NCAE Scientific Ability and Critical Thinking 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A researcher finds that students who eat breakfast score higher on exams. Can the researcher conclude that eating breakfast causes higher scores?
- Yes, because the data clearly shows a pattern
- Yes, because breakfast provides energy for the brain
- No, because correlation does not imply causation (Correct answer)
- No, because the sample size was too small
Correct answer: No, because correlation does not imply causation
Correlation between two variables does not prove that one causes the other. There could be other factors (confounding variables) that explain the relationship, such as overall health habits or socioeconomic status.
Question 2: Which type of reasoning moves from general principles to specific conclusions?
- Inductive reasoning
- Deductive reasoning (Correct answer)
- Abductive reasoning
- Circular reasoning
Correct answer: Deductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning starts with a general statement or principle and applies it to reach a specific conclusion. For example, 'All mammals are warm-blooded; a dog is a mammal; therefore, a dog is warm-blooded.'
Question 3: What type of reasoning draws a general conclusion from specific observations?
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning (Correct answer)
- Analogical reasoning
- Fallacious reasoning
Correct answer: Inductive reasoning
Inductive reasoning involves making generalizations based on specific observations or evidence. For example, observing that the sun has risen every morning leads to the general conclusion that the sun rises every day.
Question 4: Which of the following best represents a testable hypothesis?
- Plants are beautiful when they bloom
- Students should study harder for exams
- If plants receive more sunlight, then they will grow taller (Correct answer)
- Science is the most important subject
Correct answer: If plants receive more sunlight, then they will grow taller
A testable hypothesis is a specific, measurable prediction that can be tested through experimentation. It typically follows an 'if...then...' format and involves variables that can be measured.
Question 5: In the Philippine ecosystem, which of the following is a producer in a food chain?
- Carabao
- Narra tree (Correct answer)
- Philippine eagle
- Tilapia
Correct answer: Narra tree
Producers are organisms that make their own food through photosynthesis. The narra tree, which is the national tree of the Philippines, is a producer because it converts sunlight into energy.
Question 6: What happens to the energy available at each successive trophic level in a food chain?
- It increases by 10%
- It remains the same
- It decreases by approximately 90% (Correct answer)
- It doubles at each level
Correct answer: It decreases by approximately 90%
At each trophic level, approximately 90% of energy is lost as heat through metabolic processes. Only about 10% of the energy is transferred to the next level, which is why food chains rarely have more than four or five levels.
NCAE Scientific Ability and Critical Thinking 2
A researcher finds that students who eat breakfast score higher on exams.
Can the researcher conclude that eating breakfast causes higher scores?