Science and Chemistry QUIZ
Which is not a characteristic of all life?
uses oxygen to survive
You listen to a researcher present his data to a group. After the presentation a few members of the audience question his results and analysis. This most likely means that
the audience members were demonstrating proper scientific skepticism.
The scientists who are researching the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine will test their hypothesis by separating 2,392 young women into two groups: the control group and the experimental group. Answer the following questions about these two groups. Which most likely represents the control group?
the control group is given a placebo injection Which most likely represents the experimental group? this group is given the HPV vaccine If this is a double-blind study, who knows the treatment status of each patient? Nobody. Such information is kept secret except for a few behind-the-scenes personnel.
How many protons does sodium (Na) have?
11
Which is the biggest?
atom
Multiple organisms of the same species make up a/an
population
Dinosaurs were once dominant land-dwelling vertebrates; they became extinct about 65 million years ago and (with the exception of birds) none of them are alive today.
yes it is a scientific hypothesis
A scientist wants to know if sleep habits affect health. She analyzes data from a huge government survey and finds that, on average, people with excellent sleep habits (>8 hours of sleep every night) lived longer, had lower risk for Alzheimer's dementia, and had fewer infectious disease episodes compared to those with poor sleep habits. Is the example study above scientific?
yes, it is scientific Is the example study above an experiment? no, it is not an experiment
Look at the periodic table. All atoms of the element hydrogen (H) have the same number of protons. How many protons do you think are in hydrogen atoms?
1 - the atomic number for hydrogen.
How many neutrons does a fluorine atom have, if the mass of that atom is 19 amu?
10
Note that the average atomic mass (atomic weight) of sodium (Na) is approximately 23. How many neutrons does sodium (Na) usually have?
12
Silicon (Si) has atomic number 14. How many electrons would a neutral atom of silicon have?
14
How many electrons are in the first shell of Silicon (atomic number 14)?
2
How many electrons are left for the third shell?
4
Which is an experiment?
500 people are given a special high-protein diet; 500 others are given a standard diet, and their body weight changes are compared over a period of six months.
To test the effectiveness of an allergy drug, scientists begin with a pool of 12,000 allergy sufferers. One randomly selected group of 6,000 subjects is given the drug, and the other 6,000 are given a pill without the active ingredient. They are asked to report their allergy symptoms after 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months of treatment, and samples are also taken to measure the levels of histamines (allergy-related compounds) in the blood. What group is receiving the experimental treatment in this study, i.e. what is the "experimental group?"
6,000 subjects that are given the drug
How many electrons does Fluorine have in its valence (outer) shell?
7
How many protons are in a nitrogen (N) atom?
7
How many electrons are in the second shell?
8
A virus reproduces with help from DNA or RNA, and viruses evolve over time. However, viruses are not made of cells and they do not really take in nutrients or produce wastes. Are viruses alive (biotic) or nonliving (abiotic)?
Abiotic (nonliving)
If you had to guess, what are some ways that tobacco smokers tend to differ from nonsmokers? Think about overall trends; there will always be specific individuals that don't fit with these patterns.
Adult smokers are different from nonsmokers in many ways. Compared to nonsmokers, smokers are on average poorer, less educated, more likely to do shift work or temporary jobs, and more likely to lack health insurance or see a doctor regularly. There are many other differences as well.
An atom has 20 protons. What kind of atom is it?
Ca
How do scientists usually respond to new studies that are published in peer-reviewed journals?
Cautious interest. The new study carries some weight but until further studies are done, the idea can't be fully accepted.
Which is NOT a legitimate hypothesis?
Diseases are punishment for evil deeds.
All of the following are part of the study of biology except:
Earthquakes Correct. The study of earthquakes falls under geology, which is the scientific discipline that analyzes the physical crust and underground features of our planet. Biology is the study of life. Biologists might study rocks, but mainly to analyze traces of living things: fossils and chemical signatures of past life forms.
Which of the following statements is true about electrons?
Electrons are found outside the nucleus.
Ignoring research ethics, what kind of study would most clearly show that tobacco smoking can cause health problems in humans?
Start with a bunch of healthy nonsmoking teenagers; randomly split them into groups; force the experimental group to smoke, keep the control group from doing so; track and compare health outcomes between the groups.
Which of the following is the best way to judge if a claim is scientific?
Evidence is published in reputable peer-reviewed journals
Researchers reported significant results from the HPV vaccine experiment. If the results had NOT been significant, what would this mean?
If the results from the experiment were not significant, it would mean that the same number of women got HPV in both groups (no difference) or that the difference was so slight - or the study sample was so small - that it's easy to explain the difference as a matter of luck (nonsignificant difference).
What happens when a radioactive isotope decays?
It loses mass and it releases energy.
All atoms of lithium have 3 protons. Based on the average atomic mass (atomic weight) of 6.94 amu, which isotope of lithium is the most abundant?
Lithium-7, which contains 3 protons and 4 neutrons.
Which option is in the correct order from smallest to largest?
Molecule < Cell < Tissue < Organ
Which option best describes the Domains Bacteria and Archea?
Structurally simple, but incredibly diverse in their chemistry, habitats, and ways of life
What is the charge of a neutron?
Neutrons have a neutral charge.
A young child touches a butterfly and laughs when it flies away. Is the child doing biology?
No, not exactly. The child and the butterfly are living organisms, but biology is done using scientific methods. Correct. Sometimes students think biology is life itself. But touching a butterfly isn't biology. Biology is the process of studying life in a scientific way - and that's a little different from simple observation or experience. Life has been around for billions of years, but we have been doing and recording science only for a few hundred years.
Based ONLY on comparisons of health between smokers and nonsmokers, can we be fully confident that smoking is the CAUSE of health problems that are more common among smokers? Explain.
No. If we look ONLY at survey data, we have a long list of reasons why smokers might be less healthy or die younger than nonsmokers. It could be caused by factors related to poverty, lack of health care, or job stress. We can only say that smoking and health problems go hand in hand (they are associated or correlated). We cannot confidently say why that occurs until we have more information.
A product includes anecdotal evidence of its effectiveness. Many satisfied customers write glowing reviews; there are no negative reviews. Are these results scientifically significant?
No. Scientific studies are published in peer-reviewed journals.
A special crystal can heal disease if placed near the body, but the crystal will only work if the patient and the healer are pure in heart and sincere in their belief.
No. This statement is not testable or falsifiable.
Natural disasters, such as tornadoes, are punishments for bad thoughts and behaviors.
No. This statement is not testable or falsifiable.
Science Daily publishes summaries of studies that were recently published in peer-reviewed journals. They are fresh, attention-getting results. Often they represent the first study that has been published on a brand-new idea. Are such studies trustworthy evidence?
Not really, because the ideas are still new. If there is any risk involved, your friend should probably wait until more studies are done and a professional organization endorses the claim.
If you eat a well-done hamburger, you are mainly eating ground-up beef muscle. What levels of organization are certainly represented in this ground-up muscle?
Organelle, cell, tissue
A researcher is investigating if online resources improve student grades. What is the control group in this experiment?
Students who do not use the online resource.
List three variables, other than vaccination, that might affect a person's risk of being infected with HPV.
Some possible outside variables would be: general health of the women, sexual activity, lifestyle, diet, socioeconomic status, etc. There are many, many possible answers.
A study of a new weight-loss drug is done with 1,000 laboratory rats. All the rats are given the same diet and kept in identical cages. 500 randomly selected rats are given an injection with the real drug while the other 500 rats are given a placebo injection containing only saline solution. Weight changes are monitored weekly. What is the experimental group in the experiment?
The rats who are given the real drug injection
A study of a new weight-loss drug is done with 1,000 laboratory rats. All the rats are given the same diet and kept in identical cages. 500 randomly selected rats are given an injection with the real drug while the other 500 rats are given a placebo injection containing only saline solution. Weight changes are monitored weekly. What is the control group in the experiment?
The rats who are given the saline solution injection
A study of a new weight-loss drug is done with 1,000 laboratory rats. All the rats are given the same diet and kept in identical cages. 500 randomly selected rats are given an injection with the real drug while the other 500 rats are given a placebo injection containing only saline solution. Weight changes are monitored weekly. What is the independent variable in the experiment?
The type of injection given (real drug or saline solution)
A study of a new weight-loss drug is done with 1,000 laboratory rats. All the rats are given the same diet and kept in identical cages. 500 randomly selected rats are given an injection with the real drug while the other 500 rats are given a placebo injection containing only saline solution. Weight changes are monitored weekly. What is the dependent variable in the experiment?
The weight change of the rats
Real researchers cannot ignore ethics. Experiments on humans must be approved under strict guidelines. So how do you think researchers HAVE been able to demonstrate the health effects of smoking using rigorous experiments?
They did experiments on nonhuman animals including monkeys and lab rats: starting with a big group of similar rats, assign half to a control group (nonsmoking) and compare to an experimental group that is exposed to cigarette smoke. Watch the health of the smoking rats deteriorate much more quickly than that of the control rats. We CAN conclude that smoking made the difference here, because every other aspect of the rats was similar: the only systematic difference between the groups was exposure to smoke.
If an atom has 8 protons in its nucleus, what element is it?
This atom is oxygen.
A company claims their product has been "scientifically proven" to help you lose weight. When you look for evidence, you find three relevant papers published in respected peer-reviewed scientific journals. Is this an example of pseudoscience?
This is probably an example of science.
Sometimes marketers will try to sell an "alternative" product by tearing down the scientific evidence on a topic. For example, they might claim that all of the studies on a pharmaceutical drug were faked to help the company sell their medicine and make a profit. Is this good evidence that you should buy the alternative medicine instead?
This is something you will have to decide for yourself. But you should ask whether there is positive evidence for the alternative medicine; after all, the people selling it also have a profit motive. And you should know that ethical guidelines and anti-fraud procedures help to keep scientists honest. If a study is truly "faked" it will probably be overturned by further studies done by other labs. This could result in very costly lawsuits and other penalties. As a result, most drug companies try to do good research that will hold up over time. Evidence for this comes from the fact that most expensive drug testing trials "fail:" the drug is found not to work and it is never developed into a product. This should not occur if studies are routinely faked to assure a positive result.
A bacterium is a complex cell. It takes in energy and nutrients and it releases wastes. A bacterial cell grows and reproduces. Bacteria respond to stimuli and maintain homeostasis. Over time, bacterial populations evolve.
Yes, is biotic (living).
Air pollution from automobile exhaust can trigger symptoms in people with asthma.
Yes. This statement is testable and falsifiable.
A good detective - such as the fictional master detective Sherlock Holmes - must collect empirical evidence to solve a crime. A great deal of the detective's work is scientific in nature. Which would NOT be a scientific aspect of a detective's method?
a guess at the suspect's motive
A snowflake grows by accumulating water, but it is not made of cells and cannot reproduce itself. Is it living (biotic) or nonliving (abiotic).
abiotic (nonliving)
What would you probably call a group of microbes that have a nucleus in each cell and that make their own food by photosynthesis?
algae (protist)
If they were near each other, which pair of subatomic particles would tend to repel, or push apart?
an electron and another electron
Which type of study can provide direct evidence of a cause-effect link between two variables?
an experiment
Given that the organisms are microscopic - they came from surfaces with no visible life - and that they were collected in subway tunnels under fairly normal conditions of temperature and pressure, to what group do you think most of the organisms belong?
bacteria
The first level of organization that is defined as living is:
cell
This level of organization is the defining level of biology. Below this level, no single entity is truly alive.
cell
What levels of the hierarchy best describe the direct cause of Paula's illness?
cell and population
A scientist is studying how neurotransmitters (chemical messages) released by the brain affect human mood and behavior. Which field(s) of science is she studying? Choose the best answer.
chemistry biology psychology all of these (correct)
Your aquarium contains three goldfish, one turtle, some plants, and millions of bacteria and algae. All those organisms together form a(n):
community
What level of analysis is discussed above, and helps us understand some indirect causes that may have set the stage for Paula's infection?
community and ecosystem
The negative particle in the atom is the ...
electron
Which of these is not found in the nucleus?
electrons
Which subatomic particle(s) have essentially no mass?
electrons
After soaking one of the creatures in food dye, you look at it under the microscope and see that it has cells that each contain a nucleus and other structures visible as tiny flecks. To what Domain does this new discovery belong?
eukarya
Which Domain includes all organisms with complex cells that contain a nucleus and other organelles?
eukarya
All known living organisms are made of one or more cells, maintain homeostasis, use energy and materials to grow and reproduce, and...
evolve over time
Researchers have developed a potential vaccine against HPV and want to test it. The scientists have a Theory that the vaccine will prevent cervical cancer.
false
True or False: "The outer shell of a neutral Silicon atom is full."
false
Which eukaryotes have rigid cell walls made of chitin and absorb food molecules into their bodies?
fungi
What level of biology helps most to understand exactly how Paula's illness works, in detail?
molecule and cell
A researcher is investigating if online resources improve student grades. What is the dependent variable?
grades
When you are chilled, your large muscles respond by contracting rapidly (called shivering) and this generates extra heat that keeps your internal temperature up. What property of life does this demonstrate?
homeostasis
A scientific theory ...
is a broad idea that has been tested many times and is widely accepted among scientists.
A scientific hypothesis ...
is an educated guess: an explanation that can be tested by experiment or observation.
Angela wonders whether an "energy drink" is really effective. Before her morning run, she downs a can. On that run she feels better and runs further than she ever has before. After that, she is convinced that the drink works and encourages anyone who will listen to give it a try. Her evidence for the drink's effectiveness...
is somewhat scientific (based on observation) but weak. There is inadequate control in the design of the "experiment."
Do you predict that Silicon is a stable or reactive element?
it can react with other elements
A woman is struggling with a relapse in her long battle with pancreatic cancer. Her doctor looks her right in the eyes. "You're going to beat this cancer," she says. "I know it - I feel it in my gut. In one year, you're going to be back to normal, operating at 100%. Believe me." The doctor's words...
may be helpful to the woman, but do not reflect scientific thinking
Which subatomic particle(s) have no electrical charge?
neutrons
You are trying to determine whether a coin will give fair result in a coin toss to decide who gets the ball in a football game. A fair coin will have an equal chance of giving a head or a tail for an outcome. You flip the coin 4 times with the following outcome: three heads and one tail. Based on these data you decide not to use it for a coin toss. Is this a valid conclusion?
no
Your friend sees this image of a circle of mushrooms and excitedly tells you it was caused by fairies dancing in a circle on the grass the night before. Can your friend's explanation be studied using the process of science?
no
Imagine the HPV vaccine trial was done with only 10 women. Zero of the 5 women in the experimental group got HPV. But 1 of the 5 control group patients did get HPV. Is this convincing evidence the vaccine worked?
no, it does not provide strong evidence either way
As a group, are smokers and nonsmokers the same in all ways except for their smoking behavior?
no, there are probably other differences between the groups
What is the first testable hypothesis that the researchers should study?
people who get the vaccine will not het HPV
A researcher is investigating if online resources improve student grades. What is the independent variable?
online resource
The Golgi Apparatus is not just a great name for a band, it is also a membrane-bound compartment that is found inside our cells. What is the correct label for this kind of structure?
organelle
What levels are affected by the health problem Paula is experiencing?
organism, organ systems, organs, tissues, cells
Which of the following levels of organization is found within all of the other levels?
population
A hydrogen ion is a single proton. What charge does a hydrogen ion have?
positive (+1)
What is the independent variable in our experiment?
presence or absence of the HPV vaccine
Which subatomic particle(s) are located in the nucleus of the atom? Choose the best, most complete answer.
protons and neutrons
What is the dependent variable in our experiment?
rates of HPV infection
Most of what we know about how smoking relates to health in humans comes from large scale surveys of smoking behavior and health outcomes. Starting with large data sets from hospital systems or Federal surveys, researchers sort people into groups based on their smoking behavior (smokers vs. nonsmokers) and then compare life spans or rates of lung disease. Such studies have consistently found that smokers have shorter lives and much higher rates of many chronic diseases. Based on the information given, are the studies described experiments or observational studies
they are observational studies
Another company claims their product has been "scientifically proven" to help you have more energy. When you look for evidence of this scientific proof, you find several testimonials from people announcing the success of the product. One of the testimonials is from "Dr. Isaac Smith." Is this an example of pseudoscience?
this is probably an example of pseudoscience
On the surface of the eye is a transparent, flexible covering called the cornea. This structure would best be classified as a...
tissue
The researchers found that, of the 1,200 women in the control group, nine were infected with HPV at the end of the study. Of the 1,200 women in the experimental group, zero were infected with HPV. Does this result support the original hypothesis, that the HPV vaccine would reduce HPV infection?
yes, the results seem to support the hypothesis