Chemistry and Scientific Questions

1.4.4Test (TST): Teacher-Scored Unit Test
Chemistry Honors
Name:
Date:
Test
In this test, you will apply what you have learned in the unit. Answer the questions
below. Submit this to your teacher when you are done.
Question 1: Science and the Scientist (8 points)
The winter of 1620 was brutal for the New World’s newly arrived Pilgrims.
Unprepared and unaware of how to provide for themselves in the wilderness, the
Pilgrims would never have survived without the help of the Native Americans, who
taught the settlers to rely on nature’s cues. For instance, the natives knew when
winter was over and corn-planting time had arrived when the oak leaves became
the same size as a mouse’s ear. They also showed the Pilgrims how burying fish
alongside corn seed increased the crop yield.
a. In the story above, who were the people acting as scientists? Identify the
observations they made, the pattern they saw, and rule they discovered about the
physical world. What “chemicals” did they use? What responsibility to society did
these “scientists” have? (6 points)
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b. What does this story tell you about who can be scientists and where they can
find chemicals in the world around them? (2 points)
Question 2: The Experiment (20 points)
A scientist saw an advertisement claiming that fluorescent lightbulbs provided an
“environmentally friendly, energy-efficient alternative to standard incandescent
bulbs.” She decided to test this claim by conducting her own experiment, using the
scientific method.
She wanted to find out if a fluorescent lightbulb generated less heat in a room
than a standard incandescent lightbulb. She formed a hypothesis and planned
out an experiment. She selected one standard lightbulb and one fluorescent
lightbulb, making sure that both bulbs gave the same amount of light. Next, she
put each lightbulb in a cardboard box (to represent a room), taped the boxes shut,
and measured the temperature change in each box after 30 minutes. She also
measured the temperature change with no lightbulb. She repeated each step to
make sure her findings were accurate and recorded her measurements in the table
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below. After looking at the results, she was amazed at what a huge difference
there was between each type of bulb.
Answer the following questions about the experiment:
a. What was the scientific question for this experiment? (2 points)
b. What was the hypothesis? (2 points)
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c. What prediction was used to test the hypothesis? (2 points)
d. What variables were used in this experiment? (2 points)
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e. Why was the experiment repeated? (2 points)
f. Which of the three groups in the experiment was the control group, and why
was a control group used? (2 points)
g. Did the data support or reject the hypothesis? Explain your answer. (2 points)
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h. Name one possible source of error that could have affected this experiment. (1
point)
i. Name one source of bias that the scientist was careful to avoid. (1 point)
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j. If the scientist wanted to publish this experiment, all necessary experimental
information would have to be provided so that the entire process could be
repeated. Name one piece of pertinent information missing from the experiment’s
description. (1 point)
k. Sometimes in a scientific experiment, the scientific question is about an object
that can’t actually be tested. In these cases, another item is used to represent the
object in question. This item is called a model.
i. What model was used in this experiment? (1 point)
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ii. What did the model represent? (1 point)
iii. Name one limitation using a model could have. (1 point)
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Question 3: Chemistry and the Environment (6 points)
Fluorescent lightbulbs contain a poisonous metal called mercury. The use of
mercury is a concern, because if it increases in the environment as the bulbs
break or are discarded, it can begin to build up in the human body and cause
brain damage. Given this fact and considering the results of the experiment
described above, was the claim that fluorescent bulbs provided an
“environmentally friendly, energy-efficient alternative to standard incandescent
bulbs” valid or invalid? Explain your answer. (6 points)
Question 4: Ethics (2 points)
Very hot environments, such as the inside of a car on a summer day, can be
dangerous for people and pets. The scientist from the lightbulb experiment
thought about further testing the fluorescent and incandescent lightbulbs to see if
they could heat an area to a dangerously high temperature. She considered
repeating the same experiment, but this time putting a mouse in each box to see
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how the mice fared in the extreme heat. Would this be an ethical experiment?
Explain your answer. (2 points)
Question 5: Hypotheses and Theories (4 points)
a. Explain how data can support or reject a hypothesis but never prove it. (2
points)
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b. Scientific theories are ideas that have been tested very well many times. Have
scientific theories been proved? Explain your answer. (2 points)
Question 6: History of Chemistry (6 points)
a. Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier has been called the “father of modern chemistry.”
What was so significant about his contribution to science? (2 points)
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b. List two differences between alchemy and chemistry. (4 points)
1.
2.
Question 7: Safety in Chemistry (4 points)
Asbestos was commonly used in building materials up until the 1980s because of
its flame-retardant properties. However, growing concern about the health risks of
asbestos exposure, which include lung cancer, has led to strict regulation of its
use and handling. While some countries have banned its use completely, others
have only restricted its applications.
a. Considering the above example, discuss why chemicals that have been used
for a long time still need to be evaluated for safety. (2 points)
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b. Why does the government get involved in chemical regulation? Give one
reason. (1 point)
c. Given that tons of building material currently contains asbestos, pose one
question about the use of asbestos that society still faces today. (1 point)
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