Question

the passage below describes a process of scientific inquiry. select the part of the passage that describes drawing a conclusion. hint: to draw a conclusion, you decide if the data support or refute the hypothesis. a glass of water with a layer of oil at the top shane learned in science class that oil and water do not mix together. his teacher proved this by adding both substances to a container and shaking it. shane noticed that the oil floated to the top of the container after it had sat untouched for a while. he wondered, could a thick enough oil layer prevent the water from evaporating? he guessed that the thicker the oil layer was, the less water would evaporate because the oil would act as a barrier and stop water molecules from escaping into the air. shane set up nine identical cups and filled each one with an equal amount of water. in the first three cups, he added a thin layer of vegetable oil, just enough to cover the surface. in the next three cups, he added a thicker layer of oil. he did not add any oil to the remaining cups. he left them all on the counter for three days. then shane measured the water level in each cup and calculated the average for each group. he found that the water level was the lowest in the cup with no oil and the highest in the cup with a thick layer of oil. he concluded that a thicker layer of oil does indeed reduce water evaporation more effectively than a thin layer.

Explanation:

Drawing a conclusion in scientific inquiry means deciding if data supports or refutes a hypothesis. Shane analyzed his experiment results (water - level measurements) and determined that a thicker oil layer reduces water evaporation more effectively. The statement that reflects this decision is the conclusion.

Answer:

He concluded that a thicker layer of oil does indeed reduce water evaporation more effectively than a thin layer.