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GEL 113 Dinosaurs Homework sheet 1 - answers. Part I. True (T) or False (F) 1.__F___ An hypothesis is a proven fact. 2._F____ Occam's Razor is a principle which states that the more complex the situation, the more complex the cause. 3.__F___ The process of inductive logic starts from known principles. 4.__T___ The difference between science and non-science is testability. Part II. Which of the following are scientific hypotheses? Enter "S" for scientific, or "N" for non-scientific. 5.__S___ Plants use sunlight to make food. 6.__N___ Pre-historic humans were not as intelligent as modern people. 7.__N___ Dinosaurs were very colorful in order to attract mates. 8.___S__ A lightning bolt is an electrical discharge. Part III. 9. How does Observational Science differ from Experimental Science? In both we create a Model of expected results. In experimental science we compare the results of direct experiments to our model to test our hypothesis. In observational science we must compare our observations to our model - the match of observations to expectations is the test of the hypothesis. 10. Explain the difference between an Inevitable Conclusion and a Likely Conclusion. An inevitable conclusion is one for which there are no alternatives. Ex. T. rex is a reptile. A likely conclusion is one supported by the evidence, but for which alternatives exist which have not been proven wrong. Ex. Likely conclusion - T. rex was a carnivore. Alternative - T. rex was a scavenger. |