ATAR Scientific Inquiry & Understanding 3

Question 1

A line of best fit on a scatter plot is drawn to:

Accepted Answer

Show the general trend while minimizing the distance from all data points

Answer

Connect all data points in order

Answer

Pass through the origin always

Answer

Highlight the outliers in the dataset

Question 2

An outlier in a dataset should be:

Accepted Answer

Investigated to determine whether it results from error or a genuine observation

Answer

Always removed to improve the average

Answer

Automatically included in all calculations without question

Answer

Reported only if it supports the hypothesis

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of qualitative data?

Accepted Answer

The color change observed during a chemical reaction

Answer

The mass of a sample in grams

Answer

The temperature at which a reaction occurs

Answer

The volume of gas produced per minute

Question 4

A placebo is used in medical trials to:

Accepted Answer

Control for the psychological effect of receiving treatment

Answer

Replace the experimental drug with a cheaper alternative

Answer

Ensure participants are aware of which treatment they receive

Answer

Increase the dosage given to the control group

Question 5

When a scientist states a result is 'statistically significant,' it means:

Accepted Answer

The result is unlikely to have occurred by chance alone

Answer

The result is large enough to be practically important

Answer

The experiment was repeated more than ten times

Answer

The hypothesis has been proven beyond doubt

Question 6

A double-blind study is designed so that:

Accepted Answer

Both the researchers and participants are unaware of who receives the treatment

Answer

Only participants are unaware of the hypothesis

Answer

Researchers observe results without using instruments

Answer

Data is collected from two independent research groups

Question 7

Which type of graph is most appropriate for displaying the proportion of different categories in a whole dataset?

Accepted Answer

Pie chart

Answer

Line graph

Answer

Scatter plot

Answer

Histogram