Question 1

Which of the following best describes the fundamental assumption underlying scientific inquiry?

Accepted Answer

All events have natural causes.

Question 2

Which of the following statements about scientific theories is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

A scientific theory is a general set of principles strongly supported by a large body of evidence.

Question 3

A student observes that all the plants in her garden grow towards the sunlight. She concludes that all plants grow towards light. What type of reasoning is she using?

Accepted Answer

Inductive reasoning

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for a scientifically useful hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

It must be proven true before experimentation.

Question 5

In a controlled experiment testing whether cactus spines protect against herbivory, which of the following is the independent variable?

Accepted Answer

The number of spines on each cactus

Question 6

Why do scientists say that a hypothesis is 'supported' rather than 'proven'?

Accepted Answer

Because new evidence could always potentially falsify the hypothesis

Question 7

Which of the following best illustrates deductive reasoning in science?

Accepted Answer

Predicting that a newly discovered organism will be made of cells because all known organisms are made of cells

Question 8

A scientist designs an experiment to test the effect of fertilizer on plant growth. She uses the same species of plant, same soil, and same amount of water for all groups, but varies the amount of fertilizer. What are the soil and water in this experiment?

Accepted Answer

Controlled variables (constants)

Question 9

Which of the following is an example of a falsifiable hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

If plants are given more sunlight, then they will grow taller.

Question 10

What is the main difference between a scientific fact and a scientific theory?

Accepted Answer

A fact is confirmed to such a degree that it would be irrational to withhold provisional acceptance, while a theory is a broad explanation supported by a large body of evidence.

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the relationship between correlation and causation in scientific data?

Accepted Answer

Correlation does not necessarily imply causation.

Question 12

A bar graph is most appropriate for displaying which type of data?

Accepted Answer

Discrete (categorical) data, such as number of students in different majors

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of quantitative data?

Accepted Answer

The plant grew 5 cm in one week.

Question 14

In the scientific method, what is the purpose of the control group?

Accepted Answer

To serve as a baseline for comparison with the experimental group

Question 15

Which of the following best explains why scientific knowledge is considered provisional?

Accepted Answer

Because new evidence can lead to the modification or rejection of previous understandings

Question 16

A scientist claims that a new drug reduces blood pressure. Which step of the scientific method would involve measuring patients' blood pressure before and after taking the drug?

Accepted Answer

Collecting data

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of a scientific fact?

Accepted Answer

Gravity exists and objects fall toward the Earth when dropped.

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the role of empirical evidence in science?

Accepted Answer

Empirical evidence is observable and measurable data collected through observation or experimentation.

Question 19

If a hypothesis states, 'If caffeine increases alertness, then students who consume caffeine will score higher on memory tests,' what is the dependent variable?

Accepted Answer

The students' scores on memory tests

Question 20

Which of the following is a key difference between inductive and deductive reasoning in science?

Accepted Answer

Inductive reasoning moves from specific observations to general conclusions, while deductive reasoning moves from general principles to specific predictions.

Scientific Inquiry: Foundations of Biological Investigation

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