Chapter 01: The Nature of Science
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. When scientists generate a single informed, logical, and plausible explanation for a question and
observations of the natural world, they are proposing a scientific
a. hypothesis. c. theory.
b. observation. d. correlation.
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Remembering
2. Experimentation is the primary, but not only, means used to verify or refute the ________ made by a
hypothesis.
a. variables c. laws
b. theories d. predictions
ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: 1.3 Catching the Culprit
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Understanding
3. A scientific hypothesis must be constructed with which of the following characteristics?
a. It is always provable and clearly states what is already known to be fact.
b. It provides a reasonable explanation to a question and is consistent with current
observations; it must also be testable and falsifiable.
c. It provides an explanation consistent with accepted theological ideas and does not need
to be tested.
d. It does not require testing by experimentation or additional observations. It is not
falsifiable.
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Remembering
4. Is it important for scientists to communicate their results to fellow scientists?
a. Yes. Scientists want to receive recognition and monetary reward for their work.
b. No. There is no reason for scientists to communicate their results to fellow scientists.
c. Yes. The quality and accuracy of the scientific work can be enhanced by input, further
review, and possibly even repetition by other scientists working in the same field.
d. No. Communication between scientists is discouraged because it can confuse the details
of the experiments.
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: 1.3 Catching the Culprit
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Remembering
1
,5. A scientific hypothesis must be ________; if not, science cannot evaluate it.
a. provable c. accepted
b. testable d. rejected
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Remembering
6. Whenever we ________, we are proceeding scientifically.
a. invoke a supernatural power as an explanation for how a natural phenomenon occurred
b. stop questioning our observations
c. try to solve a problem by systematically evaluating the plausibility of various solutions
d. develop an unchangeable and definitive explanation
ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: 1.0 Intro
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Applying
7. Is it possible for scientists to study events that happened to animals or plants that lived millions of
years ago?
a. Yes. Apply the laws of physics and nature that we know exist today to evaluate the
evidence of past events. For example, observe modern animal behavior, structure, and
function, and compare them to the structures of fossilized animals to deduce the function
of the fossilized structures.
b. No. The laws of physics that exist today are not the same laws of physics that existed in
the past, so there is no way to compare plant or animal fossils to those of modern
organisms and deduce the function of fossilized structures.
c. Yes. Genetic manipulation of fossils allows scientists to directly test metabolic and
behavioral characteristics of plants and animals from the past.
d. No. There is no way to analyze plant or animal fossils that lived millions of years ago
because the laws of nature that exist today have changed dramatically from the past.
ANS: A DIF: Difficult REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Applying
8. Victoria, who is 10 years old, wants to be a zoologist when she grows up because she loves animals.
So, she decided to begin her training by “doing something scientific.” Specifically, she weighed and
measured the lengths of all the earthworms she could find in her yard and recorded the data in a
notebook. She then made a graph showing the maximum, minimum, and average weights and heights
of the earthworms. Was she doing something scientific?
a. No, because she is too young to think like a scientist.
b. No, because she had no hypothesis to direct her data collection or interpretation.
c. Yes, because scientists always make measurements.
d. Yes, because scientists always construct graphs with the data they collect.
ANS: B DIF: Difficult REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Understanding
2
, 9. A group of researchers conducted an experiment and collected the data presented in the graph below.
The graph shows that the hypothesis was ________ because all members of the control group
________ while most of the members of both treatment groups ________ by the end of the study.
a. proven beyond a doubt; survived; died
b. proven; survived; died
c. not supported; died; survived
d. supported; survived; died
ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: 1.3 Catching the Culprit
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Analyzing
10. A scientist notices that a population of birds has decreased dramatically within one year and suspects
that a newly introduced snail population may be affecting the bird population. Some individuals
within the bird population eat snails, primarily, while other individuals avoid eating snails. Which of
the following statements represents a prediction based on a well-constructed hypothesis for this
observation?
a. If birds are affected by eating snails, then there will be a difference in the survival rate of
birds that eat snails and those that avoid snails.
b. If snails live in moist habitats, then snails will be eaten more frequently by birds.
c. If birds consume snails, then they will have a higher body mass index than birds that do
not eat snails.
d. If snails that are sick leave their shells so that birds will consume them, then snail
populations are protected from illness.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Analyzing
3
, 11. Recently, beekeepers have noticed an alarming and sudden disappearance of honeybees from their
hives. Some beekeepers and environmentalists worry that crops genetically engineered to produce Bt
insecticidal toxin may be killing the bees. Without data from a scientific experiment, is it reasonable
to state that Bt-containing crops are responsible for the loss of honeybees?
a. Yes, because it is obviously the Bt crops killing the bees.
b. Yes, because there cannot possibly be any other explanation for the loss of the
honeybees.
c. No, because there is no reason to suspect that an insecticide would kill honeybees.
d. No, because there could be some other unknown or unmentioned factor affecting the
survival of honeybees.
ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.2 Develop a hypothesis from a given observation and suggest one or more predictions based
on that hypothesis. MSC: Understanding
12. The hypothesis that there is a common ancestor to all living organisms is strengthened by what
observation?
a. Almost all cells in all living organisms use DNA to direct their structure, function, and
behavior.
b. All living organisms use energy acquired directly from the environment or from other
organisms.
c. All living organisms reproduce.
d. Each type of living organism adheres to the general principles of the biological
hierarchy.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.2 Develop a hypothesis from a given observation and suggest one or more predictions based
on that hypothesis. MSC: Applying
13. Which of the following statements is true?
a. Once a hypothesis has been proposed, it can never be challenged.
b. A valid scientific hypothesis is self-evident and does not need to be tested by
experimentation.
c. If properly designed, experiments always prove hypotheses to be wrong.
d. The scientific method or process can help people make informed medical and
environmental decisions.
ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.2 Develop a hypothesis from a given observation and suggest one or more predictions based
on that hypothesis. MSC: Applying
14. Which of the following questions could NOT be used to develop a testable hypothesis?
a. Does exposure to secondhand smoke affect the probability of developing lung cancer?
b. Do organic vegetables contain harmful substances?
c. Should everyone drink bottled water only?
d. Does a can of vegetable juice contain more salt than the same size can of iced tea?
ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.2 Develop a hypothesis from a given observation and suggest one or more predictions based
on that hypothesis. MSC: Applying
4
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. When scientists generate a single informed, logical, and plausible explanation for a question and
observations of the natural world, they are proposing a scientific
a. hypothesis. c. theory.
b. observation. d. correlation.
ANS: A DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Remembering
2. Experimentation is the primary, but not only, means used to verify or refute the ________ made by a
hypothesis.
a. variables c. laws
b. theories d. predictions
ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: 1.3 Catching the Culprit
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Understanding
3. A scientific hypothesis must be constructed with which of the following characteristics?
a. It is always provable and clearly states what is already known to be fact.
b. It provides a reasonable explanation to a question and is consistent with current
observations; it must also be testable and falsifiable.
c. It provides an explanation consistent with accepted theological ideas and does not need
to be tested.
d. It does not require testing by experimentation or additional observations. It is not
falsifiable.
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Remembering
4. Is it important for scientists to communicate their results to fellow scientists?
a. Yes. Scientists want to receive recognition and monetary reward for their work.
b. No. There is no reason for scientists to communicate their results to fellow scientists.
c. Yes. The quality and accuracy of the scientific work can be enhanced by input, further
review, and possibly even repetition by other scientists working in the same field.
d. No. Communication between scientists is discouraged because it can confuse the details
of the experiments.
ANS: C DIF: Easy REF: 1.3 Catching the Culprit
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Remembering
1
,5. A scientific hypothesis must be ________; if not, science cannot evaluate it.
a. provable c. accepted
b. testable d. rejected
ANS: B DIF: Easy REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Remembering
6. Whenever we ________, we are proceeding scientifically.
a. invoke a supernatural power as an explanation for how a natural phenomenon occurred
b. stop questioning our observations
c. try to solve a problem by systematically evaluating the plausibility of various solutions
d. develop an unchangeable and definitive explanation
ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: 1.0 Intro
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Applying
7. Is it possible for scientists to study events that happened to animals or plants that lived millions of
years ago?
a. Yes. Apply the laws of physics and nature that we know exist today to evaluate the
evidence of past events. For example, observe modern animal behavior, structure, and
function, and compare them to the structures of fossilized animals to deduce the function
of the fossilized structures.
b. No. The laws of physics that exist today are not the same laws of physics that existed in
the past, so there is no way to compare plant or animal fossils to those of modern
organisms and deduce the function of fossilized structures.
c. Yes. Genetic manipulation of fossils allows scientists to directly test metabolic and
behavioral characteristics of plants and animals from the past.
d. No. There is no way to analyze plant or animal fossils that lived millions of years ago
because the laws of nature that exist today have changed dramatically from the past.
ANS: A DIF: Difficult REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Applying
8. Victoria, who is 10 years old, wants to be a zoologist when she grows up because she loves animals.
So, she decided to begin her training by “doing something scientific.” Specifically, she weighed and
measured the lengths of all the earthworms she could find in her yard and recorded the data in a
notebook. She then made a graph showing the maximum, minimum, and average weights and heights
of the earthworms. Was she doing something scientific?
a. No, because she is too young to think like a scientist.
b. No, because she had no hypothesis to direct her data collection or interpretation.
c. Yes, because scientists always make measurements.
d. Yes, because scientists always construct graphs with the data they collect.
ANS: B DIF: Difficult REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Understanding
2
, 9. A group of researchers conducted an experiment and collected the data presented in the graph below.
The graph shows that the hypothesis was ________ because all members of the control group
________ while most of the members of both treatment groups ________ by the end of the study.
a. proven beyond a doubt; survived; died
b. proven; survived; died
c. not supported; died; survived
d. supported; survived; died
ANS: D DIF: Difficult REF: 1.3 Catching the Culprit
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Analyzing
10. A scientist notices that a population of birds has decreased dramatically within one year and suspects
that a newly introduced snail population may be affecting the bird population. Some individuals
within the bird population eat snails, primarily, while other individuals avoid eating snails. Which of
the following statements represents a prediction based on a well-constructed hypothesis for this
observation?
a. If birds are affected by eating snails, then there will be a difference in the survival rate of
birds that eat snails and those that avoid snails.
b. If snails live in moist habitats, then snails will be eaten more frequently by birds.
c. If birds consume snails, then they will have a higher body mass index than birds that do
not eat snails.
d. If snails that are sick leave their shells so that birds will consume them, then snail
populations are protected from illness.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.1 Caption a diagram of the scientific method, identifying each step in the process.
MSC: Analyzing
3
, 11. Recently, beekeepers have noticed an alarming and sudden disappearance of honeybees from their
hives. Some beekeepers and environmentalists worry that crops genetically engineered to produce Bt
insecticidal toxin may be killing the bees. Without data from a scientific experiment, is it reasonable
to state that Bt-containing crops are responsible for the loss of honeybees?
a. Yes, because it is obviously the Bt crops killing the bees.
b. Yes, because there cannot possibly be any other explanation for the loss of the
honeybees.
c. No, because there is no reason to suspect that an insecticide would kill honeybees.
d. No, because there could be some other unknown or unmentioned factor affecting the
survival of honeybees.
ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.2 Develop a hypothesis from a given observation and suggest one or more predictions based
on that hypothesis. MSC: Understanding
12. The hypothesis that there is a common ancestor to all living organisms is strengthened by what
observation?
a. Almost all cells in all living organisms use DNA to direct their structure, function, and
behavior.
b. All living organisms use energy acquired directly from the environment or from other
organisms.
c. All living organisms reproduce.
d. Each type of living organism adheres to the general principles of the biological
hierarchy.
ANS: A DIF: Moderate REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.2 Develop a hypothesis from a given observation and suggest one or more predictions based
on that hypothesis. MSC: Applying
13. Which of the following statements is true?
a. Once a hypothesis has been proposed, it can never be challenged.
b. A valid scientific hypothesis is self-evident and does not need to be tested by
experimentation.
c. If properly designed, experiments always prove hypotheses to be wrong.
d. The scientific method or process can help people make informed medical and
environmental decisions.
ANS: D DIF: Moderate REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.2 Develop a hypothesis from a given observation and suggest one or more predictions based
on that hypothesis. MSC: Applying
14. Which of the following questions could NOT be used to develop a testable hypothesis?
a. Does exposure to secondhand smoke affect the probability of developing lung cancer?
b. Do organic vegetables contain harmful substances?
c. Should everyone drink bottled water only?
d. Does a can of vegetable juice contain more salt than the same size can of iced tea?
ANS: C DIF: Moderate REF: 1.2 Prove Me Wrong
OBJ: 1.2 Develop a hypothesis from a given observation and suggest one or more predictions based
on that hypothesis. MSC: Applying
4
