Big Science Ideas
What is Science?
A. A collection of opinions
B. A way of learning about the natural world
C. A type of guessing game
D. A list of facts that never change
A way of learning about the natural world
What is the independent variable?
A. The factor that is measured
B. The factor the scientist changes
C. The final result
D. Everything kept the same
B. The factor the scientist changes
What are constants in an experiment?
A. Factors that are changed
B. Things kept the same
C. The final results
D. Things that are measured
Things kept the same
On a graph, where does the independent variable usually go?
X-axis
What is an observation?
A. The plant has black spots.
B. The plant is facing the sun.
C. The plant is 14 centimeters tall.
D. I want the plant to grow purple flowers .
Information gathered using your senses or tools
What is a scientific model?
A. A representation used to help explain or understand something
B. A scientific law that cannot change
C. A personal opinion about an experiment
D. A list of experimental results
A representation used to help explain or understand something
13. What is the dependent variable?
A. The factor that is measured or observed
B. The factor the scientist changes
C. The scientific question
D. The hypothesis
A. The factor that is measured or observed
Why should scientists repeat trials?
A. To make their results more reliable
B. To change their hypothesis every time
C. To avoid collecting data
D. To make the experiment take longer
To make their results more reliable
On a graph, where does the dependent variable usually go?
Y axis
Which is an example of quantitative data?
A. The liquid smells sweet.
B. The plant grew 6 centimeters.
C. The rock feels rough.
D. The solution turned blue.
B. The plant grew 6 centimeters.
What does a scientific theory mainly do?
A. Describes a scientist's personal guess
B. Explains why something in nature happens
C. Lists the steps of an experiment
D. Gives instructions scientists must follow
Explains why something in nature happens
A student asks, "Does the shape of a paper airplane affect how far it flies?" What is the independent variable?
Shape of the airplane
In an experiment testing how water temperature affects candy dissolving time, which would be a good constant?
Using the same type of candy each time
Why do scientists organize data in tables and graphs?
A. To make the experiment look longer
B. To change the results
C. To make patterns and relationships easier to see
D. To avoid writing a conclusion
To make patterns and relationships easier to see
3. Which statement is not an observation?
A. The plant has black spots.
B. The plant is facing the sun.
C. The plant is 14 centimeters tall.
D. I want the plant to grow purple flowers .
D. I want the plant to grow purple flowers .
Which statement BEST describes a scientific law?
A. A rule created by the government
B. A scientist's opinion about nature
C. A description of a relationship or pattern that occurs in nature
D. A hypothesis that has never been tested
A description of a relationship or pattern that occurs in nature
In the paper airplane experiment, what is the dependent variable?
Distance the airplane travels
In the Candy Lab, students changed the temperature of the water and measured how long the candy coating took to dissolve. What was the independent variable?
Water temperature
A graph shows water temperature compared with candy dissolving time. What should be placed on the X-axis?
Water temperature
Which statement is an inference?
A. The liquid has a temperature of 25°C.
B. The flower has six petals.
C. The rock has a mass of 20 grams.
D. The plant is probably wilted because it needs water.
D. The plant is probably wilted because it needs water.
Which statement BEST describes scientific knowledge?
A. Scientific knowledge can never change once it is accepted.
B. Scientific knowledge is based only on scientists' opinions.
C. Scientific knowledge may change when new evidence or better explanations are discovered.
D. Scientific knowledge does not require evidence.
C. Scientific knowledge may change when new evidence or better explanations are discovered
What is a variable?
A. Something that can change during an investigation
B. Something that must always stay the same
C. A type of scientific law
D. The answer to a scientific question
a factor, condition, or quantity that can change or be changed in an experiment or investigation.
In the Candy Lab, what was the dependent variable?
Time it took the candy coating to dissolve
What should a scientific conclusion be based on?
A. Personal opinion
B. Evidence and data collected during the investigation
C. What the scientist hoped would happen
D. What another group predicted
Evidence and data collected during the investigation
8. Which is the BEST example of empirical evidence?
A. "I think warm water works better."
B. "My friend said warm water works better."
C. "Warm water seems like it should work better."
D. "The candy dissolved in 42 seconds in warm water and 96 seconds in cold water."
D. "The candy dissolved in 42 seconds in warm water and 96 seconds in cold water."