GED Science Preparation Course: Science practices: experiments, data and evidence

1. Question 1 of 16

   What is the independent variable in Maya's experiment?

   Maya wants to know whether water temperature changes how fast sugar dissolves. She fills four cups with 200 mL of water each, at 10°C, 25°C, 40°C and 60°C. She drops one 5 g sugar cube into each cup, stirs each cup the same way, and times how long the sugar takes to disappear.

   Results: 10°C: 95 seconds; 25°C: 70 seconds; 40°C: 48 seconds; 60°C: 30 seconds.

   • AThe time for the sugar to dissolve
   • BThe amount of water in each cup
   • CThe water temperature
   • DThe mass of the sugar cube
   Show answer

   Answer: C. The water temperature

   The independent variable is what the scientist changes on purpose. Maya chose four different temperatures.

2. Question 2 of 16

   What is the dependent variable in Maya's experiment?

   Maya wants to know whether water temperature changes how fast sugar dissolves. She fills four cups with 200 mL of water each, at 10°C, 25°C, 40°C and 60°C. She drops one 5 g sugar cube into each cup, stirs each cup the same way, and times how long the sugar takes to disappear.

   Results: 10°C: 95 seconds; 25°C: 70 seconds; 40°C: 48 seconds; 60°C: 30 seconds.

   • AThe volume of water in each cup
   • BThe way she stirs each cup of water
   • CThe time for the sugar to dissolve
   • DThe water temperature in each cup
   Show answer

   Answer: C. The time for the sugar to dissolve

   The dependent variable is what is measured. Maya timed how long the sugar took to disappear.

3. Question 3 of 16

   Which is a controlled variable in Maya's experiment?

   Maya wants to know whether water temperature changes how fast sugar dissolves. She fills four cups with 200 mL of water each, at 10°C, 25°C, 40°C and 60°C. She drops one 5 g sugar cube into each cup, stirs each cup the same way, and times how long the sugar takes to disappear.

   Results: 10°C: 95 seconds; 25°C: 70 seconds; 40°C: 48 seconds; 60°C: 30 seconds.

   • AThe time for the sugar to dissolve
   • BThe result at 60°C
   • CThe volume of water in each cup
   • DThe water temperature
   Show answer

   Answer: C. The volume of water in each cup

   Controlled variables are kept the same. Every cup had 200 mL of water, so only temperature changed.

4. Question 4 of 16

   Which conclusion is best supported by Maya's results?

   Maya wants to know whether water temperature changes how fast sugar dissolves. She fills four cups with 200 mL of water each, at 10°C, 25°C, 40°C and 60°C. She drops one 5 g sugar cube into each cup, stirs each cup the same way, and times how long the sugar takes to disappear.

   Results: 10°C: 95 seconds; 25°C: 70 seconds; 40°C: 48 seconds; 60°C: 30 seconds.

   • AStirring has no effect on how fast sugar dissolves
   • BSalt dissolves faster than sugar in warm water
   • CSugar cannot dissolve at all in water that is colder than 10°C
   • DWithin this range, sugar dissolved faster in warmer water
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Within this range, sugar dissolved faster in warmer water

   The time fell from 95 s to 30 s as the temperature rose. The data say nothing about salt, stirring or temperatures below 10°C.

5. Question 5 of 16

   How could Maya make her results more reliable?

   Maya wants to know whether water temperature changes how fast sugar dissolves. She fills four cups with 200 mL of water each, at 10°C, 25°C, 40°C and 60°C. She drops one 5 g sugar cube into each cup, stirs each cup the same way, and times how long the sugar takes to disappear.

   Results: 10°C: 95 seconds; 25°C: 70 seconds; 40°C: 48 seconds; 60°C: 30 seconds.

   • ATest only the 60°C cup again with a new cube
   • BStop timing before the sugar fully dissolves
   • CUse a different amount of sugar in each of the cups
   • DRepeat each temperature and average the results
   Show answer

   Answer: D. Repeat each temperature and average the results

   Repeated trials reduce random error. Changing the sugar amount would add a second variable.

6. Question 6 of 16

   Which statement is a testable hypothesis?

   • APlants were probably happier in the past
   • BIf plants get more light, then they will grow taller
   • CSome people like plants more than animals
   • DPlants are the most beautiful living things on Earth
   Show answer

   Answer: B. If plants get more light, then they will grow taller

   A hypothesis is a prediction that can be tested by measuring something, often written as "If …, then …."

7. Question 7 of 16

   In a medicine study, one group gets the new medicine and another group gets a pill with no medicine. Why is the second group used?

   • AIt makes the study finish faster and cost less money
   • BIt removes the need to measure any results
   • CIt gives a baseline to compare the results with
   • DIt is the independent variable of the study
   Show answer

   Answer: C. It gives a baseline to compare the results with

   A control group gets no treatment, so scientists can see whether the medicine made a difference.

8. Question 8 of 16

   Which is an inference rather than an observation?

   • AThe soil feels dry and crumbly when you touch it
   • BThe plant's leaves are yellow with brown edges
   • CThe plant is 24 cm tall when measured with a metric ruler
   • DThe leaves are yellow, so the plant may need water
   Show answer

   Answer: D. The leaves are yellow, so the plant may need water

   An observation is what you notice directly. An inference is an explanation based on observations.

9. Question 9 of 16

   What is a scientific theory?

   • AAn opinion shared by most people
   • BA well-tested explanation backed by much evidence
   • CA single experiment's result
   • DA guess that a scientist makes before doing any research
   Show answer

   Answer: B. A well-tested explanation backed by much evidence

   In science, a theory is not just a guess; it is supported by much evidence and testing.

10. Question 10 of 16

    Use the table. What is the best prediction of plant height with 10 hours of light per day?

    Hours of light per day	Average plant height (cm)
    4	6
    8	11
    12	16
    16	21

    • A27 cm
    • B16 cm
    • C13.5 cm
    • D11 cm
    Show answer

    Answer: C. 13.5 cm

    Height rises 5 cm for every 4 more hours of light. 10 hours is halfway between 8 and 12 hours, so the height is about halfway between 11 and 16 cm: 13.5 cm.

11. Question 11 of 16

    Four trials of an experiment gave these results: 10, 14, 11 and 17 seconds. What is the mean?

    • A12.5 seconds
    • B17.3 seconds
    • C7 seconds
    • D13 seconds
    Show answer

    Answer: D. 13 seconds

    Mean = (10 + 14 + 11 + 17) ÷ 4 = 52 ÷ 4 = 13 seconds. 12.5 is the median and 7 is the range.

12. Question 12 of 16

    Daily high temperatures for five days were 18, 22, 25, 19 and 21°C. What is the range?

    • A21°C
    • B7°C
    • C25°C
    • D4°C
    Show answer

    Answer: B. 7°C

    Range = largest − smallest = 25 − 18 = 7°C. 21°C is the mean.

13. Question 13 of 16

    Seven students counted the insects in their yards: 3, 8, 5, 9, 5, 2 and 7. What is the median?

    • A7
    • B39
    • C5
    • D9
    Show answer

    Answer: C. 5

    In order: 2, 3, 5, 5, 7, 8, 9. The middle (4th) value is 5.

14. Question 14 of 16

    A bag holds 4 green beads and 6 yellow beads. You pick one without looking. What is the probability it is green?

    • A1/4 (25%)
    • B4/6 (about 67%)
    • C2/5 (40%)
    • D3/5 (60%)
    Show answer

    Answer: C. 2/5 (40%)

    Probability = wanted outcomes ÷ total outcomes = 4 ÷ 10 = 2/5, or 40%. 4/6 compares green to yellow instead of to the total.

15. Question 15 of 16

    A recipe for a lab solution needs 2.5 L of water. How many milliliters is that?

    • A2,500 mL
    • B250 mL
    • C25,000 mL
    • D25 mL
    Show answer

    Answer: A. 2,500 mL

    Milli- means one thousandth, so 1 L = 1,000 mL. 2.5 × 1,000 = 2,500 mL.

16. Question 16 of 16

    The table shows that ice cream sales and sunburn cases rise and fall together. What is the best explanation?

    Month	Ice cream sales	Sunburn cases at a clinic
    April	1,200	8
    June	3,900	31
    August	4,300	35
    October	1,100	6

    • AThe clinic must have copied the numbers wrong
    • BEating ice cream causes people to get sunburned
    • CGetting a sunburn makes people want to buy more ice cream to cool down
    • DA third factor, such as sunny weather, likely causes both
    Show answer

    Answer: D. A third factor, such as sunny weather, likely causes both

    Correlation is not causation. Two things can rise together because a third factor, here sunny weather, affects both.

Keyboard: 1–4 to answer, Enter for the next question.

The real test: 145 on a 100–200 scale