Deck 29: Prologue: the Nature of Science

Question 1

A truly educated person is knowledgeable about

A)science.
B)the arts.
C)religion.
D)all of the above

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Science, art, and religion need not contradict one another because

A)all three operate in different domains.
B)choosing the correct one allows you can forget the other two.
C)choosing religion and art allows you to dismiss science.
D)choosing science means that you can forget about religion and art.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Science and technology are

A)really one and the same.
B)responsible for all the good in the world.
C)responsible for all that is wrong in the world.
D)fundamentally different from each other.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The synthesis of a large collection of information that contains well-tested and verified hypotheses about certain aspects of the world is known as a scientific

A)fact.
B)hypothesis.
C)law or principle.
D)theory.
E)none of the above

Question 5

Which of these is a scientific hypothesis (that could be proved wrong)?

A)atoms in proper proportions make us feel good
B)atoms are in all the stars in the universe
C)an atom is the smallest bit of matter in a material
D)none of the above

Question 6

The scientific method is most effective in

A)making hypotheses.
B)gaining, organizing, and applying new knowledge.
C)discovering new things.
D)making theories.
E)performing experiments.

Question 7

Success in science is mainly linked to emphasis on

A)experiments.
B)luck.
C)trial and error.
D)philosophical discussions.

Question 8

In science, an educated guess is a

A)hypothesis.
B)theory.
C)both

Question 9

The statement, "There are regions beneath the Earth's crust that will always be beyond the reach of scientific investigation," is

A)a fact.
B)speculation.
C)a scientific statement.
D)a theory.

Question 10

In science, a theory is

A)an educated guess.
B)less than a fact.
C)a synthesis of a large body of well-tested knowledge.
D)unchangeable.

Question 11

When a scientist is dishonest and reports false information, he or she

A)will usually be excused by the scientific community.
B)after an apology, will be excused by the scientific community.
C)gets no second chance in the scientific community.
D)will likely be burned at the stake.

Question 12

In science, facts

A)are absolute.
B)may change.
C)mean very little.
D)are more important than theories.

Question 13

Scientific equations in a conceptual course are mainly

A)recipes for plugging in numerical data.
B)guides to thinking about the relationships between concepts.
C)for mathematical problem solving.
D)unfortunately a confusing way of explaining ideas.

Question 14

A hypothesis that is scientific must have a test for proving it

A)right.
B)wrong.
C)either.

Question 15

A scientific hypothesis can be disproved with

A)one reproducible experiment.
B)disapproval of other scientists.
C)many tests by many scientists.
D)philosophical reasoning.

Question 16

Science is a body of knowledge that extends back to

A)humankind's beginnings.
B)Greece in the 7th century B.C.
C)Italy in the 16th century.
D)the time of Galileo.

Question 17

Which of the following involves passion, talent, and intelligence?

A)art
B)literature
C)music
D)science
E)all of the above

Question 18

Which of the following is a scientific statement?

A)the Moon is made of green cheese
B)matter is filled with undetectable particles
C)there are parts of the universe that will never be found by humans
D)none of the above

Question 19

The language of science is

A)mathematics.
B)Latin.
C)Chinese.
D)Arabic.

Question 20

Science is concerned mainly with the

A)natural world.
B)spiritual world.
C)difference between right and wrong.
D)search for eternal truths.

Question 21

Of the sciences known as physics, chemistry, and biology, the most basic is

A)physics.
B)chemistry.
C)biology.
D)none in particular, as each may be considered fundamental.

Question 22

Technology is mainly

A)a body of scientific knowledge.
B)a tool of science.
C)what is wrong with the world.
D)a solution to all of mankind's problems.