ISAT Interpreting Scientific Data 5

Question 1

A food scientist measures bacterial colony counts at different storage temperatures and creates a line graph. The line shows exponential growth above 4°C. What practical conclusion can be drawn for food safety?

Accepted Answer

Refrigeration below 4°C is effective at limiting bacterial growth

Answer

The data shows exponential bacterial growth above 4°C, supporting the conclusion that keeping food below this temperature limits bacterial proliferation.

Question 2

A study reports that cities with more ice cream sales also have higher rates of drowning. A journalist concludes that ice cream causes drowning. What error is the journalist making?

Accepted Answer

Confusing correlation with causation without accounting for a confounding variable (hot weather)

Answer

Both ice cream sales and drowning increase in hot weather; hot weather is the confounding variable, and correlation alone does not establish causation.

Question 3

A table shows experimental data with mean = 50 and standard deviation = 2. Another dataset has mean = 50 and standard deviation = 10. What does the larger standard deviation indicate?

Accepted Answer

The second dataset has greater variability around the mean

Answer

Standard deviation measures how spread out data points are from the mean; a larger value indicates greater variability, not accuracy or sample size.

Question 4

A scientist publishes a study showing that a new alloy is 15% stronger than steel. A replication study finds only a 3% improvement. What is the most scientifically appropriate response?

Accepted Answer

Conduct additional independent studies to resolve the discrepancy

Answer

Scientific consensus requires reproducibility; conflicting findings call for additional independent replication rather than arbitrary selection of one result.

Question 5

A flow diagram traces the energy transfer through a food chain: Sun → Grass → Rabbit → Fox. If grass captures 10,000 kJ of energy and approximately 10% is transferred at each step, how much energy is available to the fox?

Accepted Answer

10 kJ

Answer

Applying 10% transfer twice: 10,000 × 0.10 = 1,000 kJ to rabbit, then 1,000 × 0.10 = 100 kJ to fox — wait, that's two steps from grass, so fox gets 100 kJ.

ISAT - International Student Admissions Test Practice Test

ISAT - International Student Admissions Test Practice Test

ISAT Interpreting Scientific Data 5