Nature of Science

Waldriana would like to investigate the effect of temperature on the amount of food birds eat.  What should she do first to begin her investigation?

• develop a question 
• conduct background research
• design an experiment
• come up with a theory

Rigoberto writes down his hypothesis that more salt will dissolve in cold water than in warm water.  He adds salt to different temperatures of water and records his observations including the amount of undissolved salt.  He finds that there is more salt dissolved in warm water than cold water.  What should Rigoberto do next to make sure that his conclusion is valid?

• do another investigation with sugar
• repeat his investigation using a different liquid than water
• repeat his investigation to see if his results are the same
• change his results to match his original hypothesis

Which question would be best to answer using a scientific investigation?  

• Why are people afraid during thunderstorms?
• How easy is it to shovel snow?
• Are some clouds prettier than others?
• Does temperature affect the amount of rain?

Scientists who study hurricanes sometimes fly into the hurricanes to take readings from inside the storm.  How does this differ from most scientific research?

• Hurricane scientists cannot control variables.
• Hurricane scientists cannot collect data.
• Hurricane scientists cannot draw conclusions.
• Hurricane scientists cannot make hypotheses.

A group of people trained to climb a mountain.  As they practices in high altitudes, a researcher measured changes in their lung strength.  Why is it important that her study has a control group?

• O  to ensure that everyone in the group was strong enough to climb a mountain
• to test equipment for measuring lung strength
• to share her research with as many people as possible
• to compare typical lung strength with the effects of training

Austin is studying states of matter by heating water in a pan.  Which statement from his notebook is an observation?

• It is hard to estimate the size of the bubbles.
• Tiny bubbles form on the bottom of the pan.
• The bottom of the pan must be very hot.
• I think there is air in the bubbles.

How many variables should be changed in a simple experiment?

• 5
• 3
• 1
• 6

A scientist says that she has made an important discovery about sound waves.  What needs to happen for most other scientists to accept her results?

• The scientist has to explain her results to other scientists.
• Many scientists need to review the results.
• The scientist needs to publish her results in a journals.
• Other scientists need to be able to get the same results.

Jaylynn says a baseball and a basketball will fall at the same speed.  Her friend disagrees.  Which of these is the best way for them to find out?

• drop both balls from a high place and compare how fast they fall
• ask an adult which one is right
• explain their reasons to each other
• ask twenty different people on the playgroup what they think

Alejandro wanted to find out which of his friends was the strongest.  He asked each of his friends to come to his lab three different times and lift some weights.  Alejandro wrote down how much weight each person could lift.  How was his investigation different from an experiment?

• Alejandro did not test a hypothesis
• Alejandro did not make any observations
• Alejandro did not repeat his tests.
• Alejandro did not collect any data.