Scientific Enquiry
Each subtopic includes About section, revision page link, 10 preview questions, and practice CTAs.
Asking scientific questions
SubtopicAsking scientific questions under Scientific Enquiry for Grade 3 IGCSE.
Preview questions (no answers)
- 1.
What is the main goal when a scientist asks a question?
A.To find out something new about the world
B.To be the first one finished
C.To make sure everyone agrees with them
D.To get a prize for the best question
- 2.
Which scientific question would you ask to learn about sound traveling?
A.Can you hear a bell through a closed door?
B.Is the bell loud?
C.What color is the bell?
D.Who rang the bell?
- 3.
Which question is about the transparency of a piece of plastic?
A.Is the plastic blue?
B.Can you see through the plastic?
C.How heavy is the plastic?
D.Where is the plastic?
- 4.
If you are looking at a tree, which scientific question can you ask?
A.Is the tree a friendly tree?
B.How many main branches does the tree have?
C.Does the tree like the birds?
D.What is the tree's favorite season?
- 5.
When studying how much light a plant needs, which question is a scientific one?
A.How many hours of light does a bean plant need to grow ?
B.Is sunlight better for a plant than lamp light because it is natural?
C.Does a plant feel lonely in the dark?
D.Which plant looks the happiest in the sun?
- 6.
Which of these questions about evaporation can be tested?
A.Does water evaporate faster from a wide dish or a narrow jar?
B.Is evaporation a boring process to watch?
C.Does the water want to turn into a gas?
D.Where does the water go when it disappears?
- 7.
A student sees that a ball bounces differently on grass and on concrete. What is a good scientific question to ask?
A.How high does the ball bounce on grass compared to concrete?
B.Does the grass feel soft to the ball?
C.Is concrete better than grass for playing?
D.Why is the grass green and the concrete gray?
- 8.
Which question identifies a relationship between two variables?
A.What is a seed?
B.How does the amount of water given to a seed affect its growth height?
C.Are seeds found inside fruit?
D.Do seeds need soil to grow?
- 9.
A student asks: 'Does the amount of soap affect the size of a bubble?' What is the most scientific way to measure the 'size' of the bubble?
A.By looking at it and saying if it is 'big' or 'small'
B.By measuring the diameter of the bubble with a ruler when it lands on a wet surface
C.By counting how many bubbles are made
D.By timing how long the bubble stays in the air
- 10.
Which question focuses on the 'suitability' of a material for a specific purpose?
A.What color is plastic?
B.Is plastic or wood better for making a waterproof boat?
C.How is plastic made in a factory?
D.Can we recycle all types of plastic?
Download the worksheet for Scientific Enquiry - Asking scientific questions to practice offline. It includes additional chapter-level practice questions.
Planning a fair test
SubtopicPlanning a fair test under Scientific Enquiry for Grade 3 IGCSE.
Preview questions (no answers)
- 1.
If you want to see if a heavier object falls faster, what should you keep the same?
A.The weight of the objects
B.The height you drop them from
C.The shape of the objects
D.The height and the shape
- 2.
In an experiment to see if shoes help you run faster, what should be kept the same?
A.The person running
B.The distance of the run
C.The ground they run on
D.All of the above
- 3.
When comparing how much rain falls in different parts of a garden, the rain gauges should be:
A.Different sizes
B.The same size and shape
C.Placed under trees
D.Kept indoors
- 4.
If you want to test how fast a snail moves on different surfaces, what should stay the same?
A.The snail
B.The surface
C.The time of day
D.The snail and the distance measured
- 5.
An experiment is designed to see if magnets work through different materials. A student tests a magnet through paper, plastic, and glass to see if it picks up a paperclip. What is the constant (control variable)?
A.The type of material
B.The magnet used
C.The thickness of the materials
D.Whether the paperclip is picked up
- 6.
To test which material is the most waterproof, a student stretches different fabrics over a cup and pours water on them. What should stay the same?
A.The type of fabric
B.The amount of water poured
C.The color of the cup
D.The time it takes to pour the water
- 7.
A student is testing which brand of battery makes a toy train travel the fastest. What should they do to ensure a fair test?
A.Use the same track and the same train for each battery
B.Use different trains for each battery
C.Test the batteries on different days
D.Give the train a different starting push each time
- 8.
If you want to test if the color of a birdfeeder attracts more birds, which of these would make the test unfair?
A.Using the same type of birdseed in all feeders
B.Placing the feeders in different types of trees (e.g., one in an oak, one in a pine)
C.Counting the birds at the same time every day
D.Making all feeders the same size and shape
- 9.
In an investigation to see if salt prevents water from freezing, a student puts one cup of plain water and one cup of salty water in the freezer. What is the independent variable?
A.The temperature of the freezer
B.The presence or amount of salt in the water
C.The time it takes to freeze
D.The size of the cup
- 10.
A student is testing how the mass of a toy car affects its speed down a ramp. He adds weights to the car. What must he keep the same for every test?
A.The mass of the car
B.The angle and length of the ramp
C.The speed of the car
D.The color of the car
Download the worksheet for Scientific Enquiry - Planning a fair test to practice offline. It includes additional chapter-level practice questions.
Using scientific equipment for measurement
SubtopicUsing scientific equipment for measurement under Scientific Enquiry for Grade 3 IGCSE.
Preview questions (no answers)
- 1.
What is the best unit to measure the length of a playground?
A.Millimeters
B.Centimeters
C.Meters
D.Kilograms
- 2.
If you are measuring how much space a box takes up, what are you measuring?
A.Temperature
B.Volume
C.Time
D.Mass
- 3.
What tool would you use to measure how long a movie lasts?
A.A thermometer
B.A clock
C.A ruler
D.A scale
- 4.
Which unit is used to measure the thickness of a coin?
A.Kilograms
B.Millimeters
C.Liters
D.Seconds
- 5.
If a force meter shows when pulling a toy, and then when pulling a different toy, what does this indicate?
A.The second toy is lighter
B.The second toy requires more force to move
C.The second toy is faster
D.The first toy is hotter
- 6.
What would a scientist use to measure the mass of a heavy box?
A.A ruler
B.Kilograms ()
C.A large floor scale
D.A measuring cylinder
- 7.
A scientist is testing which paper towel absorbs the most water. What measurement is most important here?
A.The mass of the towel
B.The volume of water remaining
C.The temperature of the water
D.The length of the towel
- 8.
A student wants to measure the volume of a large, irregular rock that does not fit in their measuring cylinder. What could they use instead?
A.A ruler to measure its height only.
B.A displacement can (eureka can) and a smaller measuring cylinder.
C.A balance scale to measure its mass and guess the volume.
D.A thermometer to see how cold the rock is.
- 9.
How many are there in ?
A.B.C.D. - 10.
Which tool would a scientist use to see how much force is needed to pull a wooden block across a table?
A.A measuring tape
B.A Newton meter (force meter)
C.A thermometer
D.A balance scale
Download the worksheet for Scientific Enquiry - Using scientific equipment for measurement to practice offline. It includes additional chapter-level practice questions.
Recording data in tables and bar charts
SubtopicRecording data in tables and bar charts under Scientific Enquiry for Grade 3 IGCSE.
Preview questions (no answers)
- 1.
What is the very first thing you should do before drawing your bars on a chart?
A.Color in the whole page
B.Decide on the scale and label the axes
C.Write your name at the bottom
D.Sharpen all your pencils
- 2.
If you are counting how many students have blue, brown, or green eyes, how many categories are you using?
A.3
B.1
C.10
D.5
- 3.
Which of these would be a good title for a bar chart about the colors of cars in a parking lot?
A.How to Drive a Car
B.Colors of Cars in the Parking Lot
C.The Fastest Car in the World
D.Cars are Fun
- 4.
If a table heading says 'Mass (g)', what kind of data is in that column?
A.The weight of objects in grams
B.The color of objects
C.The name of the scientist
D.The time of the experiment
- 5.
A results table has the following data for 'Petal Length': Rose ( cm), Lily ( cm), Daisy ( cm). Which bar on the bar chart should be the middle height?
A.Rose
B.Lily
C.Daisy
D.There is no middle height
- 6.
When comparing the number of different colored cars in a parking lot, why is a tally chart used before making a bar chart?
A.Because bar charts cannot show colors
B.To count the cars quickly as they drive by or as you walk past them
C.Because tally marks are more accurate than numbers
D.To make the final bar chart look more professional
- 7.
What is the main advantage of using a computer program to create a bar chart from a table?
A.It can make the bars change color every second
B.It can accurately draw the bars based on the numbers in the table
C.It can do the experiment for you while you sleep
D.It makes the data more true than it was before
- 8.
A student is recording the number of times a coin lands on 'Heads' in four sets of flips. Set 1: , Set 2: , Set 3: , Set 4: . If they use a scale of for the y-axis, what will be the range of the heights of the bars (shortest to tallest)?
A.Between and
B.Between and
C.Between and
D.Between and
- 9.
A table records how many grams of salt dissolve in of water at different temperatures. If the temperatures are , , and , and the amount of salt increases each time, what will the bar chart look like?
A.The bars will stay the same height.
B.The bars will get shorter from left to right.
C.The bars will get taller from left to right.
D.The bars will go up and then down.
- 10.
A bar chart shows the number of eggs laid by different birds. If the scale is and the bar for 'Robin' is squares high, and the bar for 'Owl' is square high, how many more eggs did the Robin lay than the Owl?
A.2 eggs
B.4 eggs
C.6 eggs
D.1 egg
Download the worksheet for Scientific Enquiry - Recording data in tables and bar charts to practice offline. It includes additional chapter-level practice questions.
Making predictions and drawing conclusions
SubtopicMaking predictions and drawing conclusions under Scientific Enquiry for Grade 3 IGCSE.
Preview questions (no answers)
- 1.
If you put a lid on a jar with a burning candle inside, what do you predict will happen to the flame?
A.It will get much brighter
B.It will go out after a short time
C.It will change to a blue color
D.It will burn forever
- 2.
When a scientist says 'I think the salt will dissolve faster in hot water,' they are making a:
A.Conclusion
B.Prediction
C.Result
D.Measurement
- 3.
If you place a metal nail in water for many weeks, what do you predict might happen to its appearance?
A.It will stay exactly the same
B.It might start to rust
C.It will turn into gold
D.It will shrink and disappear
- 4.
If an experiment's results are different from your prediction, what should you do?
A.Change the results to match
B.Ignore the experiment
C.Think about why it happened and write a conclusion
D.Cry
- 5.
A scientist finds that a certain animal has thick fur and a layer of blubber. What is a logical conclusion about its habitat?
A.It lives in a very hot desert.
B.It lives in a very cold environment.
C.It lives in a tropical rainforest.
D.It lives in a dry grassland.
- 6.
If you know that a reflection is clearer on a smooth surface than on a rough one, what would you predict about seeing your reflection in a lake on a very windy day?
A.The reflection will be very clear.
B.The reflection will be blurry or not visible at all.
C.The reflection will look exactly like a mirror.
D.The water will turn into a mirror.
- 7.
When a student blows air into a balloon, it gets bigger. If she blows even more air into it, what is her prediction?
A.The balloon will stay the same size.
B.The balloon will get even bigger until it might pop.
C.The balloon will start to shrink.
D.The air will turn into a liquid inside the balloon.
- 8.
A class investigated which liquids ants prefer by counting how many ants traveled down different paths in a maze. Their results are shown in the diagram. Which statement correctly combines a conclusion based on this evidence with a prediction for a new test?
A.Conclusion: Ants only like clear liquids. Prediction: Ants will visit a path with plain water more than sugar water.
B.Conclusion: Ants are attracted to sweet liquids. Prediction: More ants will visit a path with maple syrup than a path with lemon juice.
C.Conclusion: Ants move away from all smells. Prediction: Ants will not visit a path with honey because it has a smell.
D.Conclusion: Ants avoid salt but love vinegar. Prediction: Ants will visit a path with salt if there is no sugar.
- 9.
Which of the following is a scientific conclusion about friction?
A.Friction is a force that I think is very cool.
B.I predict that friction will slow things down.
C.Based on the results, rougher surfaces produce more friction than smooth surfaces.
D.We used a toy car to test friction.
- 10.
A scientist measures how much a plant grows each day: Day 1 (), Day 2 (), Day 3 (), Day 4 (). What is the pattern in the growth?
A.The growth is the same every day.
B.The amount of growth is doubling each day.
C.The plant is shrinking.
D.Growth is stopping.
Download the worksheet for Scientific Enquiry - Making predictions and drawing conclusions to practice offline. It includes additional chapter-level practice questions.