NATURE OF SCIENCE REVIEW PACKET

A lab group has collected blocks made up of different unknown materials. The blocks are shown in the figure. Which scientific question could the group investigate using only these tools?

• Which block is most attractive?

• Which shape is most fragile when dropped?

• How do the masses of the rectangular blocks compare to each other?

• How do the surface areas of different shapes compare to each other?

Which claim describes how a scientist makes scientific explanations?

• A scientist bases scientific explanations only on other scientists’ opinions.

• A scientist bases scientific explanations on a large body of observations of the world.

• A scientist bases scientific explanations on personal experiences and opinions.

• A scientist suggests scientific explanations and makes up evidence to make them true.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Malik investigates the force required to pull an object across a table and records his data. Based on the data, what force is required to pull the 8 N object?

USE THE INFO ON HANDOUT!

• About 0.10 N

• About 1.20 N

• About 1.60 N

• About 2.00 N

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

A physicist at a research laboratory reports a startling new discovery. However, other scientists are unable to reproduce the results of the experiment. Which claim provides the most likely possible reasoning for the faulty results?

• The results are announced to the public.

• The conclusions are based on multiple trials.

• The data collection was not accurate or precise.

• Other scientists don’t have as sophisticated equipment.

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS4-4

Which of the claims about why many experiments include several trials instead of a single trial is correct?

• Repetition of trials makes data easier to analyze.

• Repetition of trials increases the accuracy of the results.

• Repetition of trials increases the sample size of the experiment.

• Repetition of trials lets the experimenter change the experimental procedure.

Household waste and trash is a problem that can be addressed using science, engineering, and technology. Which of the following questions is one that can be investigated through scientific inquiry?

• How can materials be recycled more efficiently?

• At what age should children first learn about recycling?

• How much trash is acceptable for the average household?

• Should households be fined for discarding too much waste?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS3-3

Donna designed an experiment to determine how fast corn grows in full sun and how fast it grows in partial shade. She measured the height of the plants over 30 days. What would the best way for Donna to compare the growth of the two plants?

• Plot the growth of each plant on the same bar graph.

• Plot the growth of each plant on the same line graph.

• Plot the growth of each plant on two different bar graphs.

• Plot the growth of each plant on two different line graphs.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Which description defines a dependent variable in a scientific experiment?

• Any factor that is measured to gather results

• Any factor that changes during an experiment

• Any factor that is controlled during an experiment

• Any factor that is changed so that it can be tested

Controlled scientific experiments include variables. One kind of variable is an independent variable. Another type of variable is a dependent variable. Which statement describes the difference between an independent and dependent variable?

• The dependent variable changes based on the independent variable.

• The dependent variable is the control, and the independent variable is the result.

• The dependent variable does not change, and the independent variable does not change

• The independent variable does not change, and the dependent variable does not change.

Steve uses balloons to investigate the expansion and contraction of gasses at different temperatures. He knows that particles move faster at higher temperatures. He makes the claim that faster particle motion makes gases expand. He fills three balloons with the same amount of gas. The independent variable is the temperature of the gas. Based on the evidence in the figure, which claim describes how the dependent variable changes as a result of the manipulation of the independent variable?

• The number of gas particles increases at higher temperatures.

• The number of a gas particles decreases at higher temperatures.

• Gas particles move faster and farther apart at higher temperatures.

• Gas particles move more slowly and get closer together at higher temperatures.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4