Conceptual Chemistry, 5e (Suchocki)
Chapter 1 About Science
1.1 Science Is a Way of Understanding the Natural World
1) Which of the following is the most important to the process of scientific inquiry?
A) Proposing answers.
B) Devising tests.
C) Refuting currently-held understandings.
D) Confirming currently-held understandings.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Obj: 1.1
Global Obj: G1
2) Why is the process of science not restricted to any one particular method?
A) The scientist needs to be open to all possibilities and different ways of doing science
in order to gain as much knowledge as possible from his or her research.
B) In order to interpret experimental evidence, it is important to perform the experiment
using a variety of different scientific methods.
C) What one method proves as right, another might prove as wrong.
D) Science is not restricted to any one method because not everyone doing science has
access to the same sort of equipment.
Answer: A
Diff: 3
Learning Obj: 1.1
,Global Obj: G6
3) Some politicians take pride in maintaining a particular point of view. They think that a
change of mind would be seen as a sign of weakness. How is a change of mind viewed
differently in science?
A) A change in mind is not viewed differently in science and is still subject to much
criticism.
B) Science deals with facts that are confirmed by experiments. A "change of mind" in
science, therefore, is usually the result of new experimental evidence obtained from
experiments.
C) A scientist who changes his or her mind is often perceived as less honest, while a
politician who changes his or her mind is often perceived as less trustworthy.
D) A scientist tries to understand many different points of view and so is apt to change
his or her mind frequently.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Obj: 1.1
,4) How might the demand for reproducibility in science have the long-term effect of
compelling honesty?
A) Any false claims are eventually uncovered. Scientists, therefore, stand to gain most
from reporting their results truthfully.
B) A scientist who has knowingly falsifies any bit of evidence runs the risk of losing
credibility for all his or her life's work.
C) Science is about discovering the rules of nature. A scientist who creates his or her own
rules through dishonesty, which may not be reproducible in other laboratories, is not truly
doing science.
D) All of the above are true.
Answer: D
Diff: 3
Learning Obj: 1.1
Global Obj: G6
5) Why is it wrong to assume that you are only "doing science" while you are doing
experiments?
A) It is wrong because doing experiments is not the only accepted activity for the official
practice of science.
B) It is wrong because doing experiments is not the only accepted method of producing a
scientific theory.
C) It is wrong because any activity which helps further knowledge and understanding
about the environment is considered the practice of science.
D) All of the above explain why it is wrong.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Learning Obj: 1.1
Global Obj: G1
, 6) Can a person claim himself/herself to be a scientist if he/she no longer does
experiments?
A) No. Officially defined, a scientist is a person actively engaged in experimentation.
B) No. Since experimentation is one of the four key components of the scientific process,
any person no longer actively engaged in performing experiments cannot officially claim
to be a scientist.
C) Yes and No. A person may claim to be a scientist but the scientific community no
longer officially recognizes him/her as such.
D) Yes. A professional scientist is recognized for more activities than the performance of
actual experiments.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Learning Obj: 1.1
Global Obj: G1
Chapter 1 About Science
1.1 Science Is a Way of Understanding the Natural World
1) Which of the following is the most important to the process of scientific inquiry?
A) Proposing answers.
B) Devising tests.
C) Refuting currently-held understandings.
D) Confirming currently-held understandings.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Obj: 1.1
Global Obj: G1
2) Why is the process of science not restricted to any one particular method?
A) The scientist needs to be open to all possibilities and different ways of doing science
in order to gain as much knowledge as possible from his or her research.
B) In order to interpret experimental evidence, it is important to perform the experiment
using a variety of different scientific methods.
C) What one method proves as right, another might prove as wrong.
D) Science is not restricted to any one method because not everyone doing science has
access to the same sort of equipment.
Answer: A
Diff: 3
Learning Obj: 1.1
,Global Obj: G6
3) Some politicians take pride in maintaining a particular point of view. They think that a
change of mind would be seen as a sign of weakness. How is a change of mind viewed
differently in science?
A) A change in mind is not viewed differently in science and is still subject to much
criticism.
B) Science deals with facts that are confirmed by experiments. A "change of mind" in
science, therefore, is usually the result of new experimental evidence obtained from
experiments.
C) A scientist who changes his or her mind is often perceived as less honest, while a
politician who changes his or her mind is often perceived as less trustworthy.
D) A scientist tries to understand many different points of view and so is apt to change
his or her mind frequently.
Answer: B
Diff: 2
Learning Obj: 1.1
,4) How might the demand for reproducibility in science have the long-term effect of
compelling honesty?
A) Any false claims are eventually uncovered. Scientists, therefore, stand to gain most
from reporting their results truthfully.
B) A scientist who has knowingly falsifies any bit of evidence runs the risk of losing
credibility for all his or her life's work.
C) Science is about discovering the rules of nature. A scientist who creates his or her own
rules through dishonesty, which may not be reproducible in other laboratories, is not truly
doing science.
D) All of the above are true.
Answer: D
Diff: 3
Learning Obj: 1.1
Global Obj: G6
5) Why is it wrong to assume that you are only "doing science" while you are doing
experiments?
A) It is wrong because doing experiments is not the only accepted activity for the official
practice of science.
B) It is wrong because doing experiments is not the only accepted method of producing a
scientific theory.
C) It is wrong because any activity which helps further knowledge and understanding
about the environment is considered the practice of science.
D) All of the above explain why it is wrong.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Learning Obj: 1.1
Global Obj: G1
, 6) Can a person claim himself/herself to be a scientist if he/she no longer does
experiments?
A) No. Officially defined, a scientist is a person actively engaged in experimentation.
B) No. Since experimentation is one of the four key components of the scientific process,
any person no longer actively engaged in performing experiments cannot officially claim
to be a scientist.
C) Yes and No. A person may claim to be a scientist but the scientific community no
longer officially recognizes him/her as such.
D) Yes. A professional scientist is recognized for more activities than the performance of
actual experiments.
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Learning Obj: 1.1
Global Obj: G1
