OSAT OSAT Scientific Inquiry and Principles 3

Question 1

Which of the following best describes the difference between a scientific theory and a scientific law?

Accepted Answer

A theory explains phenomena while a law describes a pattern

Answer

A scientific theory explains why or how phenomena occur, while a law describes what consistently happens under certain conditions.

Question 2

A researcher uses a random sample to select study participants. The PRIMARY purpose of random sampling is to:

Accepted Answer

Ensure the sample represents the population

Answer

Random sampling ensures every member of the population has an equal chance of selection, improving representativeness.

Question 3

During peer review, other scientists evaluate a study before publication mainly to:

Accepted Answer

Verify findings and identify errors or flaws

Answer

Peer review is a quality-control process where experts check methodology, data, and conclusions for validity.

Question 4

If experimental data does NOT support a hypothesis, a scientist should:

Accepted Answer

Revise or reject the hypothesis

Answer

Unsupported hypotheses should be revised or rejected; negative results are still valuable scientific information.

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of qualitative data?

Accepted Answer

The color of a chemical solution turned blue

Answer

Qualitative data describes characteristics or qualities (like color) rather than numerical measurements.

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