unit 1 - nature of science

Question 1

observations vs inferences

Answer 1

observations are descriptions, measurements and records but inferences are educated guesses/conclusions mode from observations

Question 2

steps of scientific method

Answer 2

observe, hypothesize, predict, test, analyze, accept/reject/or modify hypothesis

Question 3

5 ways scientific knowledge is different from other knowledge

Answer 3

1, natural world, 2, based on experimental/observational evidence, 3, subject to “independent validation and peer review”, 4, open to challenge by evidence, 5, self-correcting

Question 4

why is science constantly changing

Answer 4

it is always open to challenge since ideas get proven wrong and new info is being observed/tested

Question 5

what is a hypothesis

Answer 5

informed, logical and plausible explanation for observations (constructed to make predictions: if… then)

Question 6

controlled experiment

Answer 6

measures dependent variable with the only change being the independent variable

Question 7

why can’t a hypothesis be “proven”

Answer 7

there will always be extraneous (untested) factors/variables

Question 8

independent vs dependent variable

Answer 8

independent-changed/manipulated
dependent-changes based on IV changes

Question 9

qualitative data

Answer 9

based on qualities-descriptions not numbers

Question 10

quantitative data

Answer 10

expressed as numbers

Question 11

levels of biological organization (smallest to largest)

Answer 11

atom, molecule, macromolecule, cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism, population, community, ecosystem, biosphere

Question 12

scientific claim

Answer 12

a statement about how the natural world works that can be tested using the scientific method

Question 13

correlation

Answer 13

2 or more aspects of the natural world that happen to behave in an interrelated matter (relates)

Question 14

causation

Answer 14

relation that shows one change leads to another change (causes)

Question 15

pseudoscience

Answer 15

exaggerated claims under the false label of “science” typically biased and promoting false info

Question 16

popular source characteristics

Answer 16

doesn’t cite sources, no stated authors, it is straightforward and easy to understand, easily accessible, w

Question 17

scholarly source characteristics

Answer 17

contains multiple sections (eg. abstract section), list of references and resources, complicated graphs, charts, and maps, authors listed

Question 18

is biology now 3e (textbook) a primary scholarly source or a secondary popular source?

Answer 18

secondary popular source

Question 19

are review articles from peer-reviewed scientific journals a primary scholarly source or a secondary popular source?

Answer 19

secondary popular source

Question 20

is the journal of the american medical association a peer-reviewed scientific journal a primary scholarly source or a secondary popular source?

Answer 20

primary scholarly source

Question 21

is science, a peer-reviewed scientific journal a primary scholarly source or a secondary popular source?

Answer 21

primary scholarly source

Question 22

is national geographic, a popular magazine about science a primary scholarly source or a secondary popular source?

Answer 22

secondary popular source

Question 23

is discover, a popular magazine about science a primary scholarly source or a secondary popular source?

Answer 23

secondary popular source

Question 24

is popular science, a popular magazine about science a primary scholarly source or a secondary popular source?

Answer 24

secondary popular source

Question 25

is the proceedings of the 15th annual meeting of the society for integrative and comparative biology, a publication of peer-reviewed presentations at a professional meeting a primary scholarly source or a secondary popular source?

Answer 25

primary scholarly source