Which of the following hypotheses are falsifiable? (select all that apply)
A. Humans are more intelligent than other animals because it was destined by nature.
B. Humans and chimpanzees evolved from a common ancestor.
C. Plants that are given MiracleGro fertilizer will grow faster than plants that are given FoxFarm fertilizer.
D. Bacteria that are exposed to penicillin will show lower survival than those exposed to amoxicillin.
E. This species is perfectly adapted to its environment.
F. Animals behave kindly because of cosmic energy flowing through them.
Answer (2)
Falsifiable hypotheses must be testable and potentially provable false. Among the listed hypotheses, the following are falsifiable: the common ancestor hypothesis, the MiracleGro vs. FoxFarm growth hypothesis, and the penicillin vs. amoxicillin survival hypothesis. Other statements either lack clarity or are not testable through scientific experimentation. ;
The falsifiable hypotheses from the options provided are: humans and chimpanzees evolved from a common ancestor; plants given MiracleGro will grow faster than those given FoxFarm; and bacteria exposed to penicillin will have lower survival than those exposed to amoxicillin. The other hypotheses are not testable and are therefore not falsifiable.
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