Name Class Date

1.1 What Is Science?

Scientific Methodology: The Heart of Science
The questions below refer to spontaneous generation, the idea that life can arise from
nonliving matter. Spontaneous generation was accepted by many in the scientific
community up until the mid-nineteenth century. A series of simple experiments tested the
validity of this idea.

1. Evidence used to support spontaneous generation was the observation that foods over
time become covered in maggots or fungal and bacterial growth. The inference behind
spontaneous generation is that there is no “parent” organism. Write this inference as a
hypothesis using an if–then sentence that suggests a way of testing it.
If an organism appears on rotting food with no visible connection to a parent, then
the organism is arising spontaneously.
2. In 1668, Francesco Redi proposed a different hypothesis to explain the specific example
of maggots that appear on spoiled food. He had observed that maggots appear on meat a
few days after flies have been seen on the food. He inferred that the flies had left behind
eggs too small to see. Redi’s experiment is shown below. What conclusion can you draw
from Redi’s experiment?
Maggots form only when flies come into contact with meat; therefore, spontaneous
generation of maggots does NOT occur.

With meat
3. In the late 1700s, Lazzaro Spallanzani designed a different
experiment to show that life did not arise spontaneously
from food. He inferred that some foods spoil because of
growing populations of microorganisms. Fill in the
information requested below.

Independent variable:
Exposure to air
Dependent variable:
Growth of microorganisms
Controlled variables (identify three):
Same broth, Same boiling, type of flask, same time

4. Critics of Spallanzini said that he showed only that

0
 organisms cannot live without air. In 1859 Louis Pasteur designed an experiment to
address that criticism, an experiment that reproduced Spallanzani’s results.

Draw in the third and final steps in the experiment. Use an arrow to show
the path of travel of the microorganisms. Shade the broth in the flask(s) in
which microorganisms grew.

5. How did Pasteur solve Spallanzani’s problem of limiting exposure to air?

Used a flask with a bent neck that allowed air (NOT microorganisms in the air) to get to
the broth

6. What purpose did boiling the meat broth serve in both the Spallanzani and Pasteur
experiments?

Boiling ensured that there were NO living organisms in the broth at the beginning of the
experiment.

7. How do the Redi, Spallanzani, and Pasteur experiments disprove the hypothesis you
wrote in Question 1?

Each instance where organisms were thought to arise spontaneously, an alternate explanation
was provided for the appearance.

1
Scientific Method Practice

______8. Who uses the scientific method?

a. everyone, to solve both scientific and non-scientific problems
b. only students
c. only doctors
d. only teachers
e. only research scientists

______9. Which of the following is true about a hypothesis?

a. it should be phrased as a question
b. it should be phrased as a possible answer to your original question
c. it should be made only after you analyze your experimental data
d. all of these
e. none of these

______10. Which of the following is the best definition of “controlled variables”?

a. factors which are used only in the control group
b. data collected during the course of an experiment
c. factors which are the same between your control and experimental groups
d. factors which are different between your control and experimental groups

_____11. Which of the following should you do after the conclusion of your experiment?
a. share your findings with others
b. consider repeating your experiment to confirm your results
c. think about sources of error in your experiment and consider revising your procedure
and trying again.
d. all of these
e. none of these

_____ 12. What is the purpose of analyzing data collected during an experiment?
a. to make sure you wrote down all of the information correctly
b. to organize the data (including tables and graphs)
c. to use the information collected to draw conclusions
d. all of these
e. none of these

_____13. Which of the following is an example of collecting data?

a. Justin wondered if plant dyes could be taken out of plant leaves, flowers, and stems.
b. Susan said “If I fertilize my geranium plants, they will blossom.”
c. Angela’s experiment proved that earthworms move away from light.
d. Arthur noted that his basil plants were 10 cm higher after treatment with a fertilizer.

_____14. Suppose a student collected the following data during her experiment: 14cm,
16 cm, 18 cm. This is an example of:
a. qualitative data b. quantitative data

____15. In any experiment, how many experimental variables should be tested at a time?
a. an unlimited number b. 2-5 c. only 1 d. over 100

2
Identifying Steps of the Scientific Method

Use the lettered choices below to identify the steps of the scientific method below:

a. collect and analyze data d. design a controlled experiment

b. observe and ask questions e. infer and form a hypothesis
c. report the results to peers f. draw conclusions

A 16. The scientist records the number of oranges each tree grows during the summer
and calculates that the trees with fertilizer produced an average of 10 bushels while the
trees without fertilizer produced 6 bushels of oranges. A graph of the data is made.
B 17. A scientist wants to know whether orange trees need fertilizer in order to
produce fruit. In order to learn more about the use of fertilizers on fruit trees, she read
several articles in The North American Journal of Agriculture.

E 18. The scientist thinks that fertilizer is necessary. She states that if orange trees
need fertilizer to grow fruit, then trees given fertilizer will produce more oranges than
trees without fertilizer.

D 19. An experiment is designed in which 15 orange trees are given fertilizer. An

equal number of trees are not given fertilizer.

F 20. The scientist decides that the data have shown that fertilizer increases the number
of oranges produced by a tree. She states that this hypothesis has been supported by the
data.

C 21. A journal article is written by the scientist so she can share information with
others.

22. A scientist wants to know which of the three kinds of bird seed attract cardinals the best;
sunflower seeds, thistle seeds, or corn. She states her hypothesis: Sunflower seeds will attract the
most cardinals.

Write a prediction statement based upon this hypothesis. (Hint: (If your hypothesis Then this
will happen when you do this…). If you provide cardinals with sunflower seeds then the most
amount of cardinals will come.

23. What is the experimental variable in the experiment described above? Type of seeds

24. What do you think were the controlled variables? Birds (cardinals)

3
Read the following paragraph and answer the questions that follow. Read the
questions carefully and think about the definitions for the terms you are asked to
identify before you identify them.

A dermatologist has developed a new soap for acne that he believes will reduce the
number of blemishes (pimples) in teenagers. He wants to determine if it is effective at reducing the
number of blemishes when used two times a day. He obtains volunteers that have moderate to
severe acne and begins his research.
The design of the experiment is as follows: The individuals are divided into 2 groups; each
will be asked to wash their faces each morning and evening with the study soap provided. The are
reminded not to use any other soaps or creams on their faces, they are asked not to use any
makeup or perfumes on or near their faces for the duration of the study (6 weeks). The
individuals are asked not to take any medicine for acne (like antibiotics, etc.) One group (group
1) will receive the soap with the acne medicine in it and one group (group 2) will receive the
same soap without any acne medicine in it. The individuals will be checked in his office once per
week for six weeks to determine if their skin has improved.

25. What is the researcher’s hypothesis? The new acne soap will reduce the number of
blemishes in teenagers.

26. What is the experimental variable? Soap with acne medicine

27. Which group is the experimental group? Group 1

28. Which group is the control group? Group 2

29. List two controlled variables. No Makeup, no additional medicines, wash face every
morning/night.

Number of Number of
Time of visits
blemishes for blemishes for
(in weeks)
Group #1 Group #2

0 30 26
1 26 24
2 22 32
3 14 30
4 8 28
5 6 24
6 3 26

4
30. Construct a line graph of the data presented above.

Remember, the independent variable is placed on the ___________________-axis. The

dependent variable is placed on the _______-axis.

Please be sure to title your graph, label your x and y axis, and create a key you’re your two
lines on your graph.