Introduction to Science and the Scientific Method

What is a scientific theory?

• A widely accepted explanatory idea that is broad in scope and supported by a large body of evidence.

• A simple guess.

• A single experiment’s result.

• A personal opinion.

Which of the following is an inference?

• They are dressed up for Halloween.

• There are four bags for candy in this picture.

• The person on the left is dressed like a ghost.

• There are eight flowers on the plant.

What is the first step in the scientific method?

• Ask a question

• Make an observation

• Develop an experiment

• Draw a conclusion

If a student writes, "If I study more, then I will get a better quiz score," what are they doing?

• Writing a hypothesis

• Making an observation

• Drawing a conclusion

• Recording data

What type of data is "The plant is 14 cm tall"?

• Quantitative data

• Qualitative data

• Experimental data

• Theoretical data

In an experiment, the scientist wonders what kind of soil is best for growing crops. The scientist has 3 groups of plants, Group A has dirt from the earth, Group B has Miracle Gro soil, and Group C has Organic Brand soil. He scientist uses 20 seeds in each plant container. The containers are kept in the same area of the green house and given the same amount of sunlight and water. The height of plants in each group are measured daily for 3 weeks.

What is the dependent variable?

• Plant height

• Soil type

• Growing conditions

• 3 weeks

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In an experiment, the scientist wonders what kind of soil is best for growing crops. The scientist has 3 groups of plants, Group A has dirt from the earth, Group B has Miracle Gro soil, and Group C has Organic Brand soil. He scientist uses 20 seeds in each plant container. The containers are kept in the same area of the green house and given the same amount of sunlight and water. The height of plants in each group are measured daily for 3 weeks. The data shows Group A has 10/20 plants and they are all short, Group B has 10/20 plants and they are all very tall, Group C has 19/20 plants and they are all very tall.

Based on the experimental data, which soil should farmers use to grow crops?

• Group A regular dirt

• Group B Miracle Gro

• Group C Organic Brand

• The results did not help determine which soil is best for growing crops.

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What is a possible hypothesis for the scenario where different soil is used to grow crops?

• If crops are planted in different types of soil, then the Organic Brand soil will result in the tallest and most successful plant growth.

• If plants are placed in containers, then they will grow well regardless of the soil type.

• Miracle Gro soil is green, so plants will grow faster.

• If seeds are planted, then all plants will grow the same no matter what soil is used.

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When plotting data, on which axis does the dependent variable always go?

• Y axis

• X axis

• Z axis

• No axis

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What is an independent variable?

• The variable that is changed or controlled by the experimenter

• The variable that is measured

• The variable that is ignored

• The variable that is always constant

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