Question 1

Laws of nature can be characterized by saying that they

Accepted Answer

A)  arise from repeated observation but no testing. 
B)  represent our best understanding of how the universe works in certain circumstances. 
C)  are not subject to change based upon additional observations. 
D)  always have exceptions and other defects. 
E)  are the same as absolute truths. 
A)  arise from repeated observation but no testing. 
B)  represent our best understanding of how the universe works in certain circumstances. 
C)  are not subject to change based upon additional observations. 
D)  always have exceptions and other defects. 
E)  are the same as absolute truths.

Question 2

The scientific method depends on

Accepted Answer

A)  reproducible results. 
B)  clearly stated laws of nature. 
C)  accurate initial predictions. 
D)  fact-based hypotheses. 
E)  communication of findings. 
A)  reproducible results. 
B)  clearly stated laws of nature. 
C)  accurate initial predictions. 
D)  fact-based hypotheses. 
E)  communication of findings.

Question 3

Which of the following statements is a prediction?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mealworms prefer dark environments. 
B)  High quality balloons filled with atmospheric air will float higher than low quality balloons filled with atmospheric air. 
C)  Spearmint candies taste better than peppermint candies. 
D)  Data show that a decrease in food lowers the rate of mealworm reproduction. Therefore, if there is an increase the amount of food available to mealworms, their reproduction rate will increase. 
E)  Most scientists never communicate their work. 
A)  Mealworms prefer dark environments. 
B)  High quality balloons filled with atmospheric air will float higher than low quality balloons filled with atmospheric air. 
C)  Spearmint candies taste better than peppermint candies. 
D)  Data show that a decrease in food lowers the rate of mealworm reproduction. Therefore, if there is an increase the amount of food available to mealworms, their reproduction rate will increase. 
E)  Most scientists never communicate their work.

Question 4

Why do scientists reject astrology?

Accepted Answer

A)  Planets do not exert a gravitational force on a newborn baby. 
B)  Stars do not exert any force on a newborn baby. 
C)  The Babylonians developed astrology. 
D)  The Moon is too far away to influence a person's life. 
E)  There is no evidence that stars can predict the future. 
A)  Planets do not exert a gravitational force on a newborn baby. 
B)  Stars do not exert any force on a newborn baby. 
C)  The Babylonians developed astrology. 
D)  The Moon is too far away to influence a person's life. 
E)  There is no evidence that stars can predict the future.

Question 5

Results of scientific experiments must be reproducible. Give an example of how you have reproduced the results of someone else's experiment in everyday life.

Accepted Answer

Answers will vary greatly. Examples migh

Question 6

How is an hypothesis tested? 
1) by using the hypothesis to make predictions about a system
2) by comparing observations in nature with predictions
3) by making a new hypothesis

Accepted Answer

A)  1 
B)  2 
C)  3 
D)  By 1 and 2, but not 3 
E)  By 1, 2, and 3 
A)  1 
B)  2 
C)  3 
D)  By 1 and 2, but not 3 
E)  By 1, 2, and 3

Question 7

Which of the following statements would be true of the scientific method?

Accepted Answer

A)  The scientific method is a linear process starting with observation and following several other rigidly defined steps. 
B)  The scientific method is a continuous process by which people learn about the physical universe and share their knowledge with others. 
C)  Scientists may report findings in such a way that experiments and observations remain known only to the original experimenters. 
D)  When the results of an experiment do not fit the hypothesis, a scientist may ethically discard the results and repeat the experiment. 
E)  The scientific method has no connection to the way people conduct their lives every day. 
A)  The scientific method is a linear process starting with observation and following several other rigidly defined steps. 
B)  The scientific method is a continuous process by which people learn about the physical universe and share their knowledge with others. 
C)  Scientists may report findings in such a way that experiments and observations remain known only to the original experimenters. 
D)  When the results of an experiment do not fit the hypothesis, a scientist may ethically discard the results and repeat the experiment. 
E)  The scientific method has no connection to the way people conduct their lives every day.

Question 8

What part does creativity play in the scientific method? Give an example.

Accepted Answer

Scientists are necessarily creative peop

Question 9

With the limited amount of money available to fund scientific research, some projects must be given priorities over others. If you were reviewing applications for grant funding, what criteria might you use to decide which projects were funded first?

Accepted Answer

Many times this depends upon p

Question 10

In what ways did the creation of the periodic table of elements follow the scientific method?

Accepted Answer

Mendeleev followed a methodica

Question 11

At the time Dimitri Mendeleev produced the first periodic table of the elements, which of the following was not true?

Accepted Answer

A)  There were a little more than 60 known chemical elements. 
B)  Chemists used the concept of atomic mass. 
C)  Chemists knew that each element had distinct chemical behaviors. 
D)  It was the mid-18th century. 
E)  There were one or two new discoveries of chemical elements each year. 
A)  There were a little more than 60 known chemical elements. 
B)  Chemists used the concept of atomic mass. 
C)  Chemists knew that each element had distinct chemical behaviors. 
D)  It was the mid-18th century. 
E)  There were one or two new discoveries of chemical elements each year.

Question 12

How did Mendeleev organize the periodic table of elements?

Accepted Answer

A)  date of first discovery 
B)  alphabetically 
C)  atomic weight of the element 
D)  total number of electrons 
E)  ionization energy 
A)  date of first discovery 
B)  alphabetically 
C)  atomic weight of the element 
D)  total number of electrons 
E)  ionization energy

Question 13

A theory is

Accepted Answer

A)  an educated guess based on data collected. 
B)  a statement that describes how a system will behave. 
C)  a precise mathematical equation. 
D)  based on many observations and experiments or tests. 
E)  a proven hypothesis. 
A)  an educated guess based on data collected. 
B)  a statement that describes how a system will behave. 
C)  a precise mathematical equation. 
D)  based on many observations and experiments or tests. 
E)  a proven hypothesis.

Question 14

In science, every theory must be tested by using it to make

Accepted Answer

A)  a hypothesis. 
B)  laws of nature. 
C)  experiments. 
D)  predictions. 
E)  a mathematical formula. 
A)  a hypothesis. 
B)  laws of nature. 
C)  experiments. 
D)  predictions. 
E)  a mathematical formula.

Question 15

Determine which of these questions could be researchable using the scientific method.

Accepted Answer

A)  Under what conditions could bass live in a lake? 
B)  What was the artist thinking when he painted Mona Lisa? 
C)  Are UFOs related to crop circles? 
D)  Is there a supreme deity? 
E)  What is the meaning of life? 
A)  Under what conditions could bass live in a lake? 
B)  What was the artist thinking when he painted Mona Lisa? 
C)  Are UFOs related to crop circles? 
D)  Is there a supreme deity? 
E)  What is the meaning of life?

Question 16

Which of the following scientists would study forces of motion in the universe?

Accepted Answer

A)  biologists and chemists 
B)  physicists and astronomers 
C)  chemists and geologists 
D)  geologists and biologists 
E)  chemists alone 
A)  biologists and chemists 
B)  physicists and astronomers 
C)  chemists and geologists 
D)  geologists and biologists 
E)  chemists alone

Question 17

Describe what is meant by peer review. Do you think this system is a good idea? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

Peer review occurs when a paper or grant

Question 18

How does science differ from pseudoscience?

Accepted Answer

A)  Scientific hypotheses are always testable. 
B)  Science requires a lower standard of proof than pseudoscience. 
C)  Scientific statements are based on anecdotes. 
D)  Science is just one person's opinion. 
E)  Science is the quest for absolute truth. 
A)  Scientific hypotheses are always testable. 
B)  Science requires a lower standard of proof than pseudoscience. 
C)  Scientific statements are based on anecdotes. 
D)  Science is just one person's opinion. 
E)  Science is the quest for absolute truth.

Question 19

What is the difference between a hypothesis and a theory?

Accepted Answer

While a hypothesis is an idea,

Question 20

Peer review in science

Accepted Answer

A)  demoralizes most young scientists before they can become established. 
B)  is accomplished in the editorial offices of major scientific journals. 
C)  causes delays between the conclusion of an experiment and the communication of the results. 
D)  is conducted in confidence by a panel of experts in the field. 
E)  has become outdated since the advent of computers. 
A)  demoralizes most young scientists before they can become established. 
B)  is accomplished in the editorial offices of major scientific journals. 
C)  causes delays between the conclusion of an experiment and the communication of the results. 
D)  is conducted in confidence by a panel of experts in the field. 
E)  has become outdated since the advent of computers.

Exam 1: Science: a Way of Knowing: How Do You Know What You Know

Laws of nature can be characterized by saying that they

The scientific method depends on

Which of the following statements is a prediction?

Why do scientists reject astrology?

Results of scientific experiments must be reproducible. Give an example of how you have reproduced the results of someone else's experiment in everyday life.

How is an hypothesis tested? 1) by using the hypothesis to make predictions about a system 2) by comparing observations in nature with predictions 3) by making a new hypothesis

Which of the following statements would be true of the scientific method?

What part does creativity play in the scientific method? Give an example.

With the limited amount of money available to fund scientific research, some projects must be given priorities over others. If you were reviewing applications for grant funding, what criteria might you use to decide which projects were funded first?

In what ways did the creation of the periodic table of elements follow the scientific method?

At the time Dimitri Mendeleev produced the first periodic table of the elements, which of the following was not true?

How did Mendeleev organize the periodic table of elements?

A theory is

In science, every theory must be tested by using it to make

Determine which of these questions could be researchable using the scientific method.

Which of the following scientists would study forces of motion in the universe?

Describe what is meant by peer review. Do you think this system is a good idea? Explain your answer.

How does science differ from pseudoscience?

What is the difference between a hypothesis and a theory?

Peer review in science

The Ordered Universe: Why Do Planets Appear to Wander Slowly Across the Sky

Energy: Why Must Animals Eat to Stay Alive

Heat and the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Why Is It Easier to Make an Omelet From an Egg Than to Make an Egg From an Omelet

Electricity and Magnetism: What Is Lightning

Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation: What Is Color

Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity: Can a Human Ever Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light, at Warp Speed

The Atom: Why Are There so Many Different Materials in the World

Quantum Mechanics: How Can the Electron Behave Like Both a Particle and a Wave

Atoms in Combination: the Chemical Bond: How Does Blood Clot

Materials and Their Properties: How Have Computers Gotten so Much Faster

The Nucleus of the Atom: How Do Scientists Determine the Age of the Oldest Human Fossils

The Ultimate Structure of Matter: How Can Antimatter Be Used to Probe the Human Brain

The Stars: How Much Longer Can the Sun Sustain Life on Earth

Cosmology: Will the Universe End

Earth and Other Planets: Is Earth the Only Planet With Life

Plate Tectonics: Can We Predict Destructive Earthquakes

Earths Many Cycles: Will We Ever Run Out of Fresh Water

Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment: Are Human Activities Affecting the Global Environment

Strategies of Life: What Is Life

The Living Cell: What Is the Smallest Living Thing

Molecules of Life: What Constitutes a Healthy Diet

Classical and Modern Genetics: Why Do Offspring Resemble Their Parents

The New Science of Life: Can We Cure Cancer

Evolution: How Did Life Emerge on the Ancient Earth

Filters