Segment 1 Midterm Review (Earth and Space Science)

A student did an experiment with two identical plants, Plant 1 and Plant 2. About 10 mL fertilizer was added to Plant 1. About 200 mL of water was added to each plant every day. The height of the plants was recorded over a period of 5 weeks in the table shown below. Week Height of Plant 1 (in inches) Height of Plant 2 (in inches) 1 12.6 12.6 2 13.8 12.9 3 14.9 13.4 4 15.7 13.8 5 16.6 14.6 Based on the table, which of these conclusions is correct? a.) Fertilizer helps plants grow taller. b.) Fertilizer can help a plant survive for five days. c.) Plants need more than 200 mL of water to survive. d.) Plants need more than 10 mL fertilizer to grow in size.

a.) Fertilizer helps plants grow taller.

A scientist is investigating the cause of contamination of well water at a specific location. Four residents of the location responded to questions asked by the scientist. The chart below shows their responses. Question Res. 1 Res. 2 Res. 3 Res. 4 Do you work at the gas station near the well? No Yes No Yes Does anyone in your family work at the gas station? No No Yes Yes Have you observed any change in the quality of well water? Yes No Yes Yes Which of these residents is most likely to provide reliable information? a.) Resident 1 b.) Resident 2 c.) Resident 3 d.) Resident 4

a.) Resident 1

Two scientists did the same experiment but arrived at different results. The results would most likely __________. a.) provide new testable ideas b.) expose the weaknesses of science c.) cause confusion in the scientific community d.) emphasize the need for not repeating scientific results

a.) provide new testable ideas

Scientific argumentation makes scientific results _______. a.) stronger b.) invalid c.) permanent d.) biased

a.) stronger

Which of these is an example of pseudoscience? a.) chemistry b.) astrology c.) astronomy d.) mathematics

b.) astrology

Four groups of students, in different parts of the world, are investigating the reason why the shape of the moon changes from time to time. If the results of their investigations are considered valid, they would most likely be ________. a.) complex b.) identical c.) non-testable d.) inconsistent

b.) identical

A scientist plans to find out if dams harm a river ecosystem. He interviews 500 environmentalists and 450 of them believe that dams are harmful for the ecosystem. The scientist concludes that 90 percent of people believe that dams are harmful. Why is the scientist's conclusion most likely unreliable? a.) very few people were interviewed b.) the source of information could be biased c.) the data about river ecosystems is not accurate d.) the results of the investigation cannot be repeated

b.) the source of information could be biased

One student did an experiment to find if fertilizer can make plants grow taller. The steps of the experiment are listed below. -Take three pots of the same size. -Fill the pots completely with the same type of soil. -Plant tomato seeds in the first pot, orange seeds in the second pot, and bean seeds in the third pot. -Add different amounts of fertilizer to the three pots. -Keep the pots in the sunlight. -Add the same amount of water to the pots every day. -Measure the heights of the plants after regular intervals. The results of the experiment were not valid. Which of these statements best describes a flaw in the experiment? a.) The increase in height of plants was the dependent variable. b.) The increase in height of plants was the independent variable. c.) The type of plants in the pots was not the controlled variable. d.) The amount of fertilizer was not the controlled variable.

c.) The type of plants in the pots was not the controlled variable.

Which of these is an example of an experiment? a.) plant growth is affected by temperature b.) leaves may change color due to temperature c.) add different quantities of water to three potted plants d.) the plant which gets the most sunlight grows the fastest

c.) add different quantities of water to three potted plants

Which of these is a part of the biosphere? a.) wind b.) lakes c.) bacteria d.) glaciers

c.) bacteria

Which of these can be predicted with the help of science? a.) meaning of life b.) success in career c.) severe weather conditions d.) number of earthquakes in the next century

c.) severe weather conditions

Kate plans to start a winter garment store. The market conditions suggest that the best time to start a winter garment store is between October and February. She would earn the best profit during the first six months of the year. Based on scientific knowledge and trends, which of these would be the most favorable month for Kate to start her store? a.) June b.) April c.) July d.) December

d.) December

Which of these questions can be answered using scientific methods? a.) Who is the best author in English? b.) Should all students take the same classes? c.) Which is the tastiest flavor of ice cream? d.) What would be the effect of a hurricane?

d.) What would be the effect of a hurricane?

Which of these should be creative to help scientists make reliable conclusions? a.) scientific laws b.) scientific facts c.) scientific variables d.) scientific methods

d.) scientific methods