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

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

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?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

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.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

How many variables should be changed in a simple experiment?

• 5
• 3
• 1
• 6

Scientists are studying how bears kept in zoos behave. Which of these would be the best control group?

• bears in the wild

• bears kept as pets

• other animals in zoos

• other animals in the wild

1. Why is it important to have a control in an investigation?

• Controls are used to show that different results are caused by changing the variable.

• Without controls, it is not possible to make a hypothesis.

• A control helps us to predict.

• Controls are the answer to the investigative question.

A valid scientific investigation must be able to be:

• Graphed.

• Predicted.

• Replicated (which means repeated).

• Observed.

Jane is investigating to find out if bean plants grow taller in ordinary topsoil or special potting soil over a three-week period. She sets up her investigation with 10 bean plants of equal size in each type of soil.

What should Jane do each day to ensure she gets valid results?

• Water only the plants in special potting soil.

• Calculate the average plant height for each soil type.

• Move the plants in ordinary topsoil to different locations.

• Estimate the height of each plant's stem and record the estimate.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Jonathan and Sarah have performed an experiment and are unsure if their results are valid. What should they do to verify their results?

• Average their data

• Change their lab report

• Perform a new experiment

• Repeat the same experiment