Question 1

Pseudoscience refers to:

Accepted Answer

A)  a belief or practice that is made to look scientific but that was not developed through the scientific method. 
B)  the first phase of the scientific method. 
C)  scientific theories that have been superseded by more recent explanations. 
D)  the application of the scientific method to our daily lives.

Question 2

Which of the following is true of the development of science?

Accepted Answer

A)  Science required the development of mathematics. 
B)  Science foundation was first formed during the European Renaissance. 
C)  Science developed in stages, with contributions from many societies. 
D)  Science arose purely from abstract considerations with little application to everyday life.

Question 3

The typical life span of a housefly is about 10⁻² years,while the typical life span of a person is about 10² years.We might say that a housefly lives ________ than a person.

Accepted Answer

A)  four orders of magnitude more 
B)  four orders of magnitude less 
C)  four times longer 
D)  four times shorter

Question 4

A parsec is a unit of:

Accepted Answer

A)  angle. 
B)  time. 
C)  mass. 
D)  distance.

Question 5

On scales of about one-billionth of a meter,what is the fundamental building block of matter?

Accepted Answer

The answer of On scales of about one-billionth of a...

Question 6

How many seconds have elapsed since the family Hominidae (including the great apes)first appeared on Earth,20 million years ago? Express your answer in standard scientific notation.(Hint: There are 31.6 million seconds per year.)

Accepted Answer

The answer of How many seconds have elapsed since the...

Question 7

How much larger is the diameter of a galaxy compared to that of a star?

Accepted Answer

A)  1012 
B)  103 
C)  10-3 
D)  10-12

Question 8

(3.3 × 10⁵)+ (2.0 × 10⁴)= :

Accepted Answer

A)  3.5 × 104 
B)  3.5 × 105 
C)  5.3 × 105 
D)  6.6 × 109

Question 9

What is the sequence of events in the scientific method,assuming it is working properly and in its simplest form?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the sequence of events in...

Question 10

In order to observe the sunrise on the winter solstice from the ancient monument at Newgrange (in Ireland,part of the Northern Hemisphere),you should look:

Accepted Answer

A)  somewhat south of due east. 
B)  due east. 
C)  somewhat north of due east. 
D)  due west.

Question 11

The first steps toward science came with the:

Accepted Answer

A)  discovery of the wheel. 
B)  invention of mathematics. 
C)  invention of agriculture. 
D)  None of the above.

Question 12

(2.7 × 10⁸)/ (9.0 × 10⁻⁴)= :

Accepted Answer

A)  3.0 × 107 
B)  3.0 × 108 
C)  3.0 × 1011 
D)  3.0 × 1012

Question 13

The entire population of the United States (about 3.0 × 10⁸ people)each spend thirty seconds reading the latest astronomy news.In total,how many hours have people spent learning about the latest advance?

Accepted Answer

A)  2.5 million 
B)  25 million 
C)  250 million 
D)  2.5 billion

Question 14

How many orders of magnitude are there between the diameter of a planet like Earth and the typical size of a planetary system?

Accepted Answer

A)  one 
B)  two 
C)  three 
D)  six

Question 15

An ancient astronomer notes that a lunar eclipse occurs just before a massive rainstorm.She tells her family that she believes the next eclipse will also be followed by a storm.When the eclipse arrives,she moves all her belongings into a nearby cavern to keep them dry,but no storm materializes.Has the astronomer made proper use of the scientific method? If not,why not?

Accepted Answer

The answer of An ancient astronomer notes that a lunar...

Question 16

A scientific theory is a(n):

Accepted Answer

A)  well-established and well-tested physical explanation. 
B)  mathematical equation explaining natural phenomena. 
C)  unproven hypothesis. 
D)  hypothesis suggested by a single experiment.

Question 17

According to present estimates,the Universe is roughly 14 billion years old,while stars slightly more than 10 times more massive than our Sun live for only 7 million years.How many generations of such stars could there have been over the history of the Universe? Express your answer in standard scientific notation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to present estimates,the Universe is roughly...

Question 18

Scientific advances are directly responsible for which of the following problems facing humanity?

Accepted Answer

A)  the depletion of fossil fuels 
B)  pollution 
C)  climate change 
D)  all of the above

Question 19

(4.72 × 10¹⁵)- (8.0 × 10¹⁴)= :

Accepted Answer

A)  3.92 × 101 
B)  4.64 × 101 
C)  3.92 × 1014 
D)  3.92 × 1015

Question 20

The distance from one chair to another in a typical classroom is about one meter.By increasing the order of magnitude one step at a time,provide familiar examples for length scales from one meter up to 10⁶ meters.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The distance from one chair to another...

Exam 1: Getting Started: Science, astronomy, and Being Human

Pseudoscience refers to:

Which of the following is true of the development of science?

The typical life span of a housefly is about 10⁻² years,while the typical life span of a person is about 10² years.We might say that a housefly lives ________ than a person.

A parsec is a unit of:

On scales of about one-billionth of a meter,what is the fundamental building block of matter?

How many seconds have elapsed since the family Hominidae (including the great apes)first appeared on Earth,20 million years ago? Express your answer in standard scientific notation.(Hint: There are 31.6 million seconds per year.)

How much larger is the diameter of a galaxy compared to that of a star?

(3.3 × 10⁵) + (2.0 × 10⁴) = :

What is the sequence of events in the scientific method,assuming it is working properly and in its simplest form?

In order to observe the sunrise on the winter solstice from the ancient monument at Newgrange (in Ireland,part of the Northern Hemisphere) ,you should look:

The first steps toward science came with the:

(2.7 × 10⁸) / (9.0 × 10⁻⁴) = :

The entire population of the United States (about 3.0 × 10⁸ people) each spend thirty seconds reading the latest astronomy news.In total,how many hours have people spent learning about the latest advance?

How many orders of magnitude are there between the diameter of a planet like Earth and the typical size of a planetary system?

A scientific theory is a(n) :

Scientific advances are directly responsible for which of the following problems facing humanity?

(4.72 × 10¹⁵) - (8.0 × 10¹⁴) = :

The distance from one chair to another in a typical classroom is about one meter.By increasing the order of magnitude one step at a time,provide familiar examples for length scales from one meter up to 10⁶ meters.