
Repeat the experiment using the same methods to see whether similar results occur.
A student completes an experiment but is unsure whether the results are accurate. What should the student do next?
Repeat the experiment using the same procedure.
A scientist writes, “The young tree produced four new leaves during the week.” Why is this scientifically testable?
It can be observed and measured/counting can verify it.
Galaxies are mainly classified according to their ______ and ______.
Shape and size.
Two identical flashlights are turned on. One is nearby and one is far away. Which appears brighter?
The nearby flashlight.
Several scientists follow the exact procedure of an experiment but cannot get the same results. What might this suggest?
The original results may not be reliable/supported.
Why should scientists keep most conditions the same when testing one variable?
So they can tell whether the variable being tested caused the results.
Jane watches chimpanzees in the wild and carefully records how they use tools. Is she using science even though she is not conducting a controlled experiment?
Yes. Careful scientific observations can be used to collect data.
Which best describes a galaxy?
A. One star and its planets
B. A massive collection of star systems
C. A pattern of a few stars in the sky
D. One planet and its moons
B. A massive collection of star systems.
Two stars may actually give off similar amounts of light, but one looks dimmer from Earth. What could explain this?
The dimmer-looking star may be farther away.
Scientists announce a discovery. Other scientists repeatedly use the same procedure but cannot reproduce the results. Should the scientific community immediately accept the discovery? Why?
No. Scientific results should be repeatable/replicable.
Maria thinks plants grow faster in sunlight than in shade. She places one plant in sunlight and one in shade. Name the independent variable.
The amount/location of sunlight.
Which is stronger scientific evidence?
A. “The tree looks healthier.”
B. “The tree grew 8 centimeters in 14 days.”
Explain.
B, because it is measurable and objective.
Why is a constellation not the same thing as a galaxy?
A constellation is a visible pattern of stars, while a galaxy is a huge collection of stars/star systems, gas, and dust.
Why can you not determine a star’s actual size just by how bright it appears from Earth?
Apparent brightness is affected by distance as well as the star itself.
A student claims that a special liquid makes bean plants grow taller. Describe one way to test the claim fairly and one thing scientists should do afterward to make the results more reliable.
Compare a plant receiving the liquid with a control plant that does not, while keeping other conditions the same; then repeat/replicate the experiment.