Here are some science questions to help you test your knowledge of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.
The questions are chosen randomly, so this quest will be different each time you reload the page.
Back to the Grade 5 standards.
When a scientist makes a new discovery, other scientists usually do exactly the same experiment. Why?
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They want to get part of the credit.
No. While replicating an experiment is very important, the scientists who do it usually don't get much credit for their work unless they discover an error in the original experiment. -
Repetition is part of the scientific process.
No. Repetition is when scientists repeat their own experiment several times, not when other scientists do the same experiment. -
They think they can make changes to improve the experiment.
No. By doing exactly the same experiment, they are not changing anything. Instead, they are replicating the experiment as closely as possible. -
Replication is part of the scientific process.
Yes. By replicating the experiment, other scientists can help verify that the results are accurate. There is always a possibility that there was some unnoticed influence on the original experiment, and replication can help spot that.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.2.N.1.4 Explain how particular scientific investigations should yield similar conclusions when repeated.
| What is Science? | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Scientific Process-6 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-5 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-7 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-10 | practice |
SC.5.N.2.2 Recognize and explain that when scientific investigations are carried out, the evidence produced by those investigations should be replicable by others.
>>> Teacher Page: Nature of Science and Dissolving
| What is Science? | video, ClosedCaptions |
| What is Science?: Repeat and Replicate | video |
| Review Scientific Process-6 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-5 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-10 | practice |
SC.6.N.1.2 Explain why scientific investigations should be replicable.
| What is Science? | video, ClosedCaptions |
| What is Science?: Repeat and Replicate | video |
| Review Scientific Process-6 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-5 | practice |
SC.7.N.1.2 Differentiate replication (by others) from repetition (multiple trials).
| What is Science? | video, ClosedCaptions |
| What is Science?: Repeat and Replicate | video |
| Review Scientific Process-6 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-5 | practice |
SC.8.N.1.2 Design and conduct a study using repeated trials and replication.
| What is Science?: Repeat and Replicate | video |
| Review Scientific Process-6 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-5 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-7 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-10 | practice |
Utah
NGSS
In the Yeast and Sugar video, I added different kinds of sugar to bottles with yeast and warm water. One of the bottles was a control. What should have been in that bottle?
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Just water
No. With just water, you are removing two variables, the yeast and the sugar. You only want to remove the independent variable.
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Water and yeast
Yes! A control should be exactly like the others, but without the independent variable (the variable you are changing in the experiment.) In this case, the variable you are changing is the kind of sugar, so the control should have everything except for the sugar. -
Water and sugar
No. The yeast is not the independent variable, so leaving it out would not be correct. -
Water and salt
No. Adding salt would be adding a new variable, which is not correct.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.N.1.4 Identify a control group and explain its importance in an experiment.
| Bacteria and Antibiotics | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Testing a Leaf for Starch | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Scientific Process-1 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-2 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-9 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-11 | practice |
SC.7.N.1.4 Identify test variables (independent variables) and outcome variables (dependent variables) in an experiment.
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| Testing for Tannic Acid | video |
| Review Scientific Process-1 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-2 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-9 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-11 | practice |
Utah
NGSS
3-5-ETS1-3 Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
| What is Science? | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Scientific Process-1 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-2 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-7 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-9 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-10 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-11 | practice |
Which of the following observations is scientifically testable?
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Honeybees are good insects.
No. "Good" is a generic term that could mean many different things in different situations. It is an opinion, not a testable property. This statement is NOT scientifically testable. -
Honeybees are important insects.
No. "Important" is a generic term that could mean many different things to different people. It is an opinion, not a testable property. This statement is NOT scientifically testable. -
Honeybees are pretty insects.
No. Some people might think that a honeybee is pretty, and some people might not. It is an opinion, not a testable property. This statement is NOT scientifically testable. -
Honeybees are not insects.
Yes! While this statement is not correct, it is scientifically testable. You could examine the bee to see that it does fit the definition of an insect. This statement is IS scientifically testable.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.N.2.1 Recognize and explain that science is grounded in empirical observations that are testable; explanation must always be linked with evidence.
| My Position on Science and Religion | video |
| What is Science?: Objective | video |
| Mobius Strip | video |
| Is Your Project Scientifically Testable? | text page |
| Is Your Project Scientifically Testable? Part 2 | text page |
| Review Scientific Process-3 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-4 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-8 | practice |
SC.8.N.2.1 Distinguish between scientific and pseudoscientific ideas.
| What is Science? | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Feeding Bread to Birds | text page |
| Fact checking GMOs | text page |
| I Saw It on the Internet, part four | text page |
| I Saw It on the Internet, part three | text page |
| I Saw It on the Internet, part two | text page |
| I Saw It on the Internet, part one | text page |
| Review Scientific Process-3 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-4 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-8 | practice |
Utah
NGSS
Which of the following observations is NOT scientifically testable?
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Butterflies have pretty wings.
Yes! Pretty is an opinion, and can vary from person to person, so it is NOT scientifically testable. -
Butterflies have six legs.
No. This could be tested by counting the legs of a variety of butterflies. -
Butterflies can sting like bees.
No. A claim does not have to be true to be testable. Examination of a variety of butterflies would show that they do not have stingers. -
Most butterflies drink nectar from flowers.
No. This could be tested by observing the feeding habits of butterflies.
Explain more about it.
If I said that butterflies did not have six legs, you could show me physical evidence by counting their legs. After counting the legs, the physical evidence would show that butterflies have six legs.
If I said that I don't think butterfly wings are pretty, you could show me wings that you think are pretty, but I might not agree with your opinion. "Pretty" is not something that we can measure. What is pretty to one person might not be pretty to another, so it is not a testable property.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.N.2.1 Recognize and explain that science is grounded in empirical observations that are testable; explanation must always be linked with evidence.
| My Position on Science and Religion | video |
| What is Science?: Objective | video |
| Mobius Strip | video |
| Is Your Project Scientifically Testable? | text page |
| Is Your Project Scientifically Testable? Part 2 | text page |
| Review Scientific Process-3 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-4 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-8 | practice |
SC.8.N.2.1 Distinguish between scientific and pseudoscientific ideas.
| What is Science? | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Feeding Bread to Birds | text page |
| Fact checking GMOs | text page |
| I Saw It on the Internet, part four | text page |
| I Saw It on the Internet, part three | text page |
| I Saw It on the Internet, part two | text page |
| I Saw It on the Internet, part one | text page |
| Review Scientific Process-3 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-4 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-8 | practice |
Utah
NGSS
We enjoy the hummingbirds that visit our feeders. I am trying to find the mixture of sugar and water that they like the best.
Each day, I put out four feeders with different amounts of water and sugar. At the end of each day, I measure to see how much of each the hummingbirds drank. Which of the following is NOT an important part of this experiment?
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One of the feeders should only contain water, with no sugar.
No. This IS an important part of the experiment. The feeder without any sugar is the control. If the hummingbirds drink just as much pure water, it would indicate that the sugar is not important. -
The feeders should be placed randomly every day.
No. This IS an important part of the experiment. If you always put the same mixture in the same location, the results may be because the birds like that location instead of because they like the amount of sugar. -
I should repeat this experiment every day for several weeks.
No. This IS an important part of the experiment. The more times you repeat the same test, the more likely you are to get accurate results. -
The different mixtures should be colored different colors with nontoxic food coloring.
Yes. This is NOT an important part of the experiment. It would add a second variable to the experiment, which is a bad thing. You want everything to be the same for each sample, with the only difference being the amount of sugar. If you used different colors and different amounts of sugar, you would not know whether the results were due to the color or the sugar.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.N.1.4 Identify a control group and explain its importance in an experiment.
| Bacteria and Antibiotics | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Testing a Leaf for Starch | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Scientific Process-1 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-2 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-9 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-11 | practice |
SC.7.N.1.4 Identify test variables (independent variables) and outcome variables (dependent variables) in an experiment.
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| Testing for Tannic Acid | video |
| Review Scientific Process-1 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-2 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-9 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-11 | practice |
Utah
NGSS
3-5-ETS1-3 Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
| What is Science? | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Scientific Process-1 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-2 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-7 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-9 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-10 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-11 | practice |