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Why is "Which of the Great Lakes is the largest body of water?” a good scientific question?

It can be answered through an investigation.
It has a simple yes or no answer.
It has a wide focus.
It leads to an untestable hypothesis.

User Yeodave
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Final answer:

The question regarding the largest Great Lake is a good scientific question because it can be answered through investigation, is precise, and allows for the formulation of a testable and falsifiable hypothesis.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question 'Which of the Great Lakes is the largest body of water?' is a good scientific question because it can be answered through an investigation. It is not merely a yes-or-no question; instead, it provides a specific inquiry that requires gathering and analyzing data regarding the sizes of the Great Lakes to determine the correct answer. This question is factual and debatable in the sense that discussion can arise around the methods used to measure and compare the sizes of these bodies of water. Moreover, the question is manageable and precise, and not overly broad, allowing for focused research and conclusions.

According to the scientific method, the hypothesis formed from this question should be testable and falsifiable. A potential hypothesis could be, "Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes by surface area." This hypothesis is testable with geographical data and falsifiable because if evidence shows another lake has a greater surface area, the hypothesis would be disproven. Overall, this question meets the basic requirements for a good scientific inquiry as outlined in standard 4.1, which emphasizes the justification of the kind of data needed to answer a particular scientific question.

User Matt Quigley
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