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Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of principles and procedures for designing and carrying out scientific investigations (e.g., generating and testing hypotheses).
- Recognize methods and criteria for collecting, measuring, organizing, analyzing, and presenting scientific data.
- Justify conclusions based on data analysis.
- Demonstrate knowledge of safety procedures and hazards associated with physics investigations and the equipment and technology used in physics.
- Apply appropriate mathematical procedures, including estimation, order of magnitude, statistics, and data analysis to solving problems in physics.
Sample Item:
Data for the variables x and y are collected during an experiment and given in the table
below.
| x | 5.0 | 10.0 | 15.0 | 20.0 | 25.0 | 30.0 |
|---|
| y | 0.05 | 0.19 | 0.32 | 0.47 | 0.61 | 0.75 |
|---|
Which of the following best describes the relationship between x and y?
- constant
- linear
- inverse
- quadratic
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. This question requires the examinee to analyze scientific data.
The x-values of the data in the table increase in increments of 5, that is,
Δx = 5Delta x equals 5. The y-values increase in increments of 0.14, 0.13,
0.15, 0.14, and 0.14, respectively. Hence, the ratio 
delta y over delta x
is approximately constant and the relationship is best described as being linear.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the historical development of major scientific ideas, the contributions of eminent scientists, and the uses and limitations of models.
- Demonstrate knowledge of current major theories, models, and concepts in chemistry, biology, and Earth and space science.
- Identify unifying themes, principles, and relationships that connect physics with the different branches of the sciences.
- Analyze the interrelationships between physics, technology, engineering, and society and how science and technology affect each other.
- Demonstrate scientific literacy by critiquing the coverage of science in the media.
- Analyze social, ethical, and economic issues associated with technological and scientific developments.
Sample Item:
Which of the following best describes how the invention of X-ray diffraction in physics
contributed to the biological and chemical sciences?
- by generating clear images of bacteria and viruses
- by determining the structure of molecules
- by discovering missing elements in the periodic table
- by producing disease-resistant plant varieties
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of how
science and technology affect each other. Because the wavelength of X-rays is of the
same order as the size of molecules, X-ray diffraction allows scientists to infer structural
properties of substances, such as DNA, by analyzing the patterns produced by the waves as
they are diffracted from the substance.
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