Scientific Inquiry

Gene watches a space shuttle launch from the Kennedy Space Center as it departs on its last mission. (Photo from NASA)

After seeing the launch, Gene is inspired to publish a science fiction novel about how future space vehicles will be launched from the Kennedy Space Center and travel to distant planets.

This is an example of how space exploration can affect _______.

• public transit

• science

• culture

• mathematics

A scientist conducts an experiment to test a hypothesis. The experiment confirms that the hypothesis could be true. When will the hypothesis most likely become a scientific theory?

• when the hypothesis is first thought of by the scientist

• when the hypothesis has survived extensive testing

• when a competing hypothesis has failed testing

• when the hypothesis is published

Scientific knowledge can withstand the test of time because

• advancements in technology have no impact on science.

• scientific theories have been proven beyond doubt.

• it is open to change as new evidence or data is discovered.

• exceptions can be made regarding scientific laws.

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Spontaneous generation is the idea that a living thing can arise from nonliving material. This idea was a prevailing theory up until the late 1700s. What most likely caused this theory to be discarded?

• research in the field of biology proved that most living things reproduce sexually

• a series of experiments showed that nonliving materials are covered in microorganisms

• a series of experiments showed that living things only arise when other living things reproduce

• ideas in the late 1700s became old-fashioned and scientists looked for new, fresh ideas

The scientific theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth's crust is composed of many plates, or slabs of rock. Interactions of these plates have created different landforms, or geologic features. Which of the following statements provides evidence for this theory?

• A large earthquake off the coast of Japan induces a wave that is over twenty feet high.

• Fossilized marine creatures can be found at the top of the Himalayan Mountains.

• An iceberg buckles the hull of the Titanic and allows water to enter between the steel plates.

• The city of Pompeii is perfectly preserved under volcanic ash following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

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At one time, most people believed that the Universe was static, meaning it did not change. When larger and better telescopes were invented in the early 1900s, however, it was discovered that light from objects in space shifted toward longer wavelengths. Scientists concluded that only an expanding Universe could explain this shift.

Which of the following statements is supported by this example?

• The principle of the expanding Universe is a scientific law.

• Once a scientific theory has been accepted, it can never change.

• Scientific knowledge can change when new evidence or interpretations arise.

• The theory of the expanding Universe cannot change, even if new evidence arises.

Scientific knowledge must be supported by evidence. An idea that is not supported by evidence but is made to appear scientific in order to make people think it is a part of science is called pseudoscience. Pseudoscience cannot be considered scientific because pseudoscientific ideas lack evidence.

Which of the following ideas is considered scientific?

• Genes are made up of DNA and affect how an organism looks.

• The way the stars are positioned can be read to know the future.

• Bigfoot lives in the forest and travels around the U.S.

• Crop circles are made in fields by alien organisms.

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n the 19th century, scientists knew that light was some kind of wave. And every kind of wave science had yet described needed a medium to travel through—the way that sound waves travel through matter. But scientists had never observed light's medium. As they searched for evidence of it, scientists decided to call light's theoretical medium the luminiferous ether.

In 1887, Albert A. Michelson and Edward W. Morley conducted an experiment to measure the speed at which the Earth moves through the ether. Their experiment was so refined that it should have finally detected the luminiferous ether. But it didn't. Repeated trials verified the surprising result that the ether did not exist.

How did the failure of the Michelson-Morley experiment change scientific theories of light?

• The Michelson-Morley experiment provided a new theory that fit the data better than the theory of the luminiferous ether did.

• The Michelson-Morley experiment proved that the luminiferous ether moved at the exact same speed as the Earth during all seasons of the year.

• The results of the Michelson-Morley experiment did not fit the theory of the luminiferous ether, so the theory had to be rejected.

• The results of the Michelson-Morley experiment had to be rejected because the theory of the luminiferous ether was so well established.

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Which of the following best describes how science is different from other activities involving thought?

• Science can only be done by an individual person and not by groups that have a common goal.

• Science is the only activity that sometimes requires creativity to accomplish a goal.

• Science is the only activity that requires making thoughtful decisions.

• Science specifically involves observing, asking questions, and doing experiments on natural phenomena.

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What do the following areas of scientific understanding have in common?

the understanding of the structure of the Solar System the understanding of how traits are passed from parents to offspring the understanding of the building blocks of matter and life

• The scientific knowledge related to these areas has remained unchanged since their discovery.

• We know all there is to know about these areas of science.

• There is no scientific knowledge related to these areas of science.

• The scientific knowledge related to these areas has changed over time.

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