Deck 1: The Way of Science: Experience and Reason

Question 1

A scientific theory [or scientific principle] could best be described as

A) an idea that explains a large collection of observations of the natural world.
B) any mental picture, or idea, about the way that the natural world operates.
C) a tentative guess about the way the natural world operates.
D) an idea that has been proven by observations of the natural world.
E) an observed fact or collection of facts about the natural world.

Answer 1

an idea that explains a large collection of observations of the natural world.

Question 2

Did Tycho's data prove that Kepler' theory was true?

A) No, because some of Tycho's observations were incorrect.
B) No, because Tycho's data disagreed with Kepler's theory.
C) No, because observations can never completely prove the truth of scientific theory.
D) Yes, because Kepler's theory agreed with all of Tycho's data.
E) Yes, because Tycho's data ruled out the competing theories of Ptolemy and Copernicus.

Answer 2

No, because observations can never completely prove the truth of scientific theory.

Question 3

A primary reason for you to learn science, according to the textbook's opening section, is

A) to pass on Western culture to the next generation.
B) because a broadly educated person can get a better job.
C) to increase your awareness.
D) to increase your intelligence.
E) Actually there is no good reason all this scientific nonsense.

Answer 3

to increase your awareness.

Question 4

The very earliest Greek theory of the structure of the universe pictured Earth at the center with the planets revolving around it at an unchanging rate in simple circles. The Greeks later revised this theory because

A) they didn't believe the theory was sufficiently beautiful to represent the eternal gods.
B) certain observations led them to the conclusion that Earth has a spherical shape.
C) they observed that the planetary motions are irregular and include such things as retrograde motion.
D) they came to believe that the sun should be at the center of things.
E) Actually, the Greeks never did abandon this theory--the theory was not altered until the time of Copernicus.

Question 5

How did Brahe measure highly accurate planetary positions?

A) With the recently- invented telescope.
B) By careful measurements of the brightness of the planets, as seen from Earth.
C) With a new type of telescope that used mirrors instead of lenses.
D) By his invention of the technique know as triangulation (measuring the distance between 2 points, and measuring 2 angles, to determine the distance to a 3rd point).
E) With larger and more elegant sighting instruments.

Question 6

Which of these is the correct definition for an ellipse?

A) Each point on the ellipse is the same distance from one fixed point.
B) The sum of the distances of a point on the ellipse from two fixed points is the same, for each point on the ellipse.
C) All points on the ellipse are an equal distance apart.
D) Each point on the ellipse lies on a smooth oval curve around one fixed point.
E) Each pair of points on the ellipse is the same distance from one fixed point.

Question 7

Which of the following is not one of the four general themes or "story lines" that underlie this course?

A) comparisons and contrasts between Newtonian and contemporary physics
B) practical "household" science that you can use around your home, your car, etc.
C) how we know what we know in science
D) energy
E) the social context of physics

Question 8

The most significant difference between the astronomical theories of Ptolemy and Copernicus is

A) Ptolemy uses circular planetary orbits while Copernicus uses elliptical orbits.
B) Ptolemy's theory does away with many of the complexities of the Copernican theory.
C) Ptolemy's theory is Earth- centered, whereas Copernicus's is sun- centered.
D) Ptolemy's is not based on scientific evidence, while Copernicus's is.
E) Ptolemy's theory is sun- centered, whereas Copernicus's is Earth- centered.

Question 9

The very earliest Greek cosmological theory, several centuries before Ptolemy, stated that

A) the entire universe is in reality just the inside of a giant cosmic frog.
B) the planets revolve in loop- the- loops around the sun.
C) the planets go in simple circles around Earth.
D) the planets revolve in loop- the- loops [circles within circles] around Earth.
E) the planets go in simple circles around the sun.

Question 10

Venus is usually either the "evening star" or the "morning star" because

A) its orbit around the sun is outside Earth's orbit.
B) it is usually on the same side of the sun, relative to Earth.
C) it is usually on the opposite side of the sun, relative to Earth.
D) its orbit around the sun is inside Earth's orbit.
E) Actually, the evening or morning star is usually Mars, not Venus.

Question 11

One of the primary justifications given, in the textbook's opening section, for this course is

A) to transmit our cultural heritage to your generation and to future generations.
B) people with a broad education are happier.
C) so that you can learn useful skills such as the ability to repair things around the house.
D) because more broadly educated people get better- paying jobs upon graduation.
E) the evolutionary trend over billions of years has been toward increased awareness.

Question 12

Copernicus proposed his theory because

A) Ptolemy's theory was based on discredited religious myths.
B) the predictions of Ptolemy's theory disagreed with the observed data.
C) he sought a more comprehensive theory that would explain not only the solar system but the rest of the known universe as well.
D) Ptolemy's theory was too complicated, messy, and unsatisfying.
E) Ptolemy's theory disagreed with Catholic Church teaching.

Question 13

Which of the following scientists made highly accurate measurements that first disproved the theories of Ptolemy and Copernicus?

A) Nonsense-- nobody has disproved Copernicus's theory.
B) Nonsense-- you cannot disprove a general scientific theory.
C) Galileo
D) Brahe
E) Kepler

Question 14

Of the many different features of the scientific method, one feature is the most important. Without it, we should not call a field a "science." This feature is

A) the interaction between theory and observation.
B) the use of only those theories that are known, for certain, to be true.
C) the use of mathematics.
D) the use of quantitative measurements.
E) that the results should lead to some useful technological application [for example, a useful medical treatment].

Question 15

Copernicus proposed his theory because

A) it was obvious to most educated people by that time that Earth orbits the sun.
B) Ptolemy's theory was known to be wrong.
C) it was more in line with Church thinking than was the pre- Christian Greek theory.
D) it fit the data taken by Tycho Brahe.
E) he thought that Ptolemy's theory was too messy and that his was more "fitting."

Question 16

One ancient Greek scientist, Aristarchus, had a theory about the layout of the universe that was quite different from the other Greek theories. According to Aristarchus's theory,

A) there is no fixed center anywhere in the universe.
B) the Earth is held up by Hercules, who stands on a turtle, who stands on an elephant, who stands on Zeus, who is beginning to think that the whole thing isn't worth the effort.
C) Earth is at the center and other objects move around Earth in simple circles.
D) Earth is at the center, and the planets move around Earth in orbits that could be described as "circles- within- circles" or "loop- the- loops."
E) the sun is at the center and other objects, including Earth, move around the sun in simple circles.

Question 17

The glow in the night sky known as the Milky Way is light coming from

A) a large cloud of glowing gas far out in space.
B) a band of glowing gases in Earth's upper atmosphere.
C) stars in our own galaxy.
D) the reflection of sunlight off of a giant dust cloud that is illuminated by the sun.
E) another galaxy, adjacent to our own galaxy.

Question 18

How did Galileo know that the planets go around the sun rather than around Earth?

A) From telescopic measurements of the positions of the stars as Earth moved around the sun during the course of one year.
B) From telescopic observations of the phases of Venus as it moves around the sun.
C) From measurements of the tides raised by the moon as compared with the tides raised by the sun.
D) By noting that Venus always lies near the sun, as seen from Earth, from which he concluded that Venus must be orbiting the sun.
E) From the writings of Aristarchus, the ancient Greek astronomer.

Question 19

According to author Norman Mailer from his book Of a Fire on the Moon, quoted in the textbook's opening section,

A) quantum theory shows that the universe is infinitely deep and subtle.
B) science is leading us toward a greater understanding of the important truths in life.
C) our culture uses science to gain power over nature but doesn't know how that power should be used.
D) science is in the process of solving most of the world's social problems.
E) physics professors are crackpots.

Question 20

One of the four main themes or "story lines" that will keep appearing throughout this course is

A) understanding the structure and origin of our planet and of life on Earth.
B) how to solve simple numerical physics problems
C) solving the problem of nuclear war.
D) contrasts and comparisons between Newtonian and contemporary physics.
E) understanding how household appliances and other familiar technological gadgets work.

Question 21

If a man says to you that he is absolutely certain of some idea, you can conclude that

A) he is right.
B) he is a fanatic.
C) he is not being scientific.
D) if his idea really is absolutely true then it must be based on scientific reasoning.
E) he is wrong.

Question 22

How is the sun situated in the universe?

A) The sun is just one of a large number of stars, and is located on the fringes of the Milky Way galaxy, which itself is just one galaxy among many galaxies.
B) Earth is at the center of the universe, and the sun orbits around the earth.
C) The sun is an isolated star that is far outside of all the galaxies in the universe, and is thus not part of any galaxy.
D) The sun is at the center of the universe.
E) The sun is just one of many stars, and is located near the center of the rest of the stars in the universe.

Question 23

What is the scientific status of astrology today?

A) Although astrology is implausible on general theoretical grounds, there is real observational evidence for it.
B) It is implausible on general theoretical grounds, and there are no scientific observations to support it.
C) Although it is theoretically plausible, and although real observational evidence exists for it, most scientists still will not accept astrology because it seems too unconventional or "kooky."
D) Although there is no real observational evidence for this phenomenon, astrology is theoretically plausible.
E) Astrology is plausible on general theoretical grounds, and there is also real observational evidence for it, which is why most scientists believe that astrology has real validity.

Question 24

How did ancient Greeks such as Aristotle know that Earth is round?

A) The shadow cast by Earth on the moon during an eclipse is the shape that would be expected if both Earth and the moon were spherical.
B) By noting that ships drop below the horizon as they go out to sea.
C) Travelers reported that, in northern lands, the noontime sun is lower in the sky.
D) All of the above.
E) Actually, the ancient Greeks thought that Earth is flat.

Question 25

"Physics" could best be described as the study of

A) matter.
B) atoms in motion.
C) the application of science to the needs of human beings.
D) the general principles underlying natural phenomena.
E) the absolute, or certain, truths about the natural world.

Question 26

One of the features of "pseudoscience" that distinguishes it from "science" is that pseudoscientific ideas are

A) wrong.
B) unusual, or odd.
C) Both of the above.
D) held tentatively, as a hypothesis.
E) held dogmatically.

Question 27

What is the scientific community's view of the scientific value of astrology?

A) It is unscientific, because it does not support its theories with clear and verifiable predictions about observations.
B) Even though its predictions are occasionally inaccurate, it does deserve to be classified as a true science.
C) It is unscientific, because its predictions have been shown to be incorrect.
D) It is scientific, even though it is not related to the "real world" of observed phenomena.
E) It is unscientific, because its practitioners do not understand the principles of physics or astronomy.

Question 28

In Ptolemy's theory, retrograde planetary motion is explained as

A) a result of Earth's motion: as Earth passes another planet, that planet appears to move backward as seen against the background stars.
B) due to the natural wandering of the celestial sphere of background stars.
C) the backward part of the planet's loop- the- loop orbits around Earth.
D) due to the back- and- forth or "oscillatory" motion that planets make as they move along their circular orbits around Earth.
E) Actually he didn't have an explanation for this.

Question 29

Suppose a "psychic" tells you that "At midnight tonight, everything will double in size." This statement is

A) a scientific prediction that is probably false because the experimental evidence will probably disprove it [based on past experience].
B) a nonscientific statement because no experiment can check it to determine whether it is true or false.
C) a scientific prediction that is certainly false.
D) a nonscientific statement because it is based completely on guess- work.
E) the greatest idea since sliced bread.

Question 30

Which of the following statements best describes the status of the Copernican and Ptolemaic theories of the solar system shortly after Tycho Brahe's observations?

A) These observations showed Copernicus's theory to be the correct one.
B) These observations showed Ptolemy's theory to be the correct one.
C) These observations turned out to have little or no bearing on either theory.
D) These observations showed both theories to be incorrect.
E) These observations showed both theories to be correct.

Question 31

According to author Norman Mailer from his book Of a Fire on the Moon, quoted in the opening section,

A) the creation of Earth was a beautiful and spiritually significant event for the human race.
B) intelligent extraterrestrial life forms probably exist in many places, and may visit Earth in the near future.
C) the establishment of a technology base on the moon is a crucial step in the exploration of the solar system.
D) science is moving us rapidly along new paths, but we haven't stopped to consider where those paths might lead.
E) powerful new science- based technologies are bringing about a better life on this planet.

Question 32

A primary reason for you to learn science, according to the textbook's opening section, is

A) it might help you earn a living.
B) the world needs your help in dealing with today's science- related social issues.
C) so that you can understand how the practical devices around you, such as kitchen appliances, work.
D) to improve your ability to reason properly.
E) physics is intrinsically interesting.

Question 33

Regarding the validity of Ptolemy's and Copernicus' theories:

A) Ptolemy was proven wrong and Copernicus was proven right.
B) they were both wrong and useless theories.
C) they were both good theories, but Ptolemy's point of view ultimately turned out to be more useful.
D) they were both good theories, but Copernicus' point of view ultimately turned out to be more useful.
E) the experimental facts known in Copernicus' time tended to support Copernicus' theory over Ptolemy's.

Question 34

Chapter 1 contains a quotation by author Norman Mailer from his book Of a Fire on the Moon. Mailer's point is that

A) quantum theory shows that the universe is infinitely deep and subtle.
B) physics professors are a bunch of crackpots.
C) science is leading us toward a greater understanding of the important truths in life.
D) with the help of science and technology, we are solving most of the world's social problems.
E) science and technology give us power over nature but our culture we don't know how to use that power.

Question 35

"Physics" could best be described as the study of

A) matter and atoms in motion.
B) the application of science to the needs of human beings.
C) energy.
D) the general principles underlying natural phenomena.
E) the laws, or absolute truths, of the natural world.

Question 36

Kepler was finally able to absolutely prove the truth of his theory of the motion of the planets by using

A) his own highly accurate observations of the planets.
B) data gathered by the ancient Greeks.
C) the data of Tycho Brahe.
D) All of the above.
E) Nonsense-- it is impossible to prove that a theory is true.

Question 37

Is it possible to prove, for certain, that a scientific theory is true?

A) Yes, by means of a single confirmed experiment that verifies the theory.
B) Yes, by carrying out a sufficient number of experimental observations.
C) Yes, by deducing it logically from other scientific theories that are known to be true.
D) No, because it is always possible that a future experiment will disagree with the theory.
E) No, because of the experimental error, or uncertainty, that is always present in any experimental result.

Question 38

Kepler's idea that planets move in ellipses around the sun is best classified as

A) an incorrect fallacy.
B) a fact.
C) an experimental observation.
D) a hallucination.
E) a useful theory.

Question 39

Which of the following represents a continuation of the basic general idea of the "Copernican revolution"?

A) The idea that the human species is not very different biologically from the other species.
B) The idea that our sun is just one star among billions of similar stars.
C) The idea that the universe was not made just for us.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 40

A defining feature of "pseudoscience" is

A) it does not use proper scientific methodology.
B) it gives the appearance of being scientific.
C) Both of the above.
D) it is unusual, or odd.
E) All of the above.

Question 41

Planets do not move in precise ellipses, as had been thought by Kepler, because of

A) dust grains and other material that disturbs the orbits.
B) influences due to the other planets.
C) Both of the above.
D) Nonsense-- the planets actually do move in precise ellipses.

Question 42

In Copernicus's theory, retrograde planetary motion is explained as

A) the backward part of the planet's loop- the- loop orbits around Earth.
B) due to the back- and- forth or "oscillatory" motion that planets make as they move along their circular orbits around Earth.
C) due to the natural wandering of the celestial sphere of background stars.
D) a result of Earth's motion: as Earth passes another planet, that planet appears to move backward as seen against the background stars.
E) Actually he didn't have an explanation for this.

Question 43

Regarding Ptolemy's and Copernicus's theories of astronomy, today we find that

A) both theories are false because we know that Kepler's theory is correct and precisely accurate.
B) Copernicus's theory is still useful, but more accurate theories are available today.
C) Copernicus's theory is correct.
D) Ptolemy's theory is correct.
E) both theories are useless because they disagree with the highly accurate measurements available today.

Question 44

Tycho Brahe

A) made measurements that contradicted Ptolemy's theory and supported Copernicus's theory.
B) made measurements that contradicted both Ptolemy's theory and Copernicus's theory.
C) invented the telescope.
D) made measurements that supported both Ptolemy's theory and Copernicus's theory.
E) was the first to propose the theory that the planets move in ellipses around the sun.

Question 45

The ancient Greeks, including Ptolemy, thought that the stars were

A) scattered everywhere between Earth and the moon.
B) alive.
C) scattered throughout infinite space.
D) scattered everywhere between the moon and the inside surface of a large sphere that enclosed the universe.
E) fixed to the inside surface of a large sphere that enclosed the universe.

Question 46

The most characteristic feature of science is

A) its precise quantitative observations.
B) its precise mathematical relations.
C) Both of the above.
D) the fact that scientific laws are absolutely true, i.e., that they have no exceptions.
E) the mutually- supporting relationship between theory and observation.

Question 47

The Greeks abandoned their earliest cosmological theory (planets moving in simple circles around Earth) because

A) it did not agree with their observations of the planets.
B) it seemed messy and unsatisfying.
C) they came to believe that the sun should be at the center of things.
D) they came to believe that Earth should be at the center of things.
E) Actually, they never did abandon or revise their earliest theory-- it was not altered until the time of Copernicus.

Question 48

Which statement illustrates the fact that two different theories can both agree with the same set of observations?

A) Nonsense-- it is impossible for two different theories to both be correct.
B) the theories of Copernicus and Kepler, after Tycho made his observations
C) the theories of Galileo and Kepler
D) the Earth- centered circular orbit theory of the early Greeks, and the later theory of Ptolemy
E) the theories of Ptolemy and Copernicus, before Tycho made his observations

Question 49

What aspect of Kepler's theory would have horrified all astronomers before Kepler?

A) Kepler's simple circular orbits.
B) The fact that the Earth has a spherical shape in Kepler's theory.
C) The fact that Earth was no longer at the center.
D) Kepler's elliptical orbits.
E) The absence of any epicycles [or "circles- within- circles"].

Question 50

The greatest astronomer of antiquity [that is, of the time before the Middle Ages] was

A) Aristotle.
B) Brahe.
C) Copernicus.
D) Plato.
E) Ptolemy.

Question 51

Our primary reason for studying the theories of Ptolemy, Copernicus, and Kepler in this course is

A) to learn about the methods and the validity of science.
B) as a foundation for our later study of Newtonian physics.
C) to learn some history of physics and astronomy.
D) so that we can understand the structure of our solar system.
E) to see how these early theories of atomic physics compare with more recent studies.

Question 52

Which of the following developed the theory that the planets circle the sun rather than circling Earth?

A) Brahe
B) Galileo
C) Copernicus
D) Kepler
E) Ptolemy

Question 53

Which of the following represents a continuation of the general idea of the "Copernican revolution"?

A) the idea that the human species is not very different biologically from the other species
B) the conservation laws such as conservation of energy
C) the idea that the universe was made for humans
D) the important role of science in the industrialized nations today
E) the idea that the universe originated in a "big bang" explosion

Question 54

According to the consensus among those scientists who have studied the question, what is the scientific status of the notion that Earth is now or was in the past visited by extraterrestrial life?

A) Although extraterrestrial life is implausible on general theoretical grounds, there is observational evidence for it.
B) Although extraterrestrial life is theoretically plausible, and there is observational evidence for it, most scientists still will not accept the conclusion that we have been visited because it seems too unconventional or "kooky."
C) Extraterrestrial life is implausible on general theoretical grounds, and there is no real evidence that Earth has been visited by extraterrestrials.
D) Extraterrestrial life is theoretically plausible, and there is real observational evidence for it, which is why most scientists believe that we have been visited.
E) Although there is no real evidence that Earth has been visited by extraterrestrials, extraterrestrial life is theoretically plausible.

Question 55

If you observe the night sky in the direction of the North Star, you will observe that

A) the other stars near the north star move along counterclockwise circles around the north star during the night.
B) the north star moves westward across the sky during the night.
C) the north star moves eastward across the sky during the night.
D) the other stars near the north star move along clockwise circles around the north star during the night.
E) the other stars near the north star move in straight lines from east to west during the night.

Question 56

How did ancient Greeks such as Aristotle know that Earth is round?

A) From the ancient manuscripts of authors such as Homer.
B) By triangulation (measuring the distance between 2 points, and measuring 2 angles, to determine the distance to a 3rd point).
C) By noting that ships drop below the horizon as they go out to sea.
D) Careful measurements of the distance, along Earth's surface, between two widely separated points showed it to be longer than the straight- line distance.
E) Actually, the ancient Greeks thought that Earth is flat.

Question 57

According to the consensus among those scientists who have studied the question, what is the scientific status of creationism today?

A) Although creationism is plausible on the basis of the principles of many scientific fields, and although there is also real scientific evidence for it, most scientists still will not accept creationism because it seems too unconventional or "kooky."
B) It disagrees with the principles of many scientific fields, and there is a lot of scientific evidence against it.
C) Creationism is plausible on the basis of the principles of many scientific fields, and here is also real scientific evidence for it, which is why most scientists believe that creationism has real validity.
D) Although there is a lot of evidence against it, creationism is plausible on the basis of the principles of many scientific fields.
E) Although it disagrees with the principles of many scientific fields, there is a lot of real scientific evidence for creationism.

Question 58

One of the four main themes or "story lines" that will keep appearing throughout this course is

A) Newton's laws.
B) nuclear war.
C) the idea that everything is relative.
D) the methods of science.
E) the idea that everything is made of atoms.

Question 59

Is it possible to prove, for certain, that a scientific theory is false?

A) Yes, by taking a vote among all of the scientists who are experts concerning that theory.
B) Yes, by performing a large number of experiments and finding that the outcomes that dispute the theory outnumber the outcomes that support the theory.
C) Yes, by means of a single confirmed experiment that contradicts the theory.
D) No, because it is always possible that future experiments will agree with the theory.
E) No, because science can never be certain of anything.

Question 60

Which statement best describes the status of the Copernican and Ptolemaic theories of the solar system shortly after Copernicus invented his theory [about 1550, and before Tycho]?

A) Copernicus had proved that Ptolemy's theory was incorrect.
B) Both theories were known to be wrong.
C) Ptolemy's theory fit the experimental facts better than the Copernican theory.
D) Both theories agreed with the experimental facts.
E) Although Copernicus couldn't disprove Ptolemy's theory, the Copernican theory agreed much better with the experimental facts than did the Ptolemaic theory.

Question 61

A defining feature of "pseudoscience" is

A) it does not use proper scientific methodology.
B) it is wrong.
C) Both of the above.
D) it is unusual, or odd.
E) All of the above.

Question 62

Chapter 1 contains a quotation by Albert Einstein. Einstein's point is that

A) with the help of modern physics we can unravel the mysteries of the physical universe.
B) the theory of relativity shows that the universe is infinitely deep and subtle.
C) quantum theory shows that the universe is infinitely deep and subtle.
D) science might either save us or destroy us.
E) we must free ourselves from the illusion that we are separate from the rest of the universe.

Question 63

In Ptolemy's theory,

A) the planets move in circles- within- circles ["loop- the - loops"] around Earth.
B) the planets move in elliptical orbits around the sun.
C) the planets move in circles around Earth.
D) the planets move in circles around the sun.
E) the planets move in circles- within- circles around the sun.

Question 64

As Kepler's first attempt to invent a theory that agreed with Tycho's data, he tried to "fit" the data for Mars to an orbit that was

A) a circle with Earth at the center.
B) an ellipse with the sun at one focus.
C) a circle with the sun at the center.
D) an ellipse with Earth at one focus.
E) a loop- the- loop, i.e., a circle within a circle.

Question 65

One of the defining features of "pseudoscience" is that pseudoscientific ideas

A) appear to be scientific.
B) are unusual, or odd.
C) Both of the above.
D) are held tentatively, as a hypothesis.
E) are wrong.

Question 66

The ancient Greeks noted that the planets

A) moved in ellipses around the sun.
B) were a reddish color.
C) wandered around among the stars.
D) kept step with the stars.
E) Nonsense-- the Greeks didn't know anything about the planets.

Question 67

Tycho Brahe's extremely accurate measurements of the planetary positions showed that

A) both Ptolemy's theory and Copernicus's theory were wrong.
B) Ptolemy's theory was wrong and Copernicus's theory was correct.
C) both Ptolemy's theory and Copernicus's theory were correct.
D) Copernicus's theory was wrong and Ptolemy's was correct.
E) Kepler's theory was wrong.

Question 68

Who originated the idea that planets go in ellipses around the sun?

A) Ptolemy
B) Galileo
C) Copernicus
D) Brahe
E) Kepler