Scientific Methods

Question 1

A graduated cylinder is best used for which of the following experiments?

Answer 1

an experiment in which students determine the density of irregular objects

Question 2

Which activity would best support kindergarten students in developing the ability to ask questions and seek answers through investigations?

Answer 2

Telling students that there is a problem with litter in the city and that the city planners would like a solution, and then guiding students into asking questions about the problem and suggesting ways to test solutions.

Question 3

Natural resources are resources naturally occurring on Earth that are necessary or useful to humans. Natural resources include:

Answer 3

water, wood, and minerals.

Question 4

When deciding to house a live animal in the classroom, the risk of a potential health hazard to the student or animal must be weighed against the educational value added. What guidelines must first be considered to address this potential hazard, prior to making a choice of getting the animal for the classroom?

Answer 4

the children that might be affected by allergic symptoms

Question 5

Which of the following is a unit a scientist would use to measure electrical resistance?

Answer 5

ohm

Question 6

Which activity would best support first-grade students in developing an understanding of force and motion?

Answer 6

Have students use a ruler to push a low-friction object across their desks and describe the kind of push needed to make the object move in a straight line, in a zigzag pattern, and at different speeds.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a valid part of a scientific investigation?

Answer 7

Eliminate data outliers.

Question 8

Which activity would best support third-grade students in developing an understanding of measuring with the metric system and creating graphs?

Answer 8

Having students use a metric ruler to measure the height of blades of grass growing in the schoolyard and then guiding them as they make bar graphs of their recorded results.

Question 9

During part of a lab activity, students need to let a solution evaporate to see if any solutes are left behind. Which of the following tools would be most appropriate for this purpose?

Answer 9

watch glass

Question 10

Which of the following substances would be safest for use in a fifth-grade science experiment?

Answer 10

dish soap

Question 11

Which of the following steps in the scientific method is only completed after the experiment is completed?

Answer 11

Communicating data

Question 12

A student was given the kernels from an ear of seed corn that had been placed in a moist environment and allowed to sprout. The student sorted the kernels and found the percentage of kernels that had not changed at all, the percentage that had swollen but not sprouted, and the percentage that had sprouted. Which of the following types of graph is most the appropriate to use to present the findings?

Answer 12

pie graph

Question 13

Mr. Gann sees a line graph featured in a news article. What should his next steps be to verify this data?

Answer 13

Search for further data on the same topic in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Question 14

Which of the following questions would be the best to ask students when they are developing a hypothesis?

Answer 14

What could be the cause?

Question 15

Which of the following are appropriate lab safety standards?

Select all answers that apply.

Answer 15

1. A first aid kit should be kept in the classroom.
2. Students should wear safety goggles when working with a flame.

Question 16

Which of the following pieces of information can not be found in a substance’s Material Safety Data Sheet?

Answer 16

how the substance is made

Question 17

Which of the following is the responsibility of the teacher with regard to the use of chemicals?

Answer 17

knowing the chemicals used in each laboratory experiment and reviewing the material safety data sheet for them

Question 18

Students do an experiment in biology class on tomato plants. They choose two tomato plants of the same variety and size, which are planted in identical pots using the same soil and placed next to each other near a window. Plant A is fertilized twice throughout the experiment while Plant B is not fertilized. Students measure the amount of fruit produced and the height of the plants. Which of the following is the independent variable?

Answer 18

fertilizer

Question 19

Students are using rulers to measure the length of leaves from different species of plants. Which of the following describes the correct way to use a ruler to measure length?

Answer 19

Line up the zero mark of the ruler at one end of the leaf and record the value of the smallest tick mark closest to where the leaf ends.

Question 20

A student makes a hypothesis that the period of a pendulum depends upon the hanging weight. The student is provided with string attached to the ceiling, several masses, a ruler, and a stopwatch. The student sets up the pendulum and starts its motion, measuring the time for 10 full cycles.

What should be the independent and dependent variables to correctly test the hypothesis?

Answer 20

Independent: mass ; Dependent: time

Question 21

Which of the following is a unit a scientist would use to measure electrical current?

Answer 21

Ampere

Question 22

A chemistry teacher has planned an investigation on dissolution rates of solutions. The day before the lesson, she reviews the lab safety rules. Which rule does she likely review?

Answer 22

Wear safety goggles

Question 23

Which of the following is not a reason to perform peer review on scientific research?

Answer 23

to change the data so that it proves the hypothesis

Question 24

Which of the following benefits come from adding biofuels, such as ethanol, to gasoline?

Select all answers that apply.

Answer 24

1. Biofuels are renewable and gasoline is not.
2. When burned, biofuels produce less CO2 per gallon than gasoline.

Question 25

Students working in groups are told to use any available materials to prove or disprove Ohm’s law. After their investigation, students report their procedures, results, and conclusions. Which of the following describes the biggest benefit of this type of activity?

Answer 25

Students develop skills using scientific practices.

Question 26

Which of the following is a unit a scientist would use to measure the frequency of a radio signal?

Answer 26

Hertz

Question 27

A multimeter would be needed for which of the following experiments?

Answer 27

comparing voltage changes after adding resistors to a circuit

Question 28

Which activity would best support third-grade students in developing an understanding of the Solar System and the positions of the planets relative to the Sun?

Answer 28

Making a physical model showing the order of the planets and three properties of each planet.

Question 29

Which of the following is recommended student behavior in a laboratory setting?

Answer 29

reading and following experiment instructions

Question 30

Which of the following is a unit a scientist would use to measure the luminosity of a candle?

Answer 30

Candela