Life Science
Which of the following best describes how carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is changed by living organisms?
It is absorbed by plants during photosynthesis
It is created when factory workers burn fossil fuels.
It is exchanged for water vapor through the process of respiration.
It is used by plants and animals to convert organic carbon to oxygen.
It is absorbed by plants during photosynthesis
Anthony’s homework assignment is to demonstrate that an orange has already undergone a chemical change. Which of the following should he bring to class to best demonstrate a chemical change?
Diced orange
Rotten orange
Peeled orange
Mashed orange
Rotten orange
Allison and Heather are going to conduct an experiment to see whether salt affects the growth of plants. They assemble five groups of identical plants and give the plants in each group water with a different salt concentration. What is the outcome variable (dependent variable) for their experiment?
Salt concentration in plant tissue
Salt concentration in plant water
Amount of water absorbed by plants
Average mass of plants in each group
Average mass of plants in each group
Michael and Jose are studying about plate tectonics. They learned that plates usually move a few centimeters every year. They learned that the movement of heated material caused the plates to move. In which layer does the heated material move?
Inner Core
Outer Core
Mantle
Crust
Crust
While Deena is watching the news on TV, she hears that there is going to be a solar eclipse the next day. The news announcer gives advice on how to view a solar eclipse safely, and describes what is happening when a solar eclipse occurs. What causes a solar eclipse to occur?
The Moon passes between the Sun and Earth.
The Sun, the Moon and Earth form a right angle.
Earth and the Moon are on opposite sides of the Sun.
Earth and the Moon are at their farthest distance from the Sun.
The Moon passes between the Sun and Earth.
In science class, Eric learns about relationships between organisms in nature. The concepts of predation and parasitism tend to confuse him. Which explains the difference between these two concepts?
Parasitism results in two organisms benefiting instead of only one
Parasitism happens over time, so the organism needs to be a living host
Predation results in one organism being harmed while another benefits
Predation and parasitism are the same thing, since one organism is harmed
Parasitism happens over time, so the organism needs to be a living host
Terry sees an old rusty swing set at the park. He knows that rust is formed when iron (Fe) combines with oxygen (O) in the atmosphere to form iron oxide (FeO). How would you classify iron oxide?
compound
element
mixture
solution
compound
The practice of science involves many possible areas of study. Different scientists follow the process of the scientific method using different techniques and tools. Which of the following statements is a natural conclusion why scientists use different techniques to investigate their particular field?
Scientists use the method with which they are the most comfortable.
Scientists must use all parts of the scientific method for conclusions to be valid.
Techniques can only be used in certain fields of study and never overlap.
Techniques may vary between fields of research, but the conclusions are still valid.
Techniques may vary between fields of research, but the conclusions are still valid.
Gravity, water, wind, and heat can all contribute to erosion. Which of the following natural landforms are primarily formed by wind erosion?
desert sand dunes
deep river canyons
mudslides
sinkholes
desert sand dunes
Charlotte’s class is learning about the movements of Earth, the Sun, and the Moon. They discover that different phenomena result when the relative positions of Earth, the Sun and the Moon change. Which of the following happens when the Sun, the Moon and Earth are lined up in a straight line?
Seasons on Earth last longer than normal.
The shape of Earth’s orbit around the Sun changes.
Earth experiences higher high tides and lower low tides.
Gravity from both Earth and the Sun prevents the Moon from rotating.
Earth experiences higher high tides and lower low tides.
Which statement most closely agrees with the theory of evolution by means of natural selection, as explained by Charles Darwin?
Only the strongest organisms can survive.
Humans were created from chimpanzees.
Only favorable traits are passed from one generation to the next.
Organisms better adapted to their immediate environment are most likely to survive and reproduce.
Organisms better adapted to their immediate environment are most likely to survive and reproduce.
Which of the following statements best describes the basic structure of an atom?
Electrons and protons are in motion around a nucleus that contains neutrons.
Neutrons are in motion around a nucleus that contains protons and electrons.
Protons are in motion around a nucleus that contains electrons and neutrons.
Electrons are in motion around a nucleus that contains protons and neutrons.
Electrons are in motion around a nucleus that contains protons and neutrons.
Until the 1500s, doctors thought diseases were caused spontaneously. Scientists began proposing that diseases were caused by seed-like entities that could be passed among people. After the invention of the microscope, doctors came to know that many diseases were actually caused by microscopic living organisms, like bacteria. What does this suggest about the nature of scientific knowledge?
Scientific knowledge should not be considered valid because it changes over time.
Technology has improved enough that scientific knowledge can stop changing.
New discoveries and evidence are more important than repeatable results.
Scientific knowledge changes over time based on evidence.
Scientific knowledge changes over time based on evidence.
Human actions can cause significant changes to the plant’s surface. Vegetation has been cleared by humans. If there are any rains in that area, which of the following is most likely to increase?
Erosion
Earthquakes
volcanic activity
chemical weathering
Erosion
One of Earth’s characteristics is that it experiences seasons. Higher temperatures result in summer and lower temperatures result in winter. Why does the Earth experience seasons?
Temperatures on Earth vary from one location to another, causing seasons.
Cloud cover is heavier in the winter, blocking radiation from the Sun and creating seasons.
As Earth revolves around the Sun, the hemisphere that is tilted toward the Sun receives more direct sunlight, causing seasons.
Earth’s orbit around the Sun is elliptical, and Earth is farther from the Sun in winter, resulting in seasons.
As Earth revolves around the Sun, the hemisphere that is tilted toward the Sun receives more direct sunlight, causing seasons.
During a hot July day, Brian and his friends play football outside. After a while, they are covered in sweat. Brian comments that sweat is just your body’s way of cooling itself. Which systems are involved in your body attempting to maintain homeostasis during high temperatures?
Your nervous system sends signals to your muscular system.
Your circulatory system gives blood to your respiratory system.
Your muscular system attempts to cool your skin through radiation.
Your excretory system attempts to cool your skin through evaporation.
Your excretory system attempts to cool your skin through evaporation.
Jamal is combining salt with water in order to determine its solubility. He notices that after adding ten spoonfuls of salt, no more will dissolve into the water. Which statement best explains his observation?
There is not enough solute added to the solution.
The solution has reached its saturation point.
The density of the salt is being changed.
The state of the water is being changed.
The solution has reached its saturation point.
Gregor Mendel conducted research about genetics by breeding pea plants. Although he could not actually see into cells, he deduced from his results that each of an organism’s traits is determined by two factors (alleles). Long after Mendel’s work, microscopes were improved and scientists observed that chromosomes in the nucleus occurred in matching pairs. It is now accepted that the two alleles for each trait are located on homologous chromosomes. What does this demonstrate about science?
Advances in science may result from new interpretations of previous work.
Improvements in equipment and data gathering can disprove previous conclusions.
Earlier scientists did not have the proper equipment and materials to make their conclusions.
Much of early scientific research was faulty because the earlier scientists did not practice the same data-gathering practices as modern scientists.
Advances in science may result from new interpretations of previous work.
In Jacksonville, heavy amounts of rainfall can take place during hurricane season. In addition, a storm surge floods the beach areas before storms make landfall. Which of the following represent a possible interaction between the geosphere and the hydrosphere during a hurricane?
The plants and animals will lose their habitats due to wind.
The flood water will wash away sand and soil from the beach.
The clouds contain high amounts of humidity in the form of water.
The high winds pick up small objects, causing damage to buildings.
The flood water will wash away sand and soil from the beach.
Teresa is studying the Solar System. She learns that Jupiter has 18 named moons as well as many small unnamed ones, and that Earth has just one moon. Which of the following best explains why Jupiter has so many more moons than Earth?
Jupiter is much farther away from the Sun than Earth, so it attracts more moons.
Jupiter has a much greater mass, and therefore a greater gravitational pull, than Earth.
Jupiter has a thicker, denser atmosphere than Earth, and it condenses rock particles to form moons.
Jupiter is so much colder than Earth that clumps of ice form moons in its upper atmosphere more readily.
Jupiter has a much greater mass, and therefore a greater gravitational pull, than Earth.
Atoms combine to form molecules. Which of the following is another example of organization among living things?
Tissues combine to form cells.
Cells combine to form tissues.
Organs combine to form cells.
Organs combine to form tissues.
Cells combine to form tissues.
On a hot summer day in Florida, Sarah was having a picnic with her family. She took a glass, which had been sitting in the Sun, and filled it with ice cubes from a cooler. Then she added lemonade from a thermos jug. Which of the following describes one direction in which heat will flow?
A. From the ice cube to the glass.
B. From the lemonade to the glass.
C. From the lemonade to the ice cube.
D. From the ice cube to the lemonade.
From the lemonade to the ice cube.
Scientists create both scientific theories and scientific laws as they make observations and conduct experiments about the natural world. Which of the following statements most accurately compares the difference between scientific theories and scientific laws?
Scientific laws are based on evidence, while scientific theories are not.
Scientific theories involve only biology, while laws involve all types of science.
Scientific theories involve mathematical equations, while scientific laws are based on observations.
Scientific theories are ideas that explain natural events, while scientific laws reliably predict natural events.
Scientific theories are ideas that explain natural events, while scientific laws reliably predict natural events.
Scientific evidence reveals that Earth is gradually growing warmer. Which of the following describes how this warming could cause glaciers to change?
Glaciers could move from the hydrosphere to the biosphere.
Glaciers could move from the biosphere to the hydrosphere.
Glaciers could move from the hydrosphere to the cryosphere.
Glaciers could move from the cryosphere to the hydrosphere.
Glaciers could move from the cryosphere to the hydrosphere.
Jeannie reads that light from the North Star, called Polaris takes 434 years to reach us on Earth. Why does it take the light from Polaris so long to reach us on Earth?
Most of the light from Polaris is absorbed by different objects in space.
Light from Polaris travels a vast distance before it reaches Earth.
It is difficult for light to pass through the Earth’s atmosphere.
Light slows down as it travels through space.
Light from Polaris travels a vast distance before it reaches Earth.