Nature of Science Questions

The scientific theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth's crust is composed of many plates, or slabs of rock. Interactions of these plates have created different landforms, or geologic features. Which of the following statements provides evidence for this theory? A. Fossilized marine creatures can be found at the top of the Himalayan Mountains. B. An iceberg buckles the hull of the Titanic and allows water to enter between the steel plates. C. The city of Pompeii is perfectly preserved under volcanic ash following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. D. A large earthquake off the coast of Japan induces a wave that is over twenty feet high.

A. Fossilized marine creatures can be found at the top of the Himalayan Mountains.

Which of the following is true about science and technology? A. Advancements in science cannot lead to advancements in technology, and technological advancements cannot lead to scientific advancements. B. Advancements in science can lead to advancements in technology, and technological advancements can also lead to scientific advancements. C. Advancements in science cannot lead to advancements in technology, but technological advancements can lead to scientific advancements. D. Advancements in science can lead to advancements in technology, but technological advancements cannot lead to scientific advancements.

B. Advancements in science can lead to advancements in technology, and technological advancements can also lead to scientific advancements.

Which of the following best describes how science is different from other activities involving thought? A. Science is the only activity that sometimes requires creativity to accomplish a goal. B. Science specifically involves observing, asking questions, and doing experiments on natural phenomena. C. Science is the only activity that requires making thoughtful decisions. D. Science can only be done by an individual person and not by groups that have a common goal.

B. Science specifically involves observing, asking questions, and doing experiments on natural phenomena.

Scientific theories and scientific laws are both based on extensive observations, experimentation, and reasoning. What is the primary factor that distinguishes scientific laws from scientific theories? A. Scientific laws tend to be conceptual and rarely use mathematics. B. Scientific laws have been observed without exception in specific conditions. C. Scientific laws frequently change over time. D. Scientific laws are always true, even when conditions change.

B. Scientific laws have been observed without exception in specific conditions.

In the 19th century, scientists knew that light was some kind of wave. And every kind of wave science had yet described needed a medium to travel through—the way that sound waves travel through matter. But scientists had never observed light's medium. As they searched for evidence of it, scientists decided to call light's theoretical medium the luminiferous ether. In 1887, Albert A. Michelson and Edward W. Morley conducted an experiment to measure the speed at which the Earth moves through the ether. Their experiment was so refined that it should have finally detected the luminiferous ether. But it didn't. Repeated trials verified the surprising result that the ether did not exist. How did the failure of the Michelson-Morley experiment change scientific theories of light? A. The results of the Michelson-Morley experiment had to be rejected because the theory of the luminiferous ether was so well established. B. The results of the Michelson-Morley experiment did not fit the theory of the luminiferous ether, so the theory had to be rejected. C. The Michelson-Morley experiment proved that the luminiferous ether moved at the exact same speed as the Earth during all seasons of the year. D. The Michelson-Morley experiment provided a new theory that fit the data better than the theory of the luminiferous ether did.

B. The results of the Michelson-Morley experiment did not fit the theory of the luminiferous ether, so the theory had to be rejected.

In which of the following ways can scientific knowledge change and grow? A. a popular scientist states that a prevailing theory is not correct B. a large number of experiments challenge a prevailing theory C. experiments reaffirm the validity of a prevailing theory D. a single experiment disproves a prevailing theory

B. a large number of experiments challenge a prevailing theory

Spontaneous generation is the idea that a living thing can arise from nonliving material. This idea was a prevailing theory up until the late 1700s. What most likely caused this theory to be discarded? A. research in the field of biology proved that most living things reproduce sexually B. a series of experiments showed that living things only arise when other living things reproduce C. ideas in the late 1700s became old-fashioned and scientists looked for new, fresh ideas D. a series of experiments showed that nonliving materials are covered in microorganisms

B. a series of experiments showed that living things only arise when other living things reproduce

Between 1958 and 2011, the United States has spent almost 500 billion dollars on the space program. Concerned about the rising debt in the United States, President Barack Obama decided to discontinue the space shuttle program. The final launch occurred on July 8, 2011. What was the primary motivating factor for the president's decision? A. ethics B. economics C. popularity D. religion

B. economics

Scientific knowledge is based on A. bias and opinions. B. observations and inferences. C. political and social views. D. hypotheses and doubt.

B. observations and inferences.

A new governor decides to take a different approach to the state budget. The new governor creates several different plans that allow the people to vote on what portion of the budget should be spent on scientific research. This example shows how _______ can affect science. A. ethics B. politics C. education D. advertising

B. politics

Some organisms that are alive today do not look exactly like organisms that lived in the past. However, if a comparison of DNA samples from two organisms that differ in appearance reveals that the organisms are nearly genetically identical, the samples may be used as evidence for A. the big bang theory, or the theory that life began as a clump of matter that exploded outwards. B. the theory of evolution, or the theory that characteristics of populations can change over time. C. cell theory, or the theory that cells are the most basic units of life. D. atomic theory, or the theory that atoms are the most basic units of matter.

B. the theory of evolution, or the theory that characteristics of populations can change over time.

The main goal of science is to gain a better understanding of the natural world. Technology is often needed to achieve this goal. (insert picture of a rocket) In what way does the technology pictured above help scientists achieve their goal? A. It must be piloted by an astronaut. B. It costs millions of dollars to build. C. It allows access to outer space. D. It requires a large amount of fuel.

C. It allows access to outer space.

When Galileo Galilei was alive, most scientists believed that heavy objects fall to Earth faster than light objects. Galileo conducted an experiment and found that objects of the same size and shape fall to Earth at the same speed, no matter their mass. What did Galileo most likely have to do in order to convince other scientists that his observations were correct? A. Conduct an experiment in which he tries to force one object to fall faster than a lighter object. B. Publish the results of the experiment. C. Repeat the experiment multiple times in front of witnesses. D. Keep the results to himself and wait for other scientists to conduct similar experiments.

C. Repeat the experiment multiple times in front of witnesses.

In which of the following ways can scientific knowledge change and grow? A. a popular scientist states that a prevailing theory is not correct B. a single experiment disproves a prevailing theory C. a large number of experiments challenge a prevailing theory D. experiments reaffirm the validity of a prevailing theory

C. a large number of experiments challenge a prevailing theory

Formerly, when scientists wanted to test substances, such as blood, they had to manually pipette each substance into individual test tubes or plate wells. Today, there are machines available that can pipette many substances simultaneously. So, a task that used to take hours can now be performed in minutes. This machine is an example of a technology that can help scientists A. store data. B. perform computations. C. collect samples. D. communicate information.

C. collect samples.

Scientific knowledge can withstand the test of time because A. exceptions can be made regarding scientific laws. B. advancements in technology have no impact on science. C. it is open to change as new evidence or data is discovered. D. scientific theories have been proven beyond doubt.

C. it is open to change as new evidence or data is discovered.

Rulers, scales, and thermometers are all examples of technologies that are used in science. For what purpose are these technologies primarily used? A. graphing data B. communicating data C. measuring data D. storing data

C. measuring data

Scientific knowledge is most useful when trying to understand A. art. B. philosophy. C. the natural world. D. religion.

C. the natural world.

Newton's law of universal gravitation, the law of conservation of mass, the law of superposition, and the laws of thermodynamics are all examples of scientific laws because A. they have been approved and accepted by congress. B. they have been modified repeatedly over time. C. there are no exceptions to these laws under specific stated conditions. D. they are found in science textbooks.

C. there are no exceptions to these laws under specific stated conditions.

Gene watches a space shuttle launch from the Kennedy Space Center as it departs on its last mission. After seeing the launch, Gene is inspired to publish a science fiction novel about how future space vehicles will be launched from the Kennedy Space Center and travel to distant planets. This is an example of how space exploration can affect _______. A. science B. public transit C. mathematics D. culture

D. culture