The Scientific Approach to Knowledge Concept Check

Which of the following best describes empirical scientific knowledge?

• Based on observation and experiment

• Based on personal beliefs

• Based on tradition

• Based on authority

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NGSS.HS-LS1-1

NGSS.HS-PS1-2

NGSS.HS-PS2-5

Who believed that the best way to learn about the world was through reason?

• Aristotle

• Plato

• Socrates

• Newton

Which of the following is an example of a qualitative observation?

• The solution has a pH of 3

• The solution weighs 10 grams

• The solution tastes sour

• The solution is 25°C

What is the main difference between qualitative and quantitative observations?

• Qualitative observations involve numbers, quantitative do not

• Qualitative observations describe how a process happens, quantitative involve measuring or quantifying

• Quantitative observations are always more accurate

• Qualitative observations are based on experiments only

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NGSS.HS-PS2-1

A student records that a solution has a pH of 3. What type of observation is this, and why?

• Qualitative, because it describes a taste

• Quantitative, because it involves a numerical measurement

• Qualitative, because it is based on opinion

• Quantitative, because it describes a color

Who was Antoine Lavoisier?

• A French chemist

• An Italian physicist

• A German mathematician

• An English biologist

Why was Lavoisier’s observation about the mass of material during combustion important for science?

• It disproved the existence of atoms

• It led to the discovery of electricity

• It provided evidence for the conservation of mass

• It explained the process of photosynthesis

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NGSS.HS-PS1-7

Suppose you are conducting an experiment similar to Lavoisier’s, burning a substance in a closed container. What would you expect to observe regarding the mass of the system before and after combustion? Explain your reasoning.

• The mass will increase because new material is created

• The mass will decrease because some material disappears

• The mass will remain the same because matter is neither created nor destroyed

• The mass will fluctuate due to measurement errors

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NGSS.HS-PS1-7

According to the scientific approach, what makes a good hypothesis?

• It is always correct

• It is falsifiable and makes predictions that can be confirmed or refuted by further observations

• It is based on opinions

• It cannot be tested

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NGSS.HS-PS1-2

What is the main purpose of experiments in the scientific approach?

• To generate highly controlled observations that confirm or refute a hypothesis

• To prove a scientist’s opinion

• To create new substances

• To repeat previous mistakes

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NGSS.MS-PS1-2

NGSS.MS-PS2-2