Astro 150 - Week 4

Which of the following is true about science?

• Science can both prove and disprove ideas

• Science can only accept or reject ideas

• Science can only disprove ideas

• Science can only prove ideas

Who is this quote famously attributed to?

• Neil deGrasse Tyson

• Carl Sagan

• Adam Cameron

• Bill Nye

• Daniel McIntosh

What value should go in the blank at the end of this sequence? (This is the pattern from last week)

• 4

• 6

• 0

• 2

• 3

Which of the following is not an important part of testing ideas through the scientific process?

• Perform an experiment

• Collect data

• Make a measurement

• Survey the opinions of experts

• Test what-if questions

Newton's law of gravity is __________.

• The best and only scientific theory to explain gravitational attraction between the Earth and the Sun.

• Absolute fact, proven true under all circumstances.

• A theory that does a good job explaining planet orbits around the sun, but scientists continue to test it.

• Only a theory, thus, it cannot be trusted because scientists are always collecting new data and changing their minds.

In what ways do all of us employ scientific thinking in everyday life?

• Observe the natural world and notice patterns.

• Use trial-and-error experiments to test our ideas.

• Predict things before they happen.

• All of the above.

• We don't. Most of us are not scientists.

What characterizes a scientific explanation?

• It is based on the ideas of the smartest people.

• It is tested through prediction and experiments.

• It is a belief long held by the majority.

• It is based on observations.

• Answers B & D are equally valid.

In Science, once you have tested an idea and shown it to meet your predictions, _____________.

• You have proven it and the subject is closed.

• Your result is only accepted once it is officially tested.

• You or other teams may test your idea further.

The speed at which planets orbit the sun increases as they get closer to the sun. True or false?

• True

• False

Which Renaissance astronomer is responsible for creating a model that accurately describes how planets orbit the Sun?

• Nicholas Copernicus

• Tycho Brahe

• Johannes Kepler

• Galileo Galilei

• Adam Cameron