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Questions and Answers
What is the primary purpose of a hypothesis in scientific experiments?
What is the primary purpose of a hypothesis in scientific experiments?
- To disprove a competitor's theory
- To prove a theory correct
- To intimidate other scientists with complex terminology
- To guide experimental design and provide a testable explanation of observations (correct)
What makes a hypothesis testable?
What makes a hypothesis testable?
- It is based on a well-established theory
- It is widely accepted by the scientific community
- It proposes a clear explanation that can be proven or disproven (correct)
- It is based on a vague idea
What is the significance of falsifiability in a hypothesis?
What is the significance of falsifiability in a hypothesis?
- It ensures the hypothesis is always correct
- It provides a way to prove the hypothesis is correct
- It allows for modification of the hypothesis based on new data
- It allows for the hypothesis to be proven wrong through experimentation (correct)
What was a major breakthrough in the understanding of cells?
What was a major breakthrough in the understanding of cells?
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What was the role of DNA according to the scientists?
What was the role of DNA according to the scientists?
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What was initially unclear about the genetic information in cells?
What was initially unclear about the genetic information in cells?
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Study Notes
Hypotheses in Scientific Research
- A hypothesis offers a testable and falsifiable explanation of observations to guide experimental design.
- A hypothesis should be testable, meaning it can be proven or disproven through experimentation.
- A hypothesis should be falsifiable, meaning it can be proven wrong if the results contradict the hypothesis.
Example of a Hypothesis
- Observing maple trees lose their leaves in the fall, a scientist proposes: "cold weather causes maple trees to lose their leaves in the fall."
- This hypothesis is testable by growing maple trees in a warm enclosed environment, such as a greenhouse, to see if their leaves still drop in the fall.
- If the leaves still drop in the warm environment, the hypothesis would be falsified, indicating temperature is not the main factor.
Discovery of DNA Function
- In the last century, scientists made significant breakthroughs in understanding cells and their functions.
- One major discovery was the function of DNA, which contains the genetic information that dictates how cells work.
- Scientists previously debated whether proteins or DNA provided this genetic information.
- The discovery of DNA's function revolutionized the understanding of cellular biology.
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