Data collection and conclusions – level 3-4

Level 3
1.

The table above shows the results of an observational study designed to observe the social
media habits of different age groups of internet users in the U.S. between 2005 and 2013. Based
on the results of this study, which of the following conclusions are valid?

I: In each year of the study, U.S. internet users aged 18-29 were more likely to use social
media than any other age group in the study.

II: Over the course of the study, there was growth in the percentage of U.S. internet users that
use social media across all of the age groups observed.

III: The rate of social media use by U.S. internet users will continue to rise in the future.

IV: Social media was more likely to be used by a U.S. internet user aged 30-49 in 2013 than it
was by a U.S. internet user aged 30-49 in 2005.

A. I only
B. I and IV
C. I, II, and IV
D. I, II, III, and IV
2.

The table above shows the results of a controlled experiment designed to determine the effect that
adding sodium chloride to water has on the boiling point of water at sea level. Based on the results
of this experiment, what conclusion is NOT valid when up to three tablespoons of sodium chloride
are added to one quart of water?

A. The more sodium chloride that is added to boiling water, the higher the water's boiling
temperature becomes.
B. The more sodium chloride that is added to water, the longer the water will take to boil.
C. There is an association between adding sodium chloride to water and an increase in the
boiling temperature of water.
D. There is a linear relationship between sodium chloride added to water and the water's boiling
temperature.

3.
Louis Pasteur conducted a famous experiment that addressed the question: "Can microorganisms
generate spontaneously?" To replicate the experiment, in the control group, purify water in closed
flasks by boiling them, and then let the water sit in the closed flasks at room temperature for a
predetermined period of time. In the experimental group, purify water in identical closed flasks by
boiling them. However, before letting the experimental group sit at room temperature for the
predetermined period of time, break the top stem of these flasks to expose the water to outside
elements. After the predetermined period of time, if no microorganisms are observed in the control
flasks and several thousand microorganisms are observed in each experimental flask, which of the
following conclusions are valid?
I: When closed off to outside elements, purified water will not spontaneously generate
microorganisms.

II: Exposing water to the elements causes the water to become harmful to humans.

III: Breaking the top stem of the experimental flask allowed the microorganisms to enter the
purified water.

IV: Not breaking the stem of the control flask prevented microorganisms from entering the
purified water within.
A. III only
B. III and IV
C. I,III, and IV
D. I,II,III, and IV

4.
A writer for a high school newspaper is conducting a survey to estimate the number of students
that will vote for a particular candidate in an upcoming student government election. All students
at the high school are eligible to vote in the election, and the writer decides to select a sample of
students to take the survey. Which of the following sampling methods is most likely to produce
valid results?

A. Survey every fifth student to enter the school library.

B. Survey every fifth student to arrive at school one morning.
C. Survey every fifth senior to arrive at school one morning.
D. Survey every fifth student to enter the school stadium for a football game.

5.

The graph shown above shows the results of an observational study of corn grain yield, in bushels
per acre, versus rate of nitrogen fertilizer solution, in pounds per acre, applied to crops. Based on
the results of this study, which conclusion is best supported by the data?

A. Using nitrogen in the soil causes greater grain yield.

B. There is evidence of a linear association between the amount of nitrogen applied to the soil
and the grain yield.
C. There is evidence of an association between the amount of nitrogen applied to the soil and the
grain yield, but the association does not appear to be linear.
D. Low levels of nitrogen in the soil leads to poor grain yield.
Level 4
6.

The table above shows the results of a controlled experiment designed to determine the effect of
tailgate position on the fuel consumption of a pickup truck. Based on the results of this experiment,
which conclusion is NOT valid?

A. The truck needed the least fuel to travel a set distance when its tailgate was all the way up.
B. The truck needed the most fuel to travel a set distance when its tailgate was all the way down.
C. There is an association between the truck's tailgate position and the amount of fuel needed to
travel a set distance.
D. A truck driver who drives with the tailgate up will spend less money on fuel than when the
truck driver drives with the tailgate down.

7.
An ecologist conducted measured the population of brown bears in a North American region and
the number of deforested acres in the same region since the year 2000.

The study concluded that as the population of brown bears steadily decreased, the number of
deforested acres steadily increased during the same time period. Based on this data, which
conclusion is valid?

A. The increase in the number of deforested acres in the North American region since 2000
caused the decrease in the brown bear population there during the same time period.
B. The decrease in the brown bear population in the North American region since 2000 caused
the increase in the number of deforested acres there during the same time period.
C. There is no evidence of an association between the brown bear population levels in the North
American region and the number of deforested acres there in the years since 2000.
D. There is evidence of an association between the brown bear population levels in the North
American region and the number of deforested acres there in the years since 2000.
8.
The graph below shows the results of a controlled experiment designed to determine how effective
a new toothpaste is at preventing cavities. A researcher randomly selected 1,000 healthy adults
with comparable dental habits and records to participate and randomly assigned participants to
either the experimental or control group. In the experimental group, 500 participants were asked to
use the new toothpaste for a 6 month period. In the control group, the remaining 500 participants
were asked to continue using their normal toothpaste during the same 6 month period. Based on
the results of this experiment, which conclusion is NOT valid?

A. There is an association between the participants brushing their teeth every day and not
developing new cavities.
B. There is an association between using the new toothpaste and not developing new cavities.
C. Four hundred members of the experimental group reported no new cavities during the study.
D. Members of the control group were more likely to develop cavities than members of the
experimental group.

9.
In a famous study on the role of practice in the acquisition of expert performance, psychologists
compared the amount of time spent on solitary practice, based on diaries and retrospective
estimates, for four groups of violinists: professional violinists, the best expert violinists, good
expert violinists, and the least accomplished expert violinists (lesser experts). Based on the results
of this study, which conclusion is best supported by the data?

A. A violinist who practices about 10,000 hours by the age of 20 will become a professional
violinist.
B. By the age of 20, the best experts and professional violinists in the study had practiced more
than twice as much as the least accomplished violinists.
C. The least accomplished violinists did not practice as much because they became discouraged.
D. There is no evidence of an association between increased solitary practice before the age of 18
and level of expertise as a violinist.
10.

The above table shows the percentages of the Canadian population as well as the percentage of
Canadian hockey players in the National Hockey League (NHL) residing in cities of various sizes.
Based on the results of this study, which conclusion is best supported by the evidence?
A. There is evidence that players from mid-sized cities (100,000-499,999) are overrepresented in
the NHL.
B. Players from very small communities (<1,000) do not have as many opportunities for elite
training as players from larger communities.
C. Cities with populations larger than 500,000 are underrepresented in terms of players in the
NHL because players in these communities face too much competition.
D. Players in large cities have more opportunities for elite training than do players from smaller
cities.