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Scientific Inquiry & Understanding Flashcards

7 cards from real ATAR practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Scientific Inquiry & Understanding flashcards as text

  1. The term 'validity' in an experiment refers to:

    Answer: Whether the experiment actually measures what it claims to measure

    Validity concerns whether the experimental design and measurements genuinely test the intended variable or concept.

  2. A researcher finds a strong positive correlation between two variables. This means:

    Answer: As one variable increases, the other tends to increase

    Correlation indicates a statistical association, not causation; a positive correlation means both variables tend to increase together.

  3. In scientific notation, the number 0.00452 is written as:

    Answer: 4.52 × 10⁻³

    Moving the decimal point three places to the right gives 4.52, and the negative exponent reflects the small magnitude of the original number.

  4. Which of the following best defines 'reliability' in scientific experimentation?

    Answer: The experiment produces the same results each time it is repeated under the same conditions

    Reliability refers to the reproducibility of results when the experiment is repeated under identical conditions.

  5. A student notices that plants near a window grow taller than those in the corner of the room and concludes that light increases plant growth. What is the main weakness of this conclusion?

    Answer: The conclusion ignores other variables like temperature and air circulation near the window

    Without controlling for other variables such as temperature or airflow, it cannot be concluded that light alone caused the difference in growth.

  6. When recording a measurement of 25.0 mL rather than 25 mL, the extra zero is significant because it:

    Answer: Indicates the measurement was made to the nearest 0.1 mL

    Trailing zeros after a decimal point are significant figures that convey the precision of the measuring instrument used.

  7. Which of the following best describes the purpose of a control group in an experiment?

    Answer: To provide a baseline comparison by not receiving the experimental treatment

    A control group receives no treatment and serves as a reference point to compare with the experimental group.