Diagnostic Test
Scientific Investigation
1. A biology class wanted to develop a research project to predict the effects of a new highway on wildflower species found in the Piedmont region of Virginia. The class could best conduct such a study by sampling flowers found in the highway construction area —
A. one year before highway construction begins
B. both before and after highway construction is completed _
C. immediately after highway construction is finished
D. during the time highway construction is taking place
2. People long ago believed that maggots came from meat. In the late 1600s, Francesco Redi made the hypothesis that maggots came from flies rather than from meat. Which of these experimental designs could be used to test Redi’s hypothesis?
3.
4. Which sentence best states the importance of using control groups?
A Control groups allow comparison between subjects receiving a treatment
and those receiving no treatment. _
B Control groups eliminate the need for large sample sizes, reducing the number
of measurements needed.
C Control groups eliminate the need for statistical tests and simplify calculations.
D Control groups provide a method by which statistical variability can be reduced
5.
6. In 1928, the scientist Alexander Fleming was trying to grow the
bacterium Staphylococcus, and by chance, discovered that it would not
grow in the presence of a mold that he named Penicillium. In 1939, Ernst Chain and Howard Florey purified penicillin, and in 1941, penicillin was first used to treat bacterial diseases. In 1945, Alexander Fleming, Ernst Chain, and Howard Florey received the Nobel
Prize in medicine for the discovery and isolation of penicillin. These facts show that —
A Florey and Chain unfairly used Fleming’s work and should not have
received the Nobel Prize
B chance plays no role in scientific discoveries
C scientific progress often requires the efforts of many people working together_
D whenever possible, the Nobel Prize should be given to more than one person
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8.
9.
The most valid and reliable test of this hypothesis would include an
experimental group of pine seeds that was recovered from a fire area and pine seeds that were —
A germinated after a fire
B tolerant of fire
C found before a fire _
D placed in a fire
10. A student wanted to study the effect of temperature on algae levels in a local stream. Which items are most useful for gathering data and most appropriate for communicating the results of her observations?
A Research on the Internet and videotapes of water samples
B Microscopes and written descriptions of weather patterns
C pH strips and written observations of stream water
D Test tubes, thermometers, and graphs of results
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13. Scientists have noted a decline in fungi species dating back to the early 1900s. Annual crops of edible mushrooms in France and Germany have declined since 1950. One hypothesis to explain this decline is that edible fungi are being overharvested. Global warming and air pollution have also been considered as contributing to the decline. Which of the following would exclude overharvesting as the cause of the decline?
A Fungal-population increases in tropical regions
B Similar declines among edible North American species
C High fungal numbers in nitrogen-poor soils
D A parallel decline in non-edible species
14.
15. A student wanted to look at plant growth in five different soil samples. He planted the same type of seeds in identical containers and left them together in full sunlight. He gave each plant the same amount of water and charted the growth of each plant stem. What is the independent variable in this experiment?
A Soil _
B Light
C Container
D Seeds
16.
17.
18. Orchids were studied to determine if the amount of humidity affected the flowering of these plants. Which of these was the independent variable in this study?
A The percentage of humidity _
B The amount watered
C The length of time required for flowering
D The number of flowers on each plant
19. Richard was observing black swallowtail butterflies in the field.
Which one of these is an observation he made about a black swallowtail butterfly?
A The black swallowtail is closely related to the spicebush swallowtail.
B The black swallowtail belongs to the class Insecta.
C The black swallowtail likes to fly more than anything else.
D The black swallowtail laid its eggs on a parsley plant.
20.
Which variable appears to control leaf production in these plants?
A The amount of water
B The temperature _
C The number of daylight hours
D The relative humidity
21. A biology class in Virginia conducted a survey of the plant species found on their school grounds. They found several plants that they didn’t recognize. What resources would be most helpful to the class in identifying the plants and determining if they were introduced as exotic species?
A Biology textbooks and the encyclopedia
B Virginia native plant checklists and plant identification keys _
C Fossil records and historical society publications
D Virginia newspapers and science journals
22. A student hypothesizes that thick leg muscles are an inherited trait in dogs. The student collects data on several dogs, and the data show that dogs that live outdoors have thicker leg muscles than dogs that live indoors. What should the student conclude?
A Dogs that inherit thick leg muscles may not survive indoors.
B Dogs with thick leg muscles may require more exercise than dogs with thin leg muscles.
C Inheritance alone may not account for thick leg muscles in dogs. _
D Inheritance of thick leg muscles may be associated with coat thickness in dogs.
23. A company that produces Brand X flea shampoo claims to have the most effective shampoo for killing fleas. Which of these sets of data supports the Brand X claim?
24. Francesco Redi performed an experiment in 1668. In the experiment, he placed rotting meat in two jars. The first jar was left open. After a few days, fly larvae were found on the decaying
meat inside. The mouth of the second jar was covered with gauze. After a few days, the decaying meat inside was
free of fly larvae, but larvae were found on the gauze. This experiment
supports the hypothesis that —
A adult flies are not attracted to decaying meat
B fly larvae prefer fresh meat
C fly larvae only come from adult flies _
D decaying meat produces fly larvae
25. Harvester ants often strip a bush of all of its leaves. Some people believe this helps the plant grow thicker, healthier
stems. In an experiment, a student stripped off all the leaves from a set of plants. In a second set of identical plants, the student allowed ants to strip off the plants’ leaves. In order to improve this experimental design, it is most important to add a set of plants —
A exposed to a different ant species
B of a different species
C with its leaves left intact _
D that are dormant
26.
27. Which question cannot be answered scientifically because the quantity cannot actually be measured?
A How fast can a tiger swallowtail butterfly fly?
B How heavy is a mature female elephant?
C How happy is a chimpanzee when it finds its favorite food? _
D How much food does a water buffalo
consume in one day?
28. In 1869, DNA was discovered within the nuclei of cells. By the 1940s, scientists knew that chromosomes were made of both DNA and protein but did not know which was the genetic material of cells. In the 1950s, scientists demonstrated that DNA is the material responsible for heredity. In 1953, using information collected by other scientists, an American biologist and an English physicist built a three-dimensional model of DNA. These discoveries best illustrate the importance of —
A independent research
B replication of results
C collaborative efforts among scientists _
D recent improvements in the scientific method
29.
Four disinfectants were tested in two trials, each for their effectiveness in controlling bacterial growth. The table shows the bacterial growth in each trial after four days. Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the results of this study?
A Disinfectants kill most bacteria on contact.
B Strong concentrations of disinfectants can be harmful.
C Some disinfectants are more effective than others. _
D Disinfectants cannot be used to control bacterial infections
30.
31. In an experiment, the height of several plants was recorded daily in
millimeters. Which tool would be the most accurate and appropriate for this measurement?
A Digital scale
B Graduated cylinder
C Yardstick
D Metric ruler
32.
33. A scientist designed an experiment to test the effect of temperature on bacterial growth. He grew three different cultures of the bacterium
E. coli under three heat lamps at different temperatures. What was the
independent variable in this experiment?
A Length of the experiment
B Number of bacteria
C Reproduction rate
D Temperature
34. A student soaked 50 lima bean seeds and 50 green bean seeds in water for24 hours. Then she planted the seeds in soil at a depth of two centimeters, using the same amount of water, light, and heat for each kind of seed. She measured every three days to determine which type of seed grew the fastest. The paragraph describes —
A an observation C a hypothesis
B an experiment D a conclusion
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38. A scientist observes that a species of insect appears to be more numerous during dry summers than during wet summers. Which is the next step to determine an explanation of this phenomenon?
A Develop a hypothesis
B Publish the observation
C Observe the species in the winter
D Present a theory in a scientific journal
39. A student plans to conduct an experiment to determine how a change in the pH of water affects the population growth rate of algae. To ensure that her experimental data are valid, she should —
A hold the acidity of the water constant
B vary the temperature of the water used
C control the final algae population sizes
D use the same species of algae in all trials
40.
41.
42. A student hypothesizes that green algae will grow fastest when exposed to blue light. To test this hypothesis, the student should design an experiment with which independent variable?
A Color of algae
B Rate of algae growth
C Color of light that algae are exposed to
D Amount of time per day that algae are exposed to light
43.
The diagram shows a setup for a plant investigation. Which variable is most likely being tested?
A Hours of light exposure
B Plant species
C Soil volume
D Soil pH
44. Students in a biology class thought that salt water would affect the
movements of planaria. They put 25 planaria in salt water and recorded their observations. Which flaw was present in the design of their experiment?
A There was no hypothesis.
B There was no control.
C The sample was too big.
D The procedure was too complicated.
45. A scientist develops a hypothesis, designs an experiment, and obtains data that support her hypothesis. Which of the following best describes when a hypothesis becomes a theory?
A When one good set of scientific data supports a theory
B When the official scientific method is followed
C When a website is created to display the theory
D When it is supported by consistent data from many experimental trials