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
A scientist publishes a study showing that a new drug reduces symptoms. Another team attempts to replicate the study but gets different results. The best next step is to:
Answer: Conduct further independent investigations to determine which result is more robust
Replication failure triggers further investigation; multiple independent studies are needed to establish reliable scientific knowledge.
In an experiment measuring reaction time, using a sample of only three participants would be problematic because:
Answer: The small sample size reduces statistical power and increases the effect of individual variation
Small sample sizes make results highly susceptible to individual variation and reduce the ability to detect true effects.
Which scale of measurement is used when data can be ranked but the intervals between values are not equal?
Answer: Ordinal scale
An ordinal scale allows ranking (e.g., 1st, 2nd, 3rd) but does not assume equal spacing between ranks.
When a scientist states a result with a 95% confidence interval, it means:
Answer: There is a 95% probability that the true population value lies within the stated range
A 95% confidence interval is a range within which the true population parameter is expected to fall in 95% of repeated samples.
A student measures pH using universal indicator paper and records readings to two decimal places. This is problematic because:
Answer: The precision of the recorded values exceeds the actual resolution of the measurement method
Recording more decimal places than the instrument's resolution implies a false level of precision that the method cannot support.
Which of the following is an example of an inference rather than an observation?
Answer: The reaction must have released heat because the beaker felt warm
An inference is a conclusion drawn from observations; stating the reaction released heat is a conclusion, while warmth is the observation.
Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between a theory and a law in science?
Answer: A law describes what happens; a theory explains why it happens
Scientific laws describe observable patterns or relationships, while theories provide explanatory frameworks for why those patterns occur.