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Read each scenario below and develop a testable question to go with it. Click on the scenario to see a sample testable question.
| 1. Few frogs are found in a wetland near a chemical factory. | How do the chemicals produced by the factory affect frogs in the nearby wetland? |
| 2. Soil underneath a city's old gas stations had high levels of lead in it. | How does previous land use affect the amount of lead in urban soils? |
| 3. There are no dinosaur fossils from before 255 million years ago. | How does the age of a fossil affect the type of organisms represented by the fossil? |
Critique each of the following questions by deciding if it needs fine tuning or not. If it needs fine tuning, suggest ways to improve it. Click on the question to see a sample critique.
| 1. Are there invisible organisms living in the tops of the trees? | This question is not sound because we don't have the means to test it. We currently don't have the technology to check for the existence of "invisible" organisms. |
| 2. Is biology or chemistry a better subject to study in college? | This question is based on belief and personal preference and not on scientific observation. It is not testable and is not a scientific question. It is also vague because it uses the word "better" without defining what is meant by "better". |
| 3. How does sunlight intensity affect the height of sunflowers? | This is a good testable scientific question. |
| 4. How much pollution is in Washington state? | This question is too broad. It needs to specify the type of pollution being considered. It should be more specific to be more useful. It could be reworded to say something like "What counties in Washington have lead contamination in the soil?" |
| 5. What is the effect of traffic on heavy metal contamination in New York? | This is a good testable scientific question. |
