Scientific Inquiry — Unit test Answers

In a scientific investigation of lakes, the depth of a lake is most likely to be measured in

The students are performing an experiment that involves chemicals.Based on the picture, what safety practice did both students fail to carry out?

Dani wants to measure the volume of a pebble. Which tool will give the most accurate measurement?

A small amount of chemical splashes in Frank’s eye. What should Frank do immediately?

Line graphs that indicate time along the x-axis can be used to predict what would happen to dependent variables in an experiment at a later point in time

Ali hypothesized that increasing fertilizer would increase plant growth. Four groups of thirty similar plants were given 0 to 15 ml of fertilizer, as shown in the graph. The change in plant height for each group over a two-week period was averaged and recorded.Plant GroupFertilizer Added (mL)Avg. Growth (cm)A04B56C108D153What is the best conclusion based on this data?

Which type of information is best represented by a chart?

A scientist investigated the effects of morning temperatures on flower width. Which most likely could have been a source of error in his investigation?

Dr. Katherine Pollard, a biostatistical researcher, recently changed the method that she used to compare human and chimpanzee DNA. Her research showed that the differences between the two species’ DNA are in segments called switches, which turn certain genes on or off. What is the most likely outcome of Dr. Pollard’s research?

Two scientists are cutting samples of leaves for analysis. One scientist always clips a sample from the base of the leaf near the stem, and the other scientist always clips a sample from the tip of the leaf. This illustrates a

Which waste items should always be discarded in the hazardous waste container?

In a recent survey of students who graduated from a large public high school, nine out of ten students reported that they passed biology with a grade of seventy-five percent or higher. What further data could be produced to be sure that this information is accurate?

Read the passage about bird food and bird watching. Noted scientist Dr. Elsa Birde described the effect of adding a mixture of dried apples and raisins to the previous feed of sunflower seeds, millet, thistle seed, and cracked corn in bird feeders in her yard. Over three years, Dr. Birde observed that the new mixture increased the number of songbirds at her feeders, especially during the months of April and May. As she has done for several years, Dr. Birde recorded, at the same time each day, the number of birds at each of her four feeders. She noted that the third year using the mixture coincided with the largest increase. There was a twenty-five percent increase in the number of songbirds over times when this mixture was not used. Dr. Birde also noted that in the third year she used a specific ratio of the ingredients, carefully measuring, which she had not done in previous years. The third year also had a warmer than normal spring, and a construction project began in a neighborhood near Dr. Birde’s. Dr. Birde is now going to produce this formula for sale and advertise to customers that they may see the same twenty-five percent increase in songbirds at their feeders.Dr. E. Birde, Journal of Scientific Bird FeedingWhich scientific claim can be made?

Two scientists write a paper detailing their research and conclusions and submit it to a scientific journal. Several months later, the publisher sends them back the paper. Many comments from several fellow scientists are attached. Which step will the authors of the paper most likely take next?

A researcher is collecting qualitative data pertaining to social behaviors of deer at different times of the day. How will she most likely need to organize this data?

Megan collected data about the trees in the park near her school. She determined that white oak, bur oak, ash, sycamore, and maple trees were the only trees that grew in the park. The pie chart below shows most of her data. Which label should Megan add to complete her chart?

Sometimes new information results in minor changes to a theory. But sometimes new information results in a theory being discarded as incorrect. An example of an incorrect theory that was disproved by the discovery of new information is

How can a liquid be drawn into a pipette safely?

Which most likely is a causal relationship?