CA GATE Scientific Inquiry and Reasoning 3

Question 1

A student claims that exercise improves memory. Which investigation design BEST tests this claim?

Accepted Answer

Have one group exercise daily and another not exercise, then test both groups' memory weekly

Answer

Testing two comparable groups—one with the variable and one without—while measuring the outcome is the proper controlled experiment design.

Question 2

In data analysis, what is an outlier?

Accepted Answer

A data point that is significantly different from the other values

Answer

An outlier is a data point that lies far outside the general pattern of the other data, which may indicate an error or a special case.

Question 3

Which type of graph is MOST appropriate for showing how a plant's height changes over several weeks?

Accepted Answer

A line graph with time on the x-axis

Answer

A line graph is best for showing continuous change over time, making the trend in plant growth easy to visualize.

Question 4

A student repeats the same experiment five times and gets very different results each time. This MOST likely indicates:

Accepted Answer

There is high variability, possibly due to uncontrolled variables or measurement errors

Answer

Inconsistent results across multiple trials suggest that uncontrolled variables or measurement errors are affecting the outcome.

Question 5

What does it mean to 'replicate' a scientific experiment?

Accepted Answer

To repeat the experiment exactly to verify the results

Answer

Replication means repeating an experiment under the same conditions to verify that the results are consistent and reliable.

CA GATE - California Gifted and Talented Education Exam Practice Test