Complete Chapters ✅
Answers Included
Chapter 1
1. A scientist notices that a population of birds has decreased dramatically within 1
year and suspects that a newly introduced snail population may be affecting the
bird population. Some individuals within the bird population primarily eat snails,
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 the birds are affected by eating snails, then the survival rate of birds that
eat snails will differ from 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, which allows birds to consume
them, then snail populations will be protected from illness.
2. A scientific hypothesis must include 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.
3. Which of the following statements is true?
a. Once a scientific hypothesis has been proposed, it can never be
challenged.
, b. A scientific hypothesis is self-evident and does not need to be tested by
experimentation.
c. Experiments always prove hypotheses to be wrong.
d. A scientific hypothesis can lead to predictions that can be tested.
4. Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms are held together by chemical bonds to
form __________ of sugar.
a. tissues
b. molecules
c. cells
d. atoms
5. New medications undergo extensive human testing before receiving FDA
approval. These tests represent an experiment, and variations in the dosage
given to participants represent the
a. dependent variable.
b. independent variable.
c. correlation coefficient.
d. invariable.
6. 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 the Bacillus thuringiensis (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 that are 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 factor affecting the survival of
honeybees.
7. In science, when a hypothesis or group of hypotheses supported by repeated
experimental evidence remains verified through time, it can be developed into a
a. scientific fact.
b. proven scientific explanation.
c. peer-reviewed scientific prediction.
d. scientific theory.
8. David Blehert and his research team captured 117 healthy bats to study in the
laboratory and divided them into four groups. Group 1 was housed in an area free
from the fungus Geomyces destructans. Group 2 was housed in an area that
shared the same air as bats infected with white-nose syndrome (WNS), but these
bats did not have direct contact with the infected bats. Group 3 was housed in
direct contact with bats infected with WNS. Bats in group 4 were directly exposed
to Geomyces destructans when it was applied to their wings. During the study
period the bats were monitored for signs of WNS. Which group is the control
group?
a. group 1
b. group 2
c. group 3
d. group 4
9. Is it important for scientists to communicate their results to fellow scientists?
a. Yes. Only other scientists can determine the morally correct way to act on
data.
, b. No. There is no reason for scientists to communicate their results to other
scientists.
c. Yes. The quality and accuracy of the scientific work can be enhanced by
input, further review, and even repetition by other scientists.
d. No. Communication between scientists is discouraged because it can
adversely affect the details of the experiments.
10.When scientists generate a single informed, logical, and plausible explanation for
a question about and for observations of the natural world, they are generating a
scientific
a. hypothesis.
b. observation.
c. theory.
d. correlation.
11.Experimentation is one way to verify or refute the __________ generated to test a
hypothesis.
a. variables
b. theories
c. laws
d. predictions
12.Some questions fall outside the realm of science. Which of the following
questions could NOT be answered using the scientific method?
a. Why does sunbathing increase the chances of developing skin cancer?
b. Why do alcoholics develop liver failure more frequently than non-
alcoholics?
c. Why do smokers develop lung cancer more frequently than nonsmokers?