Earth Science – Space and the Universe
What is the name of the galaxy that contains our Solar System?
The Milky Way.
What are the structures called that DNA is tightly packaged into inside a cell's nucleus?
Chromosomes.
Which subatomic particle has no electrical charge?
The neutron.
What type of energy is stored in a stretched elastic band?
Elastic potential energy.
Which AFL team broke a 62-year premiership drought by winning the 2016 Grand Final?
Western Bulldogs.
What is the name of the boundary surrounding a black hole beyond which nothing, not even light, can escape?
The event horizon.
What is the difference between a homozygous and heterozygous organism?
Homozygous means having two identical alleles; heterozygous means having two different alleles.
What does the atomic number of an element tell us?
The number of protons in its nucleus.
What is the name given to energy that is transferred from a hotter object to a cooler object?
Thermal energy (heat).
Which Australian tennis player won the women's Australian Open in 2022, ending a 44-year wait for an Australian women's singles champion?
Ash Barty (Ashleigh Barty).
What happens to a star when it runs out of hydrogen fuel in its core?
It evolves into the next stage of its life cycle, expanding into a giant or supergiant depending on its mass.
What type of cell division produces sperm and egg cells?
Meiosis.
An atom has the electron configuration 2, 8, 1. What element is it?
Sodium (Na).
What is the difference between an energy transfer and an energy transformation?
A transfer moves energy from one object or place to another; a transformation changes energy from one form to another.
Which Matildas player scored the winning penalty against France to send Australia into the 2023 Women's World Cup semi-finals?
Cortnee Vine
What is the difference between an astronomical unit (AU) and a light-year?
An AU is the average distance between Earth and the Sun; a light-year is the distance light travels in one year.
A rabbit population lives in a snowy environment. Explain how white fur could become more common over many generations through natural selection.
Rabbits with white fur may be better camouflaged, increasing their chances of survival and reproduction. They pass the inherited fur-colour allele to their offspring, making white fur more common over generations.
Why do atoms form ions?
To gain or lose electrons and achieve a more stable electron arrangement.
In a Sankey diagram, what do the arrows represent?
The amount and direction of energy transferred, including useful and wasted energy.
Which AFL team defeated Collingwood by five points in the 2018 Grand Final, after trailing at three-quarter time?
West Coast Eagles.
Why do massive stars have a different ending to their life cycle compared with smaller stars like the Sun?
Massive stars can undergo core collapse and explode as supernovae, potentially leaving behind neutron stars or black holes.
If adenine makes up 30% of a DNA sample, what percentage is guanine?
20%.
An atom has 17 protons, 18 neutrons and 18 electrons. Identify the element and calculate its mass number.
Chlorine; mass number 35
A device receives 2,000 J of electrical energy and produces 500 J of useful light energy. Calculate its efficiency.
25%
Which NRL team defeated the Melbourne Storm 26–22 in the 2025 Grand Final to claim the premiership?
Brisbane Broncos.