BSC 1005 Midterm Review 1-8 UPDATED
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
1. Biology is ________.
a. mostly a collection of facts that can be ordered and memorized
b. the study of living things
c. a separate branch of science from the study of how organisms interact with each other and
with their
environment
d. always used responsibly in advertising claims
e. Both a) and b) are true - CORRECT ANSWER - b. the study of living things
2. Superstitions are:
a. proof that the scientific method is not perfect.
b. held by some humans but not by any non-human species.
c. true beliefs that have yet to be fully understood.
d. just one of many possible forms of scientific thinking.
e. irrational beliefs that actions not logically related to a course of events influence its outcome -
CORRECT ANSWER - e. irrational beliefs that actions not logically related to a course of
events influence its outcome
3. Thinking scientifically relies on which of the following?
a. objective observation and experimentation
b. statements from authorities
c. intuition
d. applying your preconceptions
e. learning a list of facts - CORRECT ANSWER - a. objective observation and
experimentation
,4. You note a fuzzy growth on some of the gels in your incubator. What is the name given to this
step of the scientific
method?
a. observation
b. theory
c. hypothesis
d. law
e. confirmation - CORRECT ANSWER - a. observation
5. Scientific data:
a. must be collected in laboratories.
b. cannot be collected in a completely unbiased way.
c. are used to support or refute a hypothesis.
d. are always true.
e. All of the above are true. - CORRECT ANSWER - e. All of the above are true.
6. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a. A hypothesis that does not generate a testable prediction is not useful.
b. Common sense is usually a good substitute for the scientific method when trying to understand
the world.
c. It is not necessary to make observations as part of the scientific method.
d. The scientific method can be used only to understand scientific phenomena.
e. All of the above are correct. - CORRECT ANSWER - a. A hypothesis that does not
generate a testable prediction is not useful.
7. After generating a hypothesis, a scientist next:
a. makes a prediction.
b. writes a grant proposal.
,c. does an experiment.
d. formulates a theory.
e. designs a series of tests. - CORRECT ANSWER - c. does an experiment.
8. A _____________ is a pill that looks identical to a pill that contains the active ingredient in a
scientific trial, but
contains no active ingredient itself.
a. capsule
b. barbiturate
c. placebo
d. tablet
e. treatment - CORRECT ANSWER - c. placebo
9. Which of the following is the BEST way to state the relationship between "data" and
"results"?
a. "Data" and "results" are two names for the same thing.
b. The "data" section should always come before the "results" section in a scientific paper.
c. "Data" are the facts you collect from your experiment, while "results" are your interpretation
of what the data mean.
d. Any two scientists examining the same "data" would draw the same "results."
e. Any two scientists reporting the same "results" must have been using the same "data." -
CORRECT ANSWER - c. "Data" are the facts you collect from your experiment, while
"results" are your interpretation of what the data mean.
10. A scientific theory is one that:
a. sounds the most plausible.
b. is supported by many years of experimentation all supporting the hypothesis.
c. changes each time a different observation is made.
d. is the result of all scientific experiments.
, e. is based on hunches with no actual supporting evidence. - CORRECT ANSWER - d. is
the result of all scientific experiments.
11. In science, theories tend to be ______________________ than hypotheses.
a. broader in scope
b. less scientific
c. more speculative
d. more experimental
e. more empirical - CORRECT ANSWER - a. broader in scope
12. In controlled experiments:
a. all variables are independent of each other.
b. all critical variables are manipulated.
c. all variables are dependent on each other.
d. one variable is manipulated while others are held constant.
e. all variables are held constant. - CORRECT ANSWER - d. one variable is manipulated
while others are held constant.
13. In a randomized, controlled, double-blind study:
a. experimental subjects are blind-folded when given the experimental treatment.
b. individuals will be assigned to an experimental or control group depending on whether they
took part in a pilot study.
c. all experimental variables are held constant.
d. neither the experimenter nor the subject know whether the subject is in a control group or an
experimental group.
e. All of the above. - CORRECT ANSWER - d. neither the experimenter nor the subject
know whether the subject is in a control group or an experimental group.
14. If a researcher uses the same experimental set-up as another study to collect data, but uses
different research
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
1. Biology is ________.
a. mostly a collection of facts that can be ordered and memorized
b. the study of living things
c. a separate branch of science from the study of how organisms interact with each other and
with their
environment
d. always used responsibly in advertising claims
e. Both a) and b) are true - CORRECT ANSWER - b. the study of living things
2. Superstitions are:
a. proof that the scientific method is not perfect.
b. held by some humans but not by any non-human species.
c. true beliefs that have yet to be fully understood.
d. just one of many possible forms of scientific thinking.
e. irrational beliefs that actions not logically related to a course of events influence its outcome -
CORRECT ANSWER - e. irrational beliefs that actions not logically related to a course of
events influence its outcome
3. Thinking scientifically relies on which of the following?
a. objective observation and experimentation
b. statements from authorities
c. intuition
d. applying your preconceptions
e. learning a list of facts - CORRECT ANSWER - a. objective observation and
experimentation
,4. You note a fuzzy growth on some of the gels in your incubator. What is the name given to this
step of the scientific
method?
a. observation
b. theory
c. hypothesis
d. law
e. confirmation - CORRECT ANSWER - a. observation
5. Scientific data:
a. must be collected in laboratories.
b. cannot be collected in a completely unbiased way.
c. are used to support or refute a hypothesis.
d. are always true.
e. All of the above are true. - CORRECT ANSWER - e. All of the above are true.
6. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a. A hypothesis that does not generate a testable prediction is not useful.
b. Common sense is usually a good substitute for the scientific method when trying to understand
the world.
c. It is not necessary to make observations as part of the scientific method.
d. The scientific method can be used only to understand scientific phenomena.
e. All of the above are correct. - CORRECT ANSWER - a. A hypothesis that does not
generate a testable prediction is not useful.
7. After generating a hypothesis, a scientist next:
a. makes a prediction.
b. writes a grant proposal.
,c. does an experiment.
d. formulates a theory.
e. designs a series of tests. - CORRECT ANSWER - c. does an experiment.
8. A _____________ is a pill that looks identical to a pill that contains the active ingredient in a
scientific trial, but
contains no active ingredient itself.
a. capsule
b. barbiturate
c. placebo
d. tablet
e. treatment - CORRECT ANSWER - c. placebo
9. Which of the following is the BEST way to state the relationship between "data" and
"results"?
a. "Data" and "results" are two names for the same thing.
b. The "data" section should always come before the "results" section in a scientific paper.
c. "Data" are the facts you collect from your experiment, while "results" are your interpretation
of what the data mean.
d. Any two scientists examining the same "data" would draw the same "results."
e. Any two scientists reporting the same "results" must have been using the same "data." -
CORRECT ANSWER - c. "Data" are the facts you collect from your experiment, while
"results" are your interpretation of what the data mean.
10. A scientific theory is one that:
a. sounds the most plausible.
b. is supported by many years of experimentation all supporting the hypothesis.
c. changes each time a different observation is made.
d. is the result of all scientific experiments.
, e. is based on hunches with no actual supporting evidence. - CORRECT ANSWER - d. is
the result of all scientific experiments.
11. In science, theories tend to be ______________________ than hypotheses.
a. broader in scope
b. less scientific
c. more speculative
d. more experimental
e. more empirical - CORRECT ANSWER - a. broader in scope
12. In controlled experiments:
a. all variables are independent of each other.
b. all critical variables are manipulated.
c. all variables are dependent on each other.
d. one variable is manipulated while others are held constant.
e. all variables are held constant. - CORRECT ANSWER - d. one variable is manipulated
while others are held constant.
13. In a randomized, controlled, double-blind study:
a. experimental subjects are blind-folded when given the experimental treatment.
b. individuals will be assigned to an experimental or control group depending on whether they
took part in a pilot study.
c. all experimental variables are held constant.
d. neither the experimenter nor the subject know whether the subject is in a control group or an
experimental group.
e. All of the above. - CORRECT ANSWER - d. neither the experimenter nor the subject
know whether the subject is in a control group or an experimental group.
14. If a researcher uses the same experimental set-up as another study to collect data, but uses
different research
