The Practice of Science

Thomas and Julie wanted to find out which material would insulate their teacher's coffee cup and keep the coffee hot for the longest period of time. They first wrapped her cup with bubble wrap and recorded the temperature of the coffee once every 15 minutes for 2 hours. They repeated the investigation, this time using newspaper instead of bubble wrap, but they got the same results for both materials. What could they do to make sure their results are valid?

• Repeat their experiment.

• Use teas instead of coffee.

• Use a different thermometer.

• Conduct their investigation in a colder room.

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NGSS.MS-ETS1-3

NGSS.MS-PS3-3

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

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 make sure 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 

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NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Kevin wanted to find out which of his toy cars, the Corvette or the Mustang, would roll downhill faster. He made a ramp by putting several books under one end of a board so that the board was slanted.
Which would be the best way for him to perform his experiment?

• Roll each car down the ramp separately five times and estimate which car looked faster.

• Roll both cars down the ramp together one time and see which one gets to the bottom first.  

• Roll each car down the ramp separately one time, and time them with the second hand on his watch.

• Roll both cars down the ramp together five times and record which gets to the bottom first each time.

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NGSS.3-5-ETS1-3

NGSS.3-PS2-1

NGSS.3-PS2-2

Jonathan and Sarah have performed an experiment and are not sure their results are valid.
What should they do to check their results?

• average their data

• change their lab report

• perform a new experiment

• repeat the same experiment

Which of these is NOT a practice of science?

• asking questions

• analyzing data

• making claims without evidence

• carrying out investigations

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NGSS.MS-PS1-2

Which of these is NOT a practice of science?

• asking questions

• analyzing data

• making claims without evidence

• carrying out investigations

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NGSS.MS-LS1-3

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Which of these fields of science doesn't use controlled experiments?

• astronomy

• chemistry

• physics

• biology

Which of these fields of science doesn't use controlled experiments?

• astronomy

• chemistry

• physics

• biology

When a another scientist does someone's experiment to see if the results are valid?

• repetition

• replication

• experimental method

• controlled variable

Scientists frequently repeat the experiments of others scientists. Why is this important in science?

• Scientists often ask each other for help in performing experiments.

• Replication of experiments helps to confirm and verify results.

• Scientists frequently perform other scientists’ experiments in order to practice their technique.

• Repeating experiments is an effective way to make sure a laboratory is in optimal condition.

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NGSS.MS-PS1-2