Discussion: Developing a Hypothesis
Discussion: Developing a Hypothesis
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MULTIPLE CHOICE SECTION INSTRUCTIONS: Read all instructions carefully. Please answer all questions. Each question is worth 1 point. The Multiple Choice section is worth 20 points.
**Do not enter your answers here.** Type in the letter you select as the best answer on the Answer Sheet provided by your instructor.
1. What is the correct sequence of steps in the scientific method?
I. Make observations and ask a question
II. Analyze the data
III. Develop a hypothesis
IV. Share the results with other scientists
V. Design and perform an experiment to test the hypothesis
A) I>II > III > IV > V
B) III > I > V > II > IV
C) V> IV > III > II > I
D) I> III > V >II > IV
E) V > II > I > III > IV
2. You have formulated a hypothesis: “Apples contain more vitamin C than oranges.”
To test your hypothesis you measure vitamin C levels in 20 oranges and 20 apples from trees that were grown in the same orchard under the same environmental conditions (temperature, rain, sunlight). This experiment was conducted twice. The control group in the experiment is
A) type of soil, temperature, amount of rain and sunlight in the orchard
B) vitamin C levels
C) oranges
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D) apples
E) a large sample size and repeated experiment
***Use the following information to answer questions 3, 4, 5 & 6 below***:
A group of medical researchers investigated the effects of Drug X on lowering cholesterol levels in a group of men between the ages of 50 and 70 years old. The researchers did the following experiment and obtained the indicated results: One group of 150 men took a tablet containing Drug X for 3 weeks – 95 of these men decreased their cholesterol levels by at least 10% (three men from this group dropped out of the study). Another group of 150 men was given a tablet with no added Drug X for 3 weeks – 10 of these men decreased their cholesterol levels by at least 10% (two men from this group dropped out of the study).
3. Which of the following is the best hypothesis for this experiment?
A) Will drug X lower cholesterol levels in men between the age of 50 and 70 years?
B) Drug X will lower cholesterol levels in men.
C) Since high cholesterol levels significantly increases several health risks for men, drug X is most likely beneficial.
D) Men between the age of 50 and 70 years will have reduced cholesterol levels if they take drug X over a 3 week period.
E) There is no significant difference in cholesterol levels between men that take drug X and those that don’t take it.
4. Which of the following was the control group in this experiment?
A) the amount of Drug X contained in the tablet
B) the number of participants in each group at the end of the experiment
C) the group of participants that received tablets containing Drug X
D) the group of participants that received tablets that did not contain Drug X
E) the number of participants in each group at the beginning of the experiment
5. Which of the following is a dependent variable in this experiment?
A) the amount of Drug X contained in the tablet
B) participants that received tablets containing Drug X
C) the average age of the participants
D) number of participants in each group at the beginning of the experiment
E) cholesterol levels
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6. Which of the following is an independent variable in this experiment?
A) the amount of Drug X contained in the tablet
B) participants that received tablets containing Drug X
C) the average age of the participants
D) number of participants in each group at the beginning of the experiment
E) blood pressure
