Chapter 1 Flashcards
Why is it that creationism can never be accepted as a scientific explanation of the origin of life?
Because the ideas of creationism cannot be tested through experiment and observation.
Superstitions are:
irrational beliefs that actions not logically related to a course of events influence its outcome.
If you toss a coin and it comes up tails seventy-three consecutive times, what is the probability that it will come up tails on the seventy-fourth toss?
1/2
Which of the following statements cannot be evaluated by the scientific method?
Trees emit psychic screams when you cut them down.
Which of the following questions CANNOT be answered by the scientific method?
Did the US act appropriately when it invaded Iraq?
Which of the following is NOT an example of a theory?: relativity, evolution, electromagnetism, or gravity?
All of the above are considered to be theories.
If your hypothesis is rejected,
you may still have learned something important about the system you were testing.
What comes next in the scientific method after the completion of experimentation?
review of the hypothesis in light of the data gathered.
The purpose of the experimentation phase of the scientific method is to:
gather evidence to support or reject a hypothesis.
Which of the following is usually employed before the others by an investigator using the scientific method?
make observations.
What is Step 3 in the scientific process?
devise a testable prediction.
Which of the following has scientific investigation shown to be LEAST reliable in criminal prosecutions? ballistics, DNA evidence, eyewitness identification, fingerprints, bloodwork
eyewitness identification.
In a randomized, controlled, double-blind study:
neither the experimenter nor the subject know whether the subject is in a control group or an experimental group.
What is Step 2 in the scientific process?
formulate a hypothesis.
In a scientific experiment, a control group:
can be compared with an experimental group to assess whether one particular variable is causing a change in the experimental group.
Applying your knowledge of the scientific method, which of the following BEST explains the correct contrast between a hypothesis and theory?
A hypothesis attempts to explain natural phenomenon and can be tested through experimentation; a theory attempts to summarize a large expanse of natural phenomenon and has already been tested thoroughly without contradictory results.
______________________ makes scientific-sounding claims that are not supported by trustworthy, methodical scientific studies.
pseudoscience
If you were to design an experiment to test whether a particular pathogen caused a disease, which of the following choices would be the first step and which the last step you would make if you followed the scientific method precisely?
1st: make observations
last: draw conclusions
Statistical methods make it possible to:
determine how likely it is that certain results may have occurred by chance.
If you were to propose one additional step in the scientific method beyond the common last step of “conclusion,” what is a reasonable selection?
Create a further question, based on your new conclusion, that can lead to further experiments in the future.
In a well-designed experiment:
a) the prediction will be highly probable if the explanation is correct, and b) the prediction will be highly improbable if the explanation is incorrect.
In scientific thinking, which of the following are not subject to revision?
observations
In controlled experiments:
one variable is manipulated while others are held constant
A “controlled” experiment occurs when:
groups are kept as similar as possible and are treated identically, except for the variable of interest
