Ron is conducting an experiment that lasts several hours. During part of the experiment, a noisy power saw operates outside the room. Ron is concerned that responses may be influenced by the power saw instead of his independent variable. This example illustrates the potential problem of

a. instrumentation
b. testing
c. history
d. selection

c) history

Explanation:

According to the question, major issue of history can be seen in research of Ron as power saw's noise can impact response rather than independent variable.Thus, series of past event that took place before in experiment can get disturbed through noise and produce incorrect or influenced outcomes.  

Other options are incorrect because selection, testing and instrumentation are not the major issue of the scenario.Thus, the correct option is option(c).

the earth’s crust is broken into separate pieces called tectonic plates (fig. 7.14). recall that the crust is the solid, rocky, outer shell of the planet. it is composed of two distinctly different types of material: the less-dense continental crust and the more-dense oceanic crust. both types of crust rest atop solid, upper mantle material. the upper mantle, in turn, floats on a denser layer of lower mantle that is much like thick molten tar.

each tectonic plate is free-floating and can move independently. earthquakes and volcanoes are the direct result of the movement of tectonic plates at fault lines. the term fault is used to describe the boundary between tectonic plates. most of the earthquakes and volcanoes around the pacific ocean basin—a pattern known as the “ring of fire”—are due to the movement of tectonic plates in this region. other observable results of short-term plate movement include the gradual widening of the great rift lakes in eastern africa and the rising of the himalayan mountain range. the motion of plates can be described in four general patterns:

collision: when two continental plates are shoved together

subduction: when one plate plunges beneath another (fig. 7.15)

spreading: when two plates are pushed apart (fig. 7.15)

transform faulting: when two plates slide past each other (fig. 7.15)

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