Biology:
The Scientific Method
Study Questions

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NOTE: Answer questions 1-5 using the following information:

Observations lead us to suspect that DDT effects the thickness of chicken egg shells. We conduct an experiment to measure the effects of DDT on shell thickness: we feed chicken feed without DDT to a control group, and chicken feed with DDT to an experimental group. After several weeks on this diet, we begin measuring the thickness of each group's shells, and find that the experimental group's are indeed much thinner.

  1. A possible hypothesis for the experiment might have been:
  1. Chicken eggs with DDT taste horrible.
  2. DDT causes the egg shells of chickens to thin.
  3. Chicken feed often contains DDT.
  4. The control group will gain more weight than the experimental group.
  1. The independent variable for this experiment was:
  1. the number of chickens in each group
  2. the thickness of the egg shell
  3. the amount of DDT in the chicken feed
  4. the size of the chickens
  1. The dependent variable for this experiment was:
  1. the amount of chicken feed
  2. the amount of DDT in the chicken feed
  3. the size of the chickens
  4. the thickness of the eggshell
  1. What conclusion can we draw from this experiment?
  1. Chicken eggs with DDT taste awful.
  2. DDT causes the egg shells of chickens to thin.
  3. Chicken feed often contains DDT.
  4. The control group will gain more weight than the experimental group.
  1. Does this data support any of the hypotheses?
Yes
No
  1. Factors that change in response to the independent variable are called dependent variables.
TRUE
FALSE
  1. It is not necessary that the results of an experiment be reproducible.
TRUE
FALSE
  1. Care must be taken to ensure that only one variable differs between the control group and the experimental group.
TRUE
FALSE
  1. Science depends on careful observation.
TRUE
FALSE
MATCHING:
(use lower case; incorrect responses will be replaced with a "?".)

10. observation a. the item being tested

11. hypothesis b. an idea supported by many experiments

12. theory c. the constant group

13. control group d. ideas drawn from careful obseration

14. experimental group e. the results of an experiment

15. independent variable f. the variable group

16. dependent variable g. a formal statement regarding what we observe



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