Exercises: The Scientific Methods
Work through each section in order. These questions focus on the nature of science and scientific reasoning.
Warm-Up: What Do You Already Know?
These questions review vocabulary and concepts from middle school science.
Which of the following best describes a hypothesis in science?
A confirmed fact based on many experiments
A testable prediction about what will happen under specific conditions
A random guess with no basis in prior knowledge
An explanation that has been proven true
What does an experiment test?
A law
A hypothesis
A theory
A conclusion
In an experiment, what is the variable that the scientist deliberately changes?
The dependent variable
The controlled variable
The independent variable
The constant
Fluency Practice
Apply core scientific method concepts.
A scientist runs an experiment and the results do NOT support the hypothesis. What is the most scientifically appropriate next step?
Discard the experiment as a failure and start over with a completely new topic.
Revise or reject the hypothesis and design a new test based on what was learned.
Repeat the same experiment until results confirm the hypothesis.
Publish the results as inconclusive and end the investigation.
Which of the following shows scientific inquiry working as a cycle rather than a straight line?
A student observes, forms a hypothesis, runs one experiment, and writes a conclusion.
A scientist's experimental results raise a new question, which leads to a new hypothesis and further experiments.
A scientist confirms a hypothesis and stops investigating the topic.
A student memorizes the six steps of the scientific method in order.
In science, a theory is best described as:
A hypothesis that has been tested once.
An educated guess that might be true.
A well-tested, broadly explanatory framework supported by extensive evidence.
A mathematical equation describing a consistent pattern.
Newton's Second Law states that . Newton's theory of mechanics explains why this relationship holds and connects it to other mechanical phenomena. Which statement correctly describes the relationship between the law and the theory?
The law is a simplified version of the theory.
The law describes what happens; the theory explains why and connects multiple laws.
The theory will eventually become a law once more evidence is gathered.
Laws and theories are different names for the same thing.
A student says: 'Evolution is just a theory, so it might not be true.' What is wrong with this reasoning?
Nothing — theories can always be false.
The student is using the everyday meaning of 'theory' (a guess) instead of the scientific meaning (a well-supported explanation).
Theories only apply in physics, not biology.
The student should have said 'hypothesis' instead of 'theory.'
A scientist tests whether fertilizer affects plant height. She grows 20 plants with fertilizer and 20 plants without fertilizer. She uses the same soil, pot size, watering schedule, and light for all plants. What is the role of the 20 plants without fertilizer?
They are the independent variable.
They measure the dependent variable.
They are the control group — the baseline condition.
They control the independent variable.
Which of the following claims is scientific (falsifiable)?
Everything happens for a reason.
The universe has a spiritual purpose.
Drinking coffee increases reaction time.
There is beauty in all natural phenomena.
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