Performance Matters Semester Exam Review (1st Quarter)

1. What is science? A. The study of plants, animals, humans, and the Universe B. Searching for answers to questions about our world & beyond C. The process of asking questions about our world and beyond D. The process of following the Scientific Method

2. A physicist at a research laboratory reports a startling new discovery. However, other scientists are unable to replicate the results of the experiment. Which statement provides the most likely explanation for the inability to replicate the physicist's results? A. The results were not announced to the public. B. The data collection was not accurate or precise. C. The conclusions are based on multiple trials. D. The other scientists did not use modern tools and equipment.

3. Scientists conduct many types of scientific investigations 3. Scientists conduct many types of scientific investigations. Their efforts often include fieldwork, surveys, models, and experiments. Which statement about scientific investigations is true? A. They involve the collection of data under uncontrolled conditions. B. They require that steps are followed exactly because there is only one scientific method. C. They change multiple variables to acquire as much data as possible D. They require multiple and repeatable trials to increase the reliability of the data collected.

4. Sir William Bragg, a physicist who used x-rays to examine crystal structure, stated, “The most important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them.” When analyzing data, a researcher may find that their evidence does not support their original hypothesis. When this occurs, what must a researcher do? A. Change the data to support the original hypothesis B. Use the data to generate further questions and possible new experiments and explanations C. Change the original hypothesis so that the evidence supports their idea D. Discard the first trial and repeat the experiment until the data supports the original hypothesis

5. Kathleen explains to her study group that scientific theories and knowledge change over time as new data and evidence are presented. Once new data and evidence are found that challenge a currently accepted scientific theory, what must occur before the idea is modified? A. Scientists change their hypothesis to fit the new data B. Scientists propose a new scientific law C. Scientists examine the new data and discuss the change D. Scientists conduct a new investigation to verify the data

6. Which of the following best defines the statement – “This is what a scientist would expect to happen every time under the same set of conditions. For example, an object in motion will stay in motion until acted on by a force.” A. Scientific Theory B. Scientific Law C. Hypothesis D. Conclusion

7. Which of the following provides an explanation for scientific observations made from an investigation? A. Scientific Theory B. Scientific Law C. Hypothesis D. Conclusion

Mr. McLeod challenged his classes to create an experiment that tests how air temperature affects plant growth. Antonio’s group created their experiment using four green bean plants. They put all of the same plants in the same size container with the exact amount of soil. They placed plant A in a room where the air temperature was 70⁰, plant B in a room where the air temperature was 75⁰, plant C in a room where the air temperature was 80⁰, and plant D in a room where the air temperature was 90⁰. Their group predicted that plant D would grow the tallest because it was in the warmest temperature. They watered the plants every four days with 100 mL of water. They added 25 g of plant food every 30 days. After 120 days, plant A had grown 70 cm, plant B had grown 72 cm, plant C had grown 75 cm, and plant D had grown 64 cm.

8. Which of the following is the independent variable? A. the bean plants B. the amount of light C. the air temperature D. the height of the plants

Mr. McLeod challenged his classes to create an experiment that tests how air temperature affects plant growth. Antonio’s group created their experiment using four green bean plants. They put all of the same plants in the same size container with the exact amount of soil. They placed plant A in a room where the air temperature was 70⁰, plant B in a room where the air temperature was 75⁰, plant C in a room where the air temperature was 80⁰, and plant D in a room where the air temperature was 90⁰. Their group predicted that plant D would grow the tallest because it was in the warmest temperature. They watered the plants every four days with 100 mL of water. They added 25 g of plant food every 30 days. After 120 days, plant A had grown 70 cm, plant B had grown 72 cm, plant C had grown 75 cm, and plant D had grown 64 cm.

9. Which of the following is the dependent variable? A. the bean plants B. the amount of light C. the air temperature D. the height of the plants

10. Why would Antonio’s group not want to change how much water they put in the different plants during this investigation? A. If his group added too much water in one or more of the plants, they might die. B. His group wouldn’t know which caused the plants to grow differently, the air temperature or amount of water. C. His group wouldn’t know what the best amount of water to put in the plants would be D. If his group added different amounts of water to the plants, there would be too much data to collect.

11. Which type of graph would Antonio’s group use to display the results of the data? A. Line graph B. Bar graph C. Pie graph D. Spiro graph

12. Why would Mr. McLeod want all of his classes to replicate Antonio’s experiment to answer the question about plant growth? A. So all of his classes could compete against each other to see which plant grew the tallest. B. So he would know which air temperature would be the best if he wanted to grow plants. C. The more groups conducting the experiments, the more accurate the results will be.

13. Which of the following best describes why a student scientist would make a model when conducting an experiment? A. The object the student is experimenting on is too small to observe accurately B. The object the student is experimenting on is too large to observe accurately C. The object the student is experimenting on is too dangerous to observe accurately D. All of the above are good reasons why the student scientist would make a model

14. Which of the following would be a limitation to a model being used in an investigation? A. The model is too big B. The model is not scaled to size C. The model costs a lot of money D. All of these

15. Jay has collected data on the amount of rainfall, the temperature, and the air pressure at his home over the past year. He has done this at the same time, same location, and with the same measuring instruments. What do we refer to this data collection as? A. Inferring B. Logical reasoning C. Imagination D. Empirical evidence

16. Astronomy is the scientific study of the Universe, including stars 16. Astronomy is the scientific study of the Universe, including stars. Astrology is when people use their own interpretations of the position of stars to make claims or predictions about human behavior. There is no empirical evidence to base their claim. Which of the following is astrology a type of? A. Philosophy B. Pseudoscience C. Modeling D. Objective Reasoning

17. When is a line graph the most appropriate to use to display data? A. When comparing data over time or distances B. When comparing percentages of data C. When comparing amounts of different groups of data D. All of these

18. Zamir predicts that block #1 would slide the farthest down a wet ramp. What should his conclusion be? A. His hypothesis was not correct B. His hypothesis was not supported by the data C. His hypothesis was not proven by the data D. His hypothesis was wrong

19. Which of the following best describes a theory? A. A theory must be well-tested B. A theory is based on validated results from multiple observations C. A theory is an explanation of the results from many observations over time D. All of these describe a theory

20. Scientific investigations require money to pay for expenses related to the investigation. Which of the following would be a source of funding for an investigation? A. Federal, state, or local governments B. Charitable organizations C. Private individuals or businesses D. All of these would provide funding