Durability of Scientific Knowledge
Until the 1500s, doctors thought diseases were caused spontaneously. Scientists began proposing that diseases were caused by seedlike entities that could be passed among people. After the invention of the microscope, doctors came to know that many diseases were actually caused by microscopic living organisms, like bacteria. What does this suggest about the nature of scientific knowledge?
A. Scientific knowledge should not be considered valid because it changes over time.
B. Technology has improved enough that scientific knowledge can stop changing.
C. New discoveries and evidence are more important than repeatable results.
D. Scientific knowledge changes over time based on evidence.
D. Scientific knowledge changes over time based on evidence.
A basic principle for scientific research is that the experiment must be able to be replicated. What happens when an experiment is replicated?
A. The scientific researcher performs the experiment many times and gets the same results.
B. No one in the scientific community agrees with the methods or results.
C. Other scientists perform the same experiment and get comparable results.
D. A scientist publisher accepts the experimental results for printing.
A. The scientific researcher performs the experiment many times and gets the same results.
A group of scientists has been asked to conduct a study on how an oil spill will affect the surrounding sea life. The scientists decide that the best way to complete the study is to create a model. Which of the following is the most likely reason that the scientists will use a model instead of creating an actual oil spill study?
A. They think using a model will provide them with more accurate results.
B. They can study the effects of an oil spill without harming surrounding sea life.
C. They can use different species that the plants and animals found in the real ecosystem.
D. They expect the oil spill in their model to have a much greater effect than an oil spill in the natural environment.
B. They can study the effects of an oil spill without harming surrounding sea life.
Atomic theory, which describes the atoms that make up matter, has been explored for centuries. Scientists in ancient Greece first proposed that matter was made of units called atoms. For many years, scientists thought atoms were solid and could not be divided. Then, in the nineteenth century, scientists began to discover the particles that make up atoms. Modern techniques have allowed scientists to split atoms into increasingly smaller particles. Which of the following statements about theories is supported by the history of the atomic theory?
A. If new evidence contradicts earlier theories, it is a result of an experimental error.
B. Experiments with modern equipment cannot be used to support earlier theories.
C. A theory is discarded when new evidence contradicts a part of the theory.
D. Theories can change in response to new evidence.
D. Theories can change in response to new evidence.
Jules wanted to know whether the eating behavior of goldfish is affected by music. He set up a fish tank. Every day, Jules played music for the fish and measured how much the fish ate.
What is Jules missing from this experiment?
A. A control group
B. A measurable result
C. Different types of fish
D. An outcome variable (dependent variable)
A. A control group
In recent scientific history, the classification of protists has changed several times. They now have been regrouped to consider their development over time instead of simply by how they move or look. Which statement best describes such changes in scientific knowledge?
A. An entire species must be discovered before a classification system can be made.
B. Early ideas about taxonomy should be unchallenged so that scientists can continue to classify new species.
C. Modern technology and processes make it possible to prove an idea so further research is not necessary.
D. As more knowledge is gained about organisms and natural events, scientific interpretations change as necessary.
D. As more knowledge is gained about organisms and natural events, scientific interpretations change as necessary.
Tracy and Eric are timing how fast marbles roll down an inclined plane. They plan to do this 5 times, and then take the average time for their results. What would be the BEST way to improve the accuracy of their data?
A. Include marbles of three different colors in their investigation
B. Include the average of 20 trials down the inclined plane
C. Use marbles of 10 different densities
D. Use toy cars instead of marbles
B. Include the average of 20 trials down the inclined plane
Which is not a Scientific Model:
A. Physical Model
B. Numerical Model
C. Mathematical Model
D. Conceptual (Diagram) Models
B. Numerical Model
True or False: “If a hypothesis is supported, it becomes a theory. If a theory is proven it becomes a law”.
FALSE: Theories and Laws are different ways to look at how the world works. Theories don’t become laws don’t become theories.
Denise and David are testing how plants respond to fertilizer. They use three plants for the experiment. The first is given a cup of Fast Grow fertilizer with no water. The second is given a teaspoon of SunLight fertilizer with a cup of water. The third plant is given no fertilizer with a cup of water.
Denise and David will not be able to draw a valid conclusion from their result. Which of the following statements explains why?
A. There are not enough different types of plants.
B. There is no test variable (independent variable).
C. Results of the experiment need to be presented in a graph.
D. More than one test variable (independent variable) has been changed in the experiment.
D. More than one test variable (independent variable) has been changed in the experiment.
In order for scientific knowledge to change, reliable evidence must be presented and _________. After much discussion and debate, scientific knowledge can be changed if the evidence is valid.
A. Evaluated
B. Researched
C. Tested
D. Discussed
A. Evaluated
When formulating a new recipe, food scientists take detailed notes of their procedures and record carefully measured amounts of the ingredients. Different scientists will then follow the steps in the recipe and compare the final products. Why is it important for other food scientists to review new recipes before they are sold to the public?
A. To determine if the researcher is creating the most nutritious recipes
B. To make sure that they get the most profit from the new product
C. To ensure that the recipe can be replicated easily by others
D. To ensure that the recipe can be repeated by themselves
C. To ensure that the recipe can be replicated easily by others
Francesca creates a model that shows the movements of the tectonic plates of Earth’s surface. If she wants to use the model to understand the concept of how a mountain is formed, how does that model help her?
A. It shows all of the plates in their correct layout.
B. It explains in detail how mountains are formed.
C. It displays details that cannot be seen in a drawing.
D. It speeds up a process that takes millions of years.
D. It speeds up a process that takes millions of years.
Scientists create both scientific theories and scientific laws as they make observations and conduct experiments about the natural world. Which of the following statements most accurately compares the difference between scientific theories and scientific laws?
A. Scientific laws are based on evidence, while scientific theories are not.
B. Scientific theories involve only biology, while laws involve all types of science.
C. Scientific theories involve mathematical equations, while scientific laws are based on observations.
D. Scientific theories are ideas that explain natural events, while scientific laws more reliably predict natural events.
D. Scientific theories are ideas that explain natural events, while scientific laws more reliably predict natural events.
Allison and Heather are going to conduct an experiment to see whether salt affects the growth of plants. They assemble five groups of identical plants and give the plants in each group water with a different salt concentration. What is the outcome variable (dependent variable) for their experiment?
A. Salt concentration in plant tissue
B. Salt concentration in plant water
C. Amount of water absorbed by plants
D. Average mass of plants in each group
D. Average mass of plants in each group
Gregor Mendel conducted research about genetics by breeding pea plants. Although he could not actually see into cells, he deduced from his results that each of an organism’s traits is determined by two factors (alleles). Long after Mendel’s work, microscopes were improved and scientists observed that chromosomes in the nucleus occurred in matching pairs. It is now accepted that the two alleles for each trait are located on homologous chromosomes. What does this demonstrate about science?
A. Advances in science may result from new interpretations of previous work.
B. Improvements in equipment and data gathering can disprove previous conclusions.
C. Earlier scientists did not have the proper equipment and materials to make their conclusions.
D. Much of early scientific research was faulty because the earlier scientists did not practice the same data-gathering practices as modern scientists.
A. Advances in science may result from new interpretations of previous work.
Repetition: The more times an experiment is repeated with the same results, the more likely the conclusion will be _________.
Accurate
SCIENTISTS DEVELOP _________ ABOUT MANY DIFFERENT NATURAL PHENOMENA
Models
A scientist spends a month observing two prairie animals, prairie dogs and ferrets, in their natural habitat. Based on his observations, the scientist states that ferrets are more active than prairie dogs. Why is his statement NOT a scientific theory?
A. It is an observation of something in nature.
B. Prairie dogs and ferrets are different species.
C. The statement is not widely accepted and supported by sufficient evidence.
D. The scientist has not conducted enough trials to draw a valid conclusion.
C. The statement is not widely accepted and supported by sufficient evidence.
Introduction to the Scientific Method: Anyone who has ever read a mystery novel or seen a “whodunit” on TV has seen the scientific method in action. Anyone who has ever tried to figure out what happens to the refrigerator light when you close the door, or where that other sock goes after you put it in the dryer has used the scientific method. The scientific method is not a mystical, incomprehensible process that can only be done by scientists. Instead, it is a logical, organized mechanism for identifying and researching a _________, and devising a strategy for solving it.
A. Problem
B. Project
C. Experiment
D. Test
A. Problem
During the nineteenth century, biologists knew that South America and Africa contained similar fossils. These fossils let them to believe that a temporary land bridge between South America and Africa allowed ancient species to move between both continents. In the twentieth century, evidence showed that South America and Africa were once part of the same larger continent and that there were no land bridges between them. How should biologists respond to the new geological finding?
A. Biologists should reject the geological finding, because it is new.
B. Biologists should ask physicists what to do, because physics is a more exact science.
C. Biologists should reject the belief in ancient species, because there were no land bridges.
D. Biologists should update the history of life, because it should include the new geological finding.
D. Biologists should update the history of life, because it should include the new geological finding.
Replication: The more people that can replicate your results successfully, the more ________ your experiment will be.
reliable
What are Scientific Models?
Models are a representation or description designed to make a particular part/feature of the world easier to understand, define, quantify, visualize, or simulate by using multiple forms of _______.
Hint: its a 4 letter word
Data
The development of microscopes allowed scientists to investigate living things in greater detail. Through many investigations, scientists found evidence that all living things are made of one or more basic units that divide to form new units. Scientists used their evidence to explain the relationship between these “building blocks of life” and the organisms to which they belong. What are these explanations called?
A. Cell theory
B. Germ theory
C. Law of mitosis
D. Law of biogenesis
A. Cell theory
When is the Science FSA?
Tomorrow!
Tuesday, May 17, 2022