1
Testing hypotheses often involves designing experiments. Which of the following is the factor that is observed and measured in an experiment?
dependent variable
Camille notices that the leaves of her pothos plant are drooping this morning. The leaves were not droopy yesterday. She decides the plant needs to be watered. What had Camille just done?
a. made an inference based on past experience and observation
b. calculated the probability of the plant’s ability to survive without water
c. devised a controlled experiment about the effect of water on plant leaves
a. made an inference based on past experience and observation
Which two types of particles are present in equal numbers in an atom, but not in an ion?
a. protons and electrons
b. protons and neutrons
a. protons and electrons
A scientist is studying two isotopes of sodium, labeled A and B. In Isotope A, each of the atoms has 11 protons, 12 neutrons, and 11 electrons. What could be the atomic structure of Isotope B?
a. 11 protons, 12 neutrons, and 10 electrons
b. 12 protons, 12 neutrons, and 11 electrons
c. 11 protons, 13 neutrons, and 11 electrons
c. 11 protons, 13 neutrons, and 11 electrons
Jorge is exploring the ocean. On which of these journeys is he MOST LIKELY to pass from the photic zone into the aphotic zone?
a. a boat trip from the shore to the middle of the ocean
b. a boat trip from the middle of the ocean to the shore
c. a submarine dive from the surface into deep ocean water
c. a submarine dive from the surface into deep ocean water
Dr. Smith reads two research papers that present different conclusions about the same question. He knows the researcher who wrote Paper A, but does not know the authors of Paper B. When asked which paper he thinks has more merit, Dr. Smith replies, “Paper A.”
Because of Dr. Smith's personal connection to some of the researchers, he could be exhibiting
bias.
Dr. Sanchez and her team have observed an unusual star in the Andromeda galaxy. Their data suggests that the star is being consumed by a nearby black hole. They write a scientific paper about their work and submit it to a scientific journal. Other scientists read their paper and look for the unusual star as well.
The other scientists are participating in which activity?
a. data collection
b. peer review
a. data collection
What event changes an atom into an ion?
a. the sharing of electrons with another atom
b. the gain or loss of one or more electrons
c. the gain or loss of one or more neutrons
b. the gain or loss of one or more electrons
Which data are MOST useful for analyzing the climate of the region?
a. average time of sunrise and sunset in July
b. average temperatures for July, measured over 30 years
b. average temperatures for July, measured over 30 years
A local ecosystem includes a variety of grasses that grow on spongy soil. In spring, heavy rainfall and melted snow cover the soil in a few inches of water. The ecosystem dries up by late summer. What term BEST describes this ecosystem?
a. pond c. wetland
b. estuary d. stream bed
b. estuary
Jane Goodall spent years with the chimpanzees of Gombe. Sitting quietly for hours, she watched the animals closely and took notes about their behavior.
What was Jane Goodall doing?
making observations
Science began out of humankind’s natural curiosity to understand and explain the interactions and processes of the natural world. Science aims to use these explanations to understand patterns in nature and benefit nature and society, as well as to address issues that face the natural world and human society.
Which statement BEST reflects the efforts of scientists in pursuing the goals of science?
a. Scientists make observations and conduct experiments in order to establish facts.
b. Scientists attempt to resolve questions of belief with scientific facts.
c. Scientists review and revise current knowledge when new evidence arises.
c. Scientists review and revise current knowledge when new evidence arises.
Which of these subjects is MOST LIKELY to be studied in ecology?
a. the method of water transport in a tree
b. a comparison of muscle cells among birds and reptiles
c. the interaction between populations of wolves and deer
c. the interaction between populations of wolves and deer
What is the relationship between global winds and global ocean currents?
a. The pattern of global winds is one of the factors that drives global ocean currents.
b. The pattern of global ocean currents is one of the factors that drives global winds.
a. The pattern of global winds is one of the factors that drives global ocean currents.
Dr. Simeon and her team are studying global climate change. They develop a set of mathematical equations that relate climate data gathered over the past 100 years. Then, with the aid of a computer, they use the equations to predict climate change in the future.
The team’s use of mathematical equations and computers is an example of which science process?
a. observation
b. gathering evidence
c. modeling
c. modeling
After her run, Aisha felt thirsty. Thirst was her body’s way of telling her she needed more water to maintain
Homeostasis.
Which of the following statements about science is accurate?
a. Science deals with the investigation of supernatural events and creatures.
b. Science is a list of beliefs and facts that is constant and unchanging.
c. Science involves collecting and organizing data about the natural world.
c. Science involves collecting and organizing data about the natural world.
A heron is affected by many factors in its environment. What distinguishes the biotic factors from the abiotic factors?
a. location in the water or out of the water
b. plant or animal
c. living or nonliving
c. living or nonliving
The temperate grasslands biome includes regions of several continents. What do all of the regions have in common?
a. the same species of grazing animals
b. the same species of grasses
c. the same seasonal patterns of temperature and precipitation
c. the same seasonal patterns of temperature and precipitation
Manuel and three other students are studying the effects of various factors on the growth of plants in a garden. Manuel is asked to investigate the effects of abiotic factors that involve the geosphere. The other three students are investigating effects that involve the biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.
Which factor would be entirely Manuel’s responsibility to investigate?
a. the volume of rainwater that soaks into the garden soil over one month
b. the sizes of rocks mixed into the garden soil
c. the species of insects, worms, and other small animals that live in the garden soil
b. the sizes of rocks mixed into the garden soil
Tamar is talking about evolution with a friend. The friend says, “It’s just a theory, so I don’t believe it. When they prove it and it becomes the law of evolution, then maybe I’ll change my mind.”
Which of these possible replies best describes scientific principles or the work of scientists?
a. Scientific theories do not become scientific laws; they are explanations for natural phenomena based on evidence.
b. Science always finds the right answer; the answers that scientists and researchers discover never change.
a. Scientific theories do not become scientific laws; they are explanations for natural phenomena based on evidence.
12. Scientists and engineers do different types of work. Which statement
BEST compares the methods of science and engineering?
a. The methods are completely different and unrelated.
b. The methods are similar, but are not identical with one another.
b. The methods are similar, but are not identical with one another.
Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide and methane. How do greenhouse gases act to increase air temperatures near Earth’s surface?
a. They transmit visible light that enters the atmosphere.
b. They trap heat that is radiated from the surface.
b. They trap heat that is radiated from the surface.
28. As a team of explorers travels southward from the North Pole into Canada, they encounter a dense forest of pines and other coniferous evergreens. They leave the forest before the winter, which is long and cold. Which of these biomes has the team visited?
a. temperate grasslands
c. boreal forest (taiga)
c. boreal forest (taiga)
what is the difference between biotic and abiotic.
Biotic is living things and abiotic is nonliving things