Question

a student finds a few objects in the garden. he wants to know if they are living things or are from living things. the student wants to plan an investigation to determine if a sample is from a living thing.
part a
what tool should the student use in his investigation?
a. ruler
b. beaker
c. hand lens
d. microscope
part b
why should the student use that tool in his investigation?
a. to observe cells
b. to hold the samples
c. to determine if there is movement
d. to identify the source of the sample

Explanation:

Part A

To determine if a sample is from a living thing, observing cells (a characteristic of living things) is key. A microscope is used to observe cells, while a ruler measures length, a beaker holds liquids, and a hand lens has limited magnification for cell observation.

Using a microscope in this investigation is to observe cells, as cells are a fundamental unit of living organisms. Option A matches this purpose; option B is for holding samples (not the microscope's role), option C is about movement (not directly observed via microscope for this purpose), and option D is about identifying sample source (not the microscope's function here).

Answer:

D. microscope

Part B