Exam 1: Basic Concepts

Modern biology is as important as it is inspiring. Genetics and cell biology are revolutionizing medicine and agriculture. Molecular biology is providing new tools for anthropology, helping us trace the origin and dispersal of early humans. Ecology is helping us evaluate environmental issues, such as the causes and consequences of global warming. And neuroscience and evolutionary biology are reshaping psychology and sociology. Neil A. Campbell and Jane B. Reece, Biology, 6^th edition

Which of the following are all nonarguments?

We can distinguish three aspects of any sound. First, there must be a source for a sound; and as with any source, the source of a sound wave is a vibrating object. Second, the energy is transferred from the source in the form of longitudinal sound waves. And third, the sound is detected by an ear or an instrument. Douglas C. Giancoli, Physics: Principles with Applications, 5^th ed.

In the expression "Barack Obama was elected president because he capitalized on a bad economy," the statement "He capitalized on a bad economy" is called the:

Radio show host Frank Weltner, who is a neo-Nazi white supremacist, says that all immigration from Mexico must stop immediately. Therefore, we must take Mr. Weltner at his word and call a halt to Mexican immigration.

PART A Some attorneys are litigators, so some attorneys are skillful litigators, since some attorneys are skillful. Which of the following correctly expresses the form of this argument? a. Some A are S . Some A are L. Some A are SL. $\quad$ b. Some A are SL. Some A are L. Some A are S . $\quad$ c. Some A are S . Some A are . Some A are L. d. Some A arenot S . Some A are not L . Some A are not SL. $\quad$ e. Some A are L. Some A are not S . Some A are SL. PART B Which of the following substitutions proves the argument invalid? A) A = doctors, S = highly trained, L = specialists. B) A = women, S = caring, L = parents. C) A = fruits, S = yellow, L = lemons. D) A = people, S = intelligent, L = morons. E) A = cars, S = large, L = sedans.

The colors of all glowing objects have the same origin: They come from atoms and molecules that have been excited to states of high energy. Atoms in burning fireworks and stars become excited by absorbing energy as heat. They then throw off their excess energy as light. The colors emitted by an atom depend on how its electrons are arranged. So by investigating the colors an atom emits, we can determine its internal structure. Loretta Jones and Peter Atkins, Chemistry, 4^th ed.

In general, whoever produces or distributes child pornography is subject to prosecution. But that rule is not absolute. For example, in 2002 the Supreme Court ruled that computer generated child porn is protected under the First Amendment. The Court reasoned that such pornography was permissible because no real children are exploited.

In an explanation, the statement or statements that purport to do the explaining are called:

Numerous studies have indicated that women of color, black women in particular, are over-arrested, over-indicted, and over-sentenced. African-American women are seven times more likely to be arrested for prostitution than women of other ethnic groups. Black women have received significantly longer sentences for crimes against property and served longer periods in prison. For both murder and drug offenses, Euroamerican women ended up serving one-third less time for the same offenses than black women. Nancy Kurshan, "Women and Imprisonment in the U.S."

The observational method is extremely useful in helping us describe social behavior. The correlational method is extremely useful in helping us understand what aspects of social behaviors are related. However, only a properly executed experiment allows us to draw conclusions about cause and effect. For this reason, the experimental method is the most commonly used research design in social psychology. Elliot Aronson, et al., Social Psychology

If a deductive argument has a false conclusion then we know the argument is:

When asked how to address the militaristic ambitions of North Korea, two Republican senators said we should drop bombs on Pyongyang, and a third said we should invade. The obvious conclusion is that Republicans are all a bunch of war mongers.

That billboard in the middle of the field says "Get the U.S. out of the U.N." From this it's clear that the United Nations is a bad organization.

The power that modifies, influences, and controls climate originates with the sun. The amount of sunlight striking a particular area of the globe determines the level of warmth and ultimately the movement of air and the amount of precipitation. Because the earth is a globe that rotates about a tilted axis, the amount of sunlight striking the earth varies by region and time. Gary S. Moore, Living with the Earth, 3^rd ed.

The earth is of interest to astronomy for many reasons. Nearly all observations must be made through the atmosphere, and the phenomena of the upper atmosphere and the magnetosphere reflect the state of interplanetary space. The earth is also the most important object of comparison for planetologists. Hannu Karttunen, et al., Fundamental Astronomy

Nicotine is addictive because its chemical structure is so similar to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine that once inside the brain it unlocks several other chemicals. One of these chemicals is dopamine, which produces a highly pleasant sensation. Another is adrenaline, which increases alertness. Yet a third is serotonin, which improves one's mood. When people are deprived of these chemicals, they naturally want more, and this leads to addiction.

Brandon is a polytheist. Therefore, he believes in more than one god.

Michelle is an agnostic. Therefore, she must not have any firm belief in God.

Which of the following sentences is a statement?