Module 1: Chapter 1: Scientific Terminology

Question 1

Temperature, habitat, availability of water, minerals, food, space, and potential mates are examples of:

Answer 1

Factors that can affect the distribution of a species.

Question 2

A transect is:

Answer 2

A line across a habitat that is used to measure the distribution of a species within that habitat.

Question 3

A quadrat is:

Answer 3

A simple square frame used to define a sample area. The abundance of an organism can be measured using this.

Question 4

An independent variable (IV) is:

Answer 4

A variable in an experiment that is not affected by other variables. E.g. the effect of age on memory - the age of a person does not change

Question 5

A dependent variable (DV) is:

Answer 5

A variable that is affected by other variables.
E.g. the effect of age on memory - memory can be affected by someone’s age

Question 6

Controlled variables are:

Answer 6

Variables in an experiment that are controlled (in addition to the IV) in order to make the results valid. E.g. the effect of age on memory - the sex of the participants must be the same.

Question 7

Bar charts or histograms are used to visually represent what type of data?

Answer 7

When the data collected has a single variable
(e.g. the number of leaves present in trees).

Question 8

Line graphs or scatter-plots are used to visually represent what type of data?

Answer 8

When the data collected has two variables
(e.g. time/concentration, oxygen/haemoglobin)

Question 9

Line of best-fit can be constructed to visually represent what type of data?

Answer 9

When the data collected can be used to construct trends (usually with the independent variable as the x axis)

Question 10

Which are the rules that you have to follow when writing the species (‘Latin’) name of an organism?

Answer 10

Genus name starts with a capital letter, all the rest are lower case. It is also written in italics.

Question 11

To ensure an experiment is reliable, you must have:

Answer 11

Enough repeats of the experiment that are similar in their outcome (usually within 10% of the mean).

Question 12

Valid data means:

Answer 12

Your data truly represent the phenomenon you are claiming to measure.

Question 13

The correct symbol for seconds is:

Answer 13

S

Question 14

The correct symbol used for measuring the rate of a reaction per second is:

Answer 14

s⁻¹

Question 15

µm is the symbol used for:

Answer 15

Micrometres

Question 16

1 mm is how many meters?

Answer 16

0.001 m

Question 17

1 µm is how many meters?

Answer 17

0.000 001 m

Question 18

1 cm² is how many square meters?

Answer 18

0.0001 m²

Question 19

1000 cm^3 is how many cubic decimetres?

Answer 19

1 dm^3

Question 20

When presenting data in table form, where does the independent variable go?

Answer 20

In the first column (to the left side of the table)

Question 21

When presenting data in table form, where does the symbol(s) for the units go?

Answer 21

In the column heading (not in the column itself)

Question 22

In a table of data, how many decimal places should the mean values be calculated?

Answer 22

The same number or one more than the raw data (but all mean values in a column must be calculated to the same number of decimal places)

Question 23

When presenting raw data in a table, they must all have:

Answer 23

The same number of decimal places, even if a datum is a whole integer (e.g. 12.0)

Question 24

cm3 can also be written as:

Answer 24

ml

Question 25

Data that does not involve quantity (i.e. numbers), e.g. colourless, abundant, blue) is termed:

Answer 25

Qualitative data

Question 26

Data that does involve quantity (i.e. numbers), e.g. 1.2, 3.5, 4.0 is termed:

Answer 26

Quantitative data

Question 27

The digits of a number that have a meaning and contribute to the number's precision (e.g. 314. 1 to 300) are termed:

Answer 27

Significant figures

Question 28

When carrying out a Benedict's test for reducing sugar (e.g. glucose), variables that need to be kept constant are:

Answer 28

Volume of reagent (Benedict's solution) Volume of solution being tested (glucose) Temperature at which heated Length of time solution is heated

Question 29

The positive result for the Benedict's test for reducing sugar (e.g. lactose) is indicated by which colour?

Answer 29

Brick red for a high concentration Orange / yellow / green for lower concentrations

Question 30

The equation used to calculate the volume of a cylinder is:

Answer 30

V = πr²L

Question 31

The median number of a set of data is:

Answer 31

The middle value of a set of data, e.g. '7' from [2, 3, 7, 20, 212]

Question 32

The mode number from a set of data is:

Answer 32

The value that occurs most often in a set of data, e.g. '12' from [2, 12, 12, 12, 15, 22]

Question 33

The mean number from a set of data is:

Answer 33

The arithmetic middle number of a set of data. e.g. '14.6' from [7, 9, 12, 22, 23]

Question 34

346,784 expressed to one significant figure is:

Answer 34

300,000

Question 35

The positive result for the Biuret test for protein is indicated by which colour?

Answer 35

Mauve

Question 36

346,784 is expressed to two significant figures as:

Answer 36

350,000

Question 37

Line graphs are used to see if:

Answer 37

There is a correlation between two variables where the data are continuous.

Question 38

A line on a graph is called a curve, even if it's a ...

Answer 38

Straight line

Question 39

The vertical axis of a graph is also known as the:

Answer 39

y - axis

Question 40

The horizontal axis of a graph is also known as the:

Answer 40

x - axis

Question 41

The rate of reaction can be calculated from the slope of a curve. The equation for calculation is:

Answer 41

change in a (y axis) / change in b (x axis)

Question 42

Scattergrams (aka scatter diagrams or scatter plots) used when investigating:

Answer 42

The relationship between two naturally changing variables. No line needs to be drawn, but the pattern of plots can show if there is any correlation.

Question 43

Histograms are used for:

Answer 43

Showing quantitative data organised into classes (e.g. ages of people in years; 0-9, 10 -19, 20 - 29)

Question 44

Accuracy means:

Answer 44

How close the measured or calculated value is to the true value.

Question 45

Anomaly means:

Answer 45

A result that does not fit the expected trend or pattern (usually above/below 10% of the mean, or 1 SD of the mean).

Question 46

Precision means:

Answer 46

The closeness of agreement between measured values obtained by repeated measurements

Question 47

Standard deviation indicates:

Answer 47

The variability of the data, the size of its spread around the mean

Question 48

Random errors are:

Answer 48

Experimental uncertainties that arise due to judgement errors by the experimenter.

Question 49

Systematic errors are:

Answer 49

Experimental uncertainties that arise due to problems in the equipment or procedure, and are repeated at every replicate

Question 50

A thermometer that regularly records a temperature 5°C above the real temperature is said to be:

Answer 50

Inaccurate, but is still precise

Question 51

Examples of limitations in experimental procedures are:

Answer 51

It's not possible to control all 'external' variables, The resolution of the instruments used, Using too few replicates

Question 52

Resolution of equipment used in experiments refers to:

Answer 52

The smallest unit that can be read from the piece of equipment (e.g. a digital thermometer may have a resolution of 0.25°C)

Question 53

An experiment using beakers of hot water to maintain a controlled temperature can be improved by:

Answer 53

Using a thermostatically controlled water bath with a thermometer to check the temperature

Question 54

A data set with a narrow SD indicates most of the data are close to the:

Answer 54

Mean