PAT PAT Science Reasoning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best describes a scientific theory?
- A guess made before an experiment
- A single observation made in a lab
- A well-tested explanation supported by extensive evidence (Correct answer)
- An opinion shared by most scientists
Correct answer: A well-tested explanation supported by extensive evidence
A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation based on repeated testing and a body of evidence.
Question 2: A student measures a liquid using a graduated cylinder and records 45 mL. What tool did she use?
- A balance scale
- A thermometer
- A graduated cylinder (Correct answer)
- A ruler
Correct answer: A graduated cylinder
A graduated cylinder is used to measure the volume of liquids in milliliters.
Question 3: In the water cycle, what process turns liquid water into water vapor?
- Condensation
- Precipitation
- Evaporation (Correct answer)
- Runoff
Correct answer: Evaporation
Evaporation is the process by which liquid water is converted into water vapor through heat energy.
Question 4: Which of the following is a physical change?
- Burning wood
- Rusting iron
- Cutting paper (Correct answer)
- Baking a cake
Correct answer: Cutting paper
Cutting paper changes only the shape or size, not the chemical composition, making it a physical change.
Question 5: A food web shows arrows from grass → rabbit → fox. What do the arrows represent?
- The direction animals move
- The flow of energy from one organism to another (Correct answer)
- The size of each organism
- The habitat each organism lives in
Correct answer: The flow of energy from one organism to another
In a food web, arrows show the transfer of energy from the organism being eaten to the organism eating it.
Question 6: What is the role of the control group in a science experiment?
- To provide the most dramatic results
- To serve as a baseline for comparison with the experimental group (Correct answer)
- To change all the variables at once
- To record the data collected
Correct answer: To serve as a baseline for comparison with the experimental group
The control group receives no treatment and serves as the standard against which experimental results are measured.
PAT PAT Science Reasoning 2
Which of the following best describes a scientific theory?