Hypothesis, Theory, & Law
Scientific Method
Subjective v. Objective
Characteristics of Living Things
Graphing
100
Is simple, true, universal, and absolute
Law
100
True or False: Qualitative data is measurable, often presented in the form of numbers.
FALSE -- qualitative data is interpretation and description-based. Quantitative data is measurable and often presented in the form of numbers.
100
Subjective or Objective?
In a survey of about 2000 adults, one-third of them still sleep with a comfort object.
Objective
100
Are viruses living things?
Nope -- they don't have all 8 of the characteristics of living things
100
What important feature is the graph shown here missing?
a Title -- we don't even know what experiment or observations we are looking at here
200
Is a proven explanation that explains why things work the way they do
Theory
200
A group of scientists hypothesize that the average high school football player can run faster than the average high school basketball player. If they were to conduct an experiment to test this, what would be an example of a constant (controlled variable) that they would maintain for both trials?
The physical terrain they run on; the distance; the weather conditions; the method of timing them; etc.
200
Objective or Subjective?
Blue jeans frogs are the most unique-looking amphibian, having a red body and blue legs that make them look like they are wearing jeans.
Subjective -- them being "the most unique-looking" is the statement being made, and that is not verifiable because it is something that would be based on opinion
200
True or False:
Genetic information is stored in the form of DNA "packages" -- and some infectious bacteria and viruses can share/exchange these packets of genetic information, which can make them more dangerous to humans and other organisms they may infect.
True
Both bacteria and viruses may demonstrate this characteristic of living things (having genetic information)
200
What are the independent and dependent variables in this graph?
Independent variable -- year
Dependent variable -- wildlife population
300
You state that under ideal conditions of sunlight, water, and soil, a plant will grow successfully.
Is this a theory, hypothesis, or law?
Hypothesis -- because YOU are the one stating this and you are one person making this statement, this is a hypothesis. There may be evidence to support this, but it is still your own hypothesis.
300
What is the purpose of doing a controlled trial (experiment done on a control group)?
It provides a basis of comparison to compare against your experimental group.
300
Objective or Subjective?
Many Americans state that access to high-speed internet is a "major problem" in rural communities.
Objective -- can verify this info
300
Which characteristic of living things is demonstrated by the statement:
"Horses, donkeys, and zebras share a common ancestor."
All living things change as a group (evolve).
300
Based on the graph shown, how many frogs would you expect to find in the pond at 25 cm of spring rainfall?
62, 63, 64, or 65 frogs
400
Is the following statement a hypothesis, theory, or law?
'Microorganisms called pathogens can lead to infectious diseases in other organisms."
Theory -- this is Germ Theory of Disease. This is the accepted theory by the scientific community that EXPLAINS why people get sick.
400
Is your statement a data, an inference, a hypothesis, or a conclusion?
Hypothesis -- You have not tested or found evidence that the statement is supported enough
400
Objective or Subjective?
Chytridiomycosis is a lethal threat to amphibian species.
Objective. This fungal infection has caused the extinction of many amphibious species.
400
When a human gets hot, they sweat to release heat. When a human gets cold, they shiver to produce heat.
What characteristic of living things BEST EXPLAINS these statements?
Living things maintain an internal balance.
400
Based on the graph shown, what type of fast food did Australian teenagers consume the most in 1990?
Hamburgers!
500
You conduct a sleep study, with a hypothesis that individuals will fall asleep sooner if they listen to classical music compared to rock music. The results of your experiment support your hypothesis -- test subjects listening to classical music did fall asleep sooner than those who listened to rock music. Have you proven that your hypothesis is true?
No -- you cannot conclude that you have PROVEN a hypothesis. Your results may support or not support your hypothesis but one experiment does cannot prove something
500
A student conducts an experiment with three different types of butterfly species: a monarch butterfly, a pearl crescent butterfly, and a queen butterfly. She is examining the growth of the butterflies and predicts the queen butterfly will grow the largest. At the end of the experiment, the monarch butterfly grew to be 100 mm wide, the 40 mm wide, and the queen butterfly grew to be 80 mm wide. What was the independent variable, dependent variable, and conclusion in her experiment (support/reject hypothesis).
Independent variable -- type of butterfly
Dependent variable -- width/size of butterfly (mm)
Conclusion -- Based on her results, evidence did not support her original hypothesis. She predicted the queen butterfly would grow the largest but the monarch butterfly grew the largest.
500
True or False? If a statement is objective, it means that it is a true fact.
False -- an objective statement means it is verifiable-- that means you are able to check/demonstrate whether it is true or false.
500
When an insect lands on a Venus flytrap, the plant senses the pressure of the insect and snaps shut, trapping the insect. Once the trap closes, the plant releases a digestive fluid that breaks down the insect to extract the essential nutrients.
What two characteristics of living things are described in these statements?
Living things respond to stimuli in their environment.
Living things obtain and use energy and nutrients.
500
What is the median number of teens with cellphones based on the data in this graph?
430 teens with cellphones