Critical Thinking
Formulating Hypotheses Suppose you want to know if objects with different masses fall to the ground at different rates. State a hypothesis about falling objects.
Designing Experiments Explain how you can test the hypothesis in Question 23. What will be the manipulated variable in your experiment? What will be the responding variable?
Calculating A triathlete enters a race in which he swims 500 meters, runs 3000 meters, and cycles 10.0 kilometers. What is the total distance of the race in kilometers?
Using Models Explain how a map of your town is an example of a model. How does this model help you plan a trip to an unfamiliar place?
Using Graphs Use the data in the table below to create a line graph. Plot distance on the vertical axis. Plot driving time on the horizontal axis. Calculate the slope of the line. If speed is the ratio of distance to time, what is the average driving speed of the trip?
City |
Distance From Start (km) |
Driving Time From Start (h) |
|---|---|---|
New York City, N.Y. |
750 |
9.5 |
Cleveland, Ohio |
1300 |
16.25 |
Chicago, Ill. |
1900 |
23.25 |
Omaha, Nebr. |
2100 |
26.25 |
Cheyenne, Wyo. |
2900 |
36.25 |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
3600 |
45 |
San Francisco, Calif. |
4800 |
60 |
Math Skills
Calculating If a thermometer outside your classroom indicates a temperature of 61 degrees Fahrenheit, what is the temperature in degrees Celsius? In kelvins?
Problem Solving Suppose you have a large coffee can full of pennies. How can you estimate how much money the can contains without counting all the coins? (Hint: What is the relationship between the mass of pennies and the number of pennies?)
Calculating The Milky Way galaxy contains between 200 and 400 billion stars. Estimate the number of stars in a cluster of 30 galaxies similar in size to the Milky Way. Your answer should consist of a low estimate and a high estimate, both expressed in scientific notation.
Concepts in Action
Designing Experiments A zookeeper notices that elephants become restless shortly before an earthquake. The zookeeper forms a hypothesis that, just before an earthquake occurs, an elephant detects a sound that humans are unable to hear. How could this hypothesis be tested?
Making Judgments You see an advertisement on television for an over-the-counter medication that has been “scientifically proven to work.” How could you find out if this claim is true?
Writing in Science Write a paragraph describing how advances in technology have affected your life. (Hint: The first sentence should state the paragraph's main idea.)
Performance-Based Assessment
Designing Experiments Grocery stores carry many brands of household detergents. Design an experiment to compare a more expensive brand of detergent with a less expensive one. Is one brand better for some purposes than the other?
Standardized Test Prep
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