ICAS Interpreting Scientific Data 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A bar graph shows the number of birds observed in a park over four seasons: Spring=45, Summer=30, Fall=52, Winter=18. Which season had the fewest bird observations?
- Spring
- Summer
- Fall
- Winter (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Winter
Winter had the lowest count at 18 birds observed.
Question 2: A scientist records water temperature at noon each day for a week: 18°C, 19°C, 17°C, 21°C, 20°C, 16°C, 22°C. What is the range of temperatures recorded?
- 4°C
- 5°C
- 6°C (Correct answer)
- 7°C
Correct answer: 6°C
The range is 22°C − 16°C = 6°C.
Question 3: A line graph shows plant height increasing steadily from Week 1 to Week 4, then remaining flat from Week 4 to Week 6. What does the flat portion of the graph indicate?
- The plant died
- Growth stopped during that period (Correct answer)
- Measurement error occurred
- The plant began flowering
Correct answer: Growth stopped during that period
A flat line means no change in height, indicating growth paused.
Question 4: Two students measure the length of the same stick. Student A records 24.3 cm and Student B records 24.7 cm. What is the difference between their measurements?
- 0.2 cm
- 0.4 cm (Correct answer)
- 0.6 cm
- 1.0 cm
Correct answer: 0.4 cm
24.7 − 24.3 = 0.4 cm difference between the two measurements.
Question 5: A table shows that three soil samples have the following pH levels: Sample A=6.2, Sample B=7.0, Sample C=7.8. Which sample is most acidic?
- Sample A (Correct answer)
- Sample B
- Sample C
- They are equally acidic
Correct answer: Sample A
Lower pH values indicate greater acidity, so Sample A at pH 6.2 is most acidic.
Question 6: A pie chart shows the composition of air: Nitrogen 78%, Oxygen 21%, Other gases 1%. Approximately what fraction of air is oxygen?
- About one-half
- About one-quarter
- About one-fifth (Correct answer)
- About one-tenth
Correct answer: About one-fifth
21% is close to 20%, which is approximately one-fifth (1/5) of the total.
Question 7: An experiment tests how fertilizer amount affects crop yield. The independent variable is fertilizer amount and yield is measured. What is the dependent variable?
- Fertilizer amount
- Crop yield (Correct answer)
- Sunlight received
- Soil type
Correct answer: Crop yield
The dependent variable is what is measured as an outcome — crop yield.
ICAS Interpreting Scientific Data 2
A bar graph shows the number of birds observed in a park over four seasons: Spring=45, Summer=30, Fall=52, Winter=18.
Which season had the fewest bird observations?