Question 1

The progress of science is mainly happens when a scientist working in isolation and discovers something very important.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Generally, distinguished scientists

Accepted Answer

A)  Always agree if they really are expert scientists 
B)  May have different interpretations of the same evidence 
C)  Never disagree once a theory is established 
D)  Believe each other and support each other in their work 
E)  Always disagree so they can prove theories 
A)  Always agree if they really are expert scientists 
B)  May have different interpretations of the same evidence 
C)  Never disagree once a theory is established 
D)  Believe each other and support each other in their work 
E)  Always disagree so they can prove theories

Question 3

The damage to an ecosystem caused by a hurricane or flood can be referred to as

Accepted Answer

A)  An open system 
B)  An emergent property 
C)  Equilibrium in nature 
D)  A disturbance 
E)  Negative feedback loop 
A)  An open system 
B)  An emergent property 
C)  Equilibrium in nature 
D)  A disturbance 
E)  Negative feedback loop

Question 4

The statement, "Since every insect I have examined so far has six legs, I conclude that all insects must have six legs" is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  Inductive reasoning 
B)  Deductive reasoning 
C)  Hypothesis testing 
D)  Reductive reasoning 
E)  Parsimony 
A)  Inductive reasoning 
B)  Deductive reasoning 
C)  Hypothesis testing 
D)  Reductive reasoning 
E)  Parsimony

Question 5

A person carefully gathering pieces of information to uncover a larger pattern is engaged in deductive reasoning.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

When referencing the above scenario, why did Susan average the resulting heights of the plants?

Accepted Answer

A)  To account for the genetic variation in the plants. 
B)  Because two numbers are easier to compare than 50. 
C)  She liked showing off her knowledge of simple statistical analysis. 
D)  To account for differences in temperature and sunlight between the groups. 
A)  To account for the genetic variation in the plants. 
B)  Because two numbers are easier to compare than 50. 
C)  She liked showing off her knowledge of simple statistical analysis. 
D)  To account for differences in temperature and sunlight between the groups.

Question 7

Which of the following is an example of a negative feedback loop?

Accepted Answer

A)  A small island is home to both wolves and deer. When the deer have high numbers, the wolves have plenty of prey to feed pups and their numbers increase. When the deer are heavily predated upon, the deer numbers decrease causing some of the wolves to starve. 
B)  Grass begins to grow on a recently plowed field. 
C)  Locusts begin to swarm, and when they encounter other non-swarming locusts, they too being to swarm. 
D)  A person is driving and is cut off by another driver, this causes the person to become angry and they begin to drive more aggressively, cutting off other drivers. 
A)  A small island is home to both wolves and deer. When the deer have high numbers, the wolves have plenty of prey to feed pups and their numbers increase. When the deer are heavily predated upon, the deer numbers decrease causing some of the wolves to starve. 
B)  Grass begins to grow on a recently plowed field. 
C)  Locusts begin to swarm, and when they encounter other non-swarming locusts, they too being to swarm. 
D)  A person is driving and is cut off by another driver, this causes the person to become angry and they begin to drive more aggressively, cutting off other drivers.

Question 8

Scientific paradigms can be characterized by all of the following except

Accepted Answer

A)  once agreed upon remain unchanged forever. 
B)  are broad patterns of thought that guide thinking. 
C)  influence how we interpret evidence. 
D)  determine which questions we understand to be relevant to issues at hand. 
A)  once agreed upon remain unchanged forever. 
B)  are broad patterns of thought that guide thinking. 
C)  influence how we interpret evidence. 
D)  determine which questions we understand to be relevant to issues at hand.

Question 9

In the scenario described above, the plants that received fertilizer are the _______________ group, and the plants that did not receive fertilizer are the ___________ group.

Accepted Answer

A)  treatment; control 
B)  control; treatemnt 
C)  treatment; exposed 
D)  controlled; non-treatment 
A)  treatment; control 
B)  control; treatemnt 
C)  treatment; exposed 
D)  controlled; non-treatment

Question 10

From the following statements and questions, which is the best example of deductive reasoning?

Accepted Answer

A)  If all insects have six legs, then butterflies have six legs 
B)  In repeated tosses of a coin, there is a 50/50 chance of each toss resulting in a "head" 
C)  How many times will the toss of coins turn "heads-up" if 100 times toss a coin? 
D)  Since every insect I have examined so far has six legs, I conclude that all insects must have six legs 
E)  All of these are examples of deductive reasoning 
A)  If all insects have six legs, then butterflies have six legs 
B)  In repeated tosses of a coin, there is a 50/50 chance of each toss resulting in a "head" 
C)  How many times will the toss of coins turn "heads-up" if 100 times toss a coin? 
D)  Since every insect I have examined so far has six legs, I conclude that all insects must have six legs 
E)  All of these are examples of deductive reasoning

Question 11

Which of the following scenarios are free from bias?

Accepted Answer

A)  A scientist is conducting an experiment on liver disease that is funded by a university, and has set up the experiment as a double-blind study testing of a new medication. 
B)  A scientist is conducting an experiment on liver disease that is funded by a pharmaceutical company, and has set up the experiment as a double-blind study testing of a new medication. 
C)  A scientist is conducting an experiment on liver disease that is funded by a university, and has set up the experiment study testing of a new medication and only give the medicine to the healthiest patitents. 
D)  A scientist is conducting an experiment on liver disease that is funded by a pharmaceutical company, and has set up the experiment as a double-blind study testing of a new medication on people without liver disease as well as those with liver disease. 
A)  A scientist is conducting an experiment on liver disease that is funded by a university, and has set up the experiment as a double-blind study testing of a new medication. 
B)  A scientist is conducting an experiment on liver disease that is funded by a pharmaceutical company, and has set up the experiment as a double-blind study testing of a new medication. 
C)  A scientist is conducting an experiment on liver disease that is funded by a university, and has set up the experiment study testing of a new medication and only give the medicine to the healthiest patitents. 
D)  A scientist is conducting an experiment on liver disease that is funded by a pharmaceutical company, and has set up the experiment as a double-blind study testing of a new medication on people without liver disease as well as those with liver disease.

Question 12

The ability of an ecosystem to recover from a disturbance is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  resilience 
B)  stability 
C)  fitness 
D)  emergence 
A)  resilience 
B)  stability 
C)  fitness 
D)  emergence

Question 13

Networks of interactions among interdependent factors are known as

Accepted Answer

A)  Science 
B)  Ecology 
C)  Systems 
D)  Processes 
E)  Negative feedback loops 
A)  Science 
B)  Ecology 
C)  Systems 
D)  Processes 
E)  Negative feedback loops

Question 14

Paradigm shifts occur when ethical considerations are incorporated into scientific theory.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Manipulative experiments

Accepted Answer

A)  are not useful to ecologists because they depend on the natural environment. 
B)  are most often conducted in a laboratory. 
C)  do not allow the scientist to control variables. 
D)  are not possible. 
A)  are not useful to ecologists because they depend on the natural environment. 
B)  are most often conducted in a laboratory. 
C)  do not allow the scientist to control variables. 
D)  are not possible.

Question 16

Creating a generalization based on several observations is an example of deductive reasoning.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Which of the following is a closed system?

Accepted Answer

A)  A cave with abundant life that was sealed off from the outside world during a landslide 100 years ago. 
B)  An underwater ocean cave 
C)  an aquarium 
D)  a forest habitat 
A)  A cave with abundant life that was sealed off from the outside world during a landslide 100 years ago. 
B)  An underwater ocean cave 
C)  an aquarium 
D)  a forest habitat

Question 18

Positive feedback is a process

Accepted Answer

A)  that is self-perpetuating. 
B)  where increases in a state variable lead to further increases. 
C)  that suppresses change. 
D)  that is self-perpetuating and where increases in a state variable lead to further increases. 
A)  that is self-perpetuating. 
B)  where increases in a state variable lead to further increases. 
C)  that suppresses change. 
D)  that is self-perpetuating and where increases in a state variable lead to further increases.

Question 19

Which of the following is not an important feature of science?

Accepted Answer

A)  Reproducibility 
B)  Parsimony 
C)  Empiricism 
D)  Positive proof 
A)  Reproducibility 
B)  Parsimony 
C)  Empiricism 
D)  Positive proof

Question 20

Which of the following does not apply to manipulative experiments?

Accepted Answer

A)  Extraneous variables are held constant 
B)  Most experiments are done in the laboratory 
C)  They are useful for studying large scale geologic forces 
D)  They can be affected by experimenter bias 
A)  Extraneous variables are held constant 
B)  Most experiments are done in the laboratory 
C)  They are useful for studying large scale geologic forces 
D)  They can be affected by experimenter bias

Exam 2: Principles of Science and Systems

The progress of science is mainly happens when a scientist working in isolation and discovers something very important.

Generally, distinguished scientists

The damage to an ecosystem caused by a hurricane or flood can be referred to as

The statement, "Since every insect I have examined so far has six legs, I conclude that all insects must have six legs" is an example of

A person carefully gathering pieces of information to uncover a larger pattern is engaged in deductive reasoning.

When referencing the above scenario, why did Susan average the resulting heights of the plants?

Which of the following is an example of a negative feedback loop?

Scientific paradigms can be characterized by all of the following except

In the scenario described above, the plants that received fertilizer are the _______________ group, and the plants that did not receive fertilizer are the ___________ group.

From the following statements and questions, which is the best example of deductive reasoning?

Which of the following scenarios are free from bias?

The ability of an ecosystem to recover from a disturbance is known as

Networks of interactions among interdependent factors are known as

Paradigm shifts occur when ethical considerations are incorporated into scientific theory.

Manipulative experiments

Creating a generalization based on several observations is an example of deductive reasoning.

Which of the following is a closed system?

Positive feedback is a process

Which of the following is not an important feature of science?

Which of the following does not apply to manipulative experiments?

Understanding Our Environment

Matter, Energy, and Life

Evolution, Biological Communities, and Species Interactions

Biomes: Global Patterns of Life

Population Biology

Human Populations

Environmental Health and Toxicology

Food and Hunger

Farming: Conventional and Sustainable Practices

Biodiversity: Preserving Species

Biodiversity: Preserving Landscapes

Restoration Ecology

Geology and Earth Resources

Climate Change

Air Pollution

Water Use and Management

Water Pollution

Conventional Energy

Sustainable Energy

Solid, Toxic, and Hazardous Waste

Urbanization and Sustainable Cities

Ecological Economics

Environmental Policy, Law, and Planning

What Then Shall We Do

Filters

In the scenario described above, the plants that received fertilizer are the _____ group, and the plants that did not receive fertilizer are the _ group.