1. What is the first step in the scientific method?
(A) Forming a hypothesis
(B) Conducting an experiment
(C) Making an observation
(D) Drawing a conclusion
2. What is a hypothesis?
(A) A testable explanation for an observation
(B) A proven scientific law
(C) A final conclusion
(D) A guess with no evidence
3. Which of the following best defines a scientific theory?
(A) A simple guess
(B) A fact that never changes
(C) An untested opinion
(D) A well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world
4. What is the purpose of a control variable in an experiment?
(A) To change the outcome
(B) To test the hypothesis
(C) To serve as a standard for comparison
(D) To confuse the results
5. What does a scientific law describe?
(A) An untested idea
(B) An observable phenomenon that is consistently true
(C) An opinion of scientists
(D) A rejected theory
6. Which of the following is an essential characteristic of a good scientific experiment?
(A) It must be repeatable
(B) It must be expensive
(C) It must prove the hypothesis
(D) It must have one outcome
7. During which step of the scientific method are data collected?
(A) Hypothesis formulation
(B) Observation
(C) Experimentation
(D) Conclusion
8. What is empirical evidence based on?
(A) Opinions and beliefs
(B) Observations and experiments
(C) Historical documents
(D) Internet sources
9. Why is it important to communicate scientific results?
(A) To earn awards
(B) To allow replication and further study
(C) To publish books
(D) To increase fame
10. What does it mean when an experiment is said to be “controlled”?
(A) Only one variable is changed at a time
(B) No variables are changed
(C) All variables are changed
(D) The results are kept secret