Test Bank for Discovering the Universe 11th Edition Comins
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Course
Discovering the Universe 11th Editio
Institution
Discovering The Universe 11th Editio
Book
Discovering the Universe
Chapter 02: Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets
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1. As far as is known, the first person who claimed that natural phenomena could be described by mathematics
was
a. Copernicus.
b. Pythagoras.
c. Aristotle.
d. Ptolemy.
ANSWER: b
...
DOWNLOAD THE Test Bank for Discovering the Universe 11th Edition Comin
Name: Class: Date:
Chapter 02: Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets
1. As far as is known, the first person who claimed that natural phenomena could be described by mathematics
was
a. Copernicus.
b. Pythagoras.
c. Aristotle.
d. Ptolemy.
ANSWER: b
2. The groundwork for modern science was laid by the first investigators who used mathematics to describe
natural phenomena. These were
a. the Babylonians, about 1800 B.C.
b. the Ionians, about 600 B.C.
c. the Pythagoreans, about 550 B.C.
d. Ptolemy and his associates, about 150 A.D.
ANSWER: c
3. The ancient Greek thinker Pythagoras held the view that
a. triangles do not exist.
b. natural phenomena are wonderful to watch but cannot be described by mathematics.
c. the Sun is at the center of the planetary system.
d. natural phenomena can be described mathematically.
ANSWER: d
4. What distinguished the Pythagoreans from the natural philosophy of the investigators who came before them?
a. They uncovered the scientific writings of the Babylonians.
b. They invented a crude telescope.
c. They attempted to make mathematical models of physical phenomena.
d. Through trade routes, they had been exposed to the philosophy of the ancient orient.
ANSWER: c
5. In ancient Greece, the philosopher Aristotle put forth the idea that
a. the universe is governed by regular laws.
b. the Sun is the center of the solar system.
c. Earth is only one of hundreds of planets scattered throughout the galaxy.
d. gravitation keeps the planets in their orbits.
ANSWER: a
6. A major theme of ancient Greek philosophy was that stars and planets in the sky
a. followed patterns that could be described logically.
b. could be controlled by the thoughts and actions of humans.
c. were at the mercy of gods and spirits, and the behavior of these objects depended on their whims.
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Chapter 02: Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets
d. behaved chaotically, and their future behavior was totally unpredictable.
ANSWER: a
7. The first person to realize that the force holding us onto Earth is the same force that holds the solar system
together was apparently
a. Plato.
b. Aristotle.
c. Newton.
d. Einstein.
ANSWER: c
8. The intellectual foundation of science is
a. observation, faith, and acceptance.
b. rejection of all observations that disagree with theory.
c. logical derivation entirely from fundamental principles.
d. observation, logic, and skepticism.
ANSWER: d
9. A scientist observes a new phenomenon that disagrees with his explanation or hypothesis. Following the
scientific method, he should
a. discard the observation as erroneous.
b. modify his hypothesis.
c. wait until someone develops an adequate explanation before announcing his observation.
d. reject those observations that do not agree with the theory.
ANSWER: b
10. In science, if new and reliable observations disagree with a well-established theory, then the
a. observations should be classified for future reference and the theory retained as the best explanation
of the phenomenon.
b. observations must be discarded.
c. theory must be discarded.
d. theory must be modified to account for the observations, and if this is not possible, then the theory
must be discarded.
ANSWER: d
11. In science, if new and reliable observations disagree with a particular theory, then the
a. observations must be discarded.
b. theory must be modified.
c. the observations and the theory should both be retained.
d. theory must be discarded.
ANSWER: b
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Chapter 02: Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets
12. The scientific method is a major force in science, and theories describing physical phenomena have been
developed with the aim of ensuring that
a. they agree with what we find in experiments and observations.
b. results from experiments can be adjusted to agree with carefully constructed theoretical ideals.
c. they agree with the wisdom of the ancients.
d. they are so good and our faith in them is so strong that we never need to test them against
observations.
ANSWER: a
13. Which one of these is NOT part of the scientific method?
a. make an observation or do an experiment
b. analyze results
c. determine consistence with recognized authorities
d. choose the simplest existing theory
ANSWER: c
14. Which one of these is NOT part of the scientific method?
a. propose a new experiment
b. take a formal vote at a recognized international scientific conference
c. modify existing theory
d. make predictions
ANSWER: b
15. In following the principles of the scientific method, a theory proposed to explain a given phenomenon must
a. agree with and build on previous theories but need not explain all observations because some of the
observations may be erroneous.
b. predict new and different experiments that will extend the scope of the theoretical understanding but
need not explain all the previous observations because no theory is expected to explain everything
completely.
c. explain all previous reliable observations in a consistent manner but need not suggest new tests for
the theory because a theory should be complete in itself.
d. explain all known reliable observations and predict new experiments and observations.
ANSWER: d
16. According to the scientific method, a hypothesis that is proposed to explain a particular physical
phenomenon is considered to be wrong if
a. leading scientists in the world believe that it is wrong.
b. it disagrees with the accepted theory at the time of the proposal.
c. it appears to defy logic and logical reasoning.
d. it is in conflict with the results of just one reliable and repeatable observation.
ANSWER: d
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Chapter 02: Gravitation and the Motion of the Planets
17. In applying the scientific method to the study of natural surroundings, scientists are
a. discovering by observation the absolute truth about limited areas of science and are therefore slowly
building up the correct view of the universe.
b. slowly amassing a vast bank of observations of nature that at some time in the future will be
assembled into the correct description of the universe.
c. formulating hypotheses or models that describe the present observations of nature and that predict
possible further tests for these models.
d. developing a theoretical view of the universe that incorporates all previous ideas and beliefs as part
of an overall philosophy.
ANSWER: c
18. A vital part of a scientific hypothesis is that
a. it is possible, in principle, to disprove it by observation.
b. it is possible, in principle, to disprove it by logical argument.
c. it must be mathematically simple.
d. it must be mathematically complex.
ANSWER: a
19. Which of these is a critical component of the scientific method?
a. belief that a theory accepted by leading scientists is correct
b. rejection of new scientific results when they disagree with the presently accepted theory
c. automatic rejection of a theory when new results disagree with its predictions
d. testing of predictions from a scientific theory or theoretical model
ANSWER: d
20. A scientific theory is accepted as the best description of a certain phenomenon if it
a. can be independently and repeatedly checked by observation.
b. has been developed by a scientist with a solid reputation, such as Albert Einstein or Sir Isaac
Newton.
c. has obtained the stamp of approval of an internationally renowned scientific body, such as the Royal
Society of London or the International Astronomical Union.
d. accounts for a full range of historical observations, even though recent observations cast doubt on it.
ANSWER: a
21. The development of the scientific theory related to the Higgs boson was unusual in that
a. it began with observations made over a century ago.
b. it began with theoretical calculations rather than observations.
c. the observations that began the investigation completely disproved the currently accepted model,
thus leaving the theorists with no structure to build on.
d. the original theory was an outgrowth of an entirely unrelated area of philosophy.
ANSWER: b
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