7th Grade Unit #1 NOS Practice Assessment

Until recently, Pluto was considered a planet. It seemed to fit scientists’ definition of a planet as something that is spherical, orbits the sun, and is significantly more massive than the objects around it. However, upon the discovery of several like-sized objects near its orbit, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet rather than a planet. Which of the following statements BEST explains why this is an example of why scientific knowledge is durable?

• Scientific knowledge is reluctant to change, no matter what evidence is encountered.

• Scientific knowledge is open to change as new evidence or interpretations are encountered.

• Scientific knowledge does not change because science is always right.

• Scientific knowledge changes only when something is proven beyond all doubt.

Scientific explanations are based on which of the following?

• a cumulative body of observations of natural phenomenon

• a series of guesses and gut feelings

• rumors or superstition

• all of these

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A scientist is researching planetary motion of the solar system. How can the scientist BEST add to the empirical evidence already gathered about planetary motion of the solar system?

• The scientist can make and record observations about the motion of the planets.

• The scientist can debate the existing research with other scientists.

• The scientist can write an opinion column about the existing research.

• Scientists can develop a new law about planetary motion in the solar system.

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In 1897 J.J. Thomson found that a magnetic charge could deflect the beam of particles inside a cathode ray tube. He proposed that these particles were electrons, negatively charged sub-atomic particles that exist inside an atom. Atoms were previously thought to be tiny, but solid balls of matter. How did scientists deal with this new information?

• They ignored it, because they already knew that atoms were tiny solid balls of matter.

• They discarded the idea of atoms in favor of electrons instead.

• They infused (added) the idea of electrons into the previous model of the atom, making it a positively charged ball with negative electrons embedded inside it.

• They ridiculed J.J. Thomson for proposing an idea that was different from the previously accepted model of the atom.

For thousands of years, philosophers and scientists believed that Earth was at the center of the solar system, with the Sun, Moon, and planets orbiting around it. This geocentric model was widely accepted because it explained many of the observations that the common man would make on a daily basis, such as objects being attracted to the Earth and the Sun rising and setting every day. However, as technology advanced, scientists such as Galileo and Copernicus made more detailed observations that did not fit with the idea of the Earth at the center of things. This led to the development of a heliocentric model of the solar system, where the Sun is at the center, and the planets (including Earth) all revolve around it. Which of the following statements BEST explains what happened with the theory of the Solar System?

• Like many well-established theories, it was abandoned.

• Over time, the theory was modified to reflect new understanding.

• Because the original theory was around for so long, scientists were unwilling to change it.

• Like many new theories, it was un-supported by data.

Which of the following is true of a scientific theory?

• It explains why or how something happens in nature.

• It is not based on evidence.

• It is someone’s opinion.

• It will become a law when it is proven true.

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Which of the following is true of a scientific law?

• It was a theory before it was proven true.

• It is not consistent.

• It explains why or how something happens.

• It describes what happens consistently under specific conditions.

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Which of the following statements is the BEST example of a scientific law?

• Objects fall toward the center of the Earth because gravity exerts a force which attracts any two objects with mass.

• On Earth, in the absence of applied forces, objects fall toward the center of the Earth.

• Species change over time because of random mutations in their DNA.

• Species change over time because individuals who are best suited to their environment are more likely to pass on their DNA.

Which is a benefit of a scientific model?

• It provides a complete image of the concept it is modeling.

• It provides an accurate scale of the concept it is modeling.

• It provides an accurate visual representation of the texture and coloring of the concept it is modeling.

• It provides a useful understanding of the concept it is modeling.

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Which is an advantage of conducting an experiment in a laboratory?

• All experiments can be successfully conducted in a laboratory.

• Conditions are not controlled which allow for useful variability.

• It is a controlled method of data collection.

• The results are better than in a field experiment.