Solar System
Why are meteors usually only visible for a short amount of time?
Because they burn up quickly due to friction with Earth’s atmosphere.
A scientist finds soil with many tiny pore spaces. Which property is being described?
What is porosity?
Why is only a small amount of energy transferred between trophic levels?
Most energy is lost as heat or used for life processes.
Why are cells considered the basic unit of life?
Because they perform all necessary life functions.
Why does sexual reproduction increase survival chances in changing environments?
It creates genetic diversity.
A planet moves farther away from the Sun. Predict how this would affect its temperature and explain why.
Its temperature would decrease because it would receive less solar energy.
Why can a material have high porosity but low permeability?
The spaces may not be connected, so water cannot flow easily.
Predict what would happen to a hawk population if mouse populations decreased dramatically.
The hawk population would likely decrease because of reduced food availability.
How are tissues and organs related?
Tissues combine to form organs.
How does artificial selection differ from natural selection?
Artificial selection is controlled by humans while natural selection is controlled by environmental pressures.
Name the FOUR characteristics that help Earth support life.
This term means the ground sinks due to water being removed underground.
What is subsidence?
Why are decomposers critical to nutrient cycling?
They return nutrients to the environment so producers can reuse them.
Explain why organ systems must work together to maintain homeostasis.
Body systems depend on one another to keep internal conditions stable.
A population of insects becomes resistant to pesticides over time. Which process explains this?
What is natural selection?
Explain how gravity and inertia work together to keep planets in orbit.
Gravity pulls planets toward the Sun while inertia keeps them moving forward, creating an orbit.
Compare infiltration rates in sand versus clay.
Sand has faster infiltration because it has larger connected spaces.
Compare the flow of energy to the cycling of matter in ecosystems.
Energy flows one direction while matter is continuously recycled.
A student damages muscle tissue. Which higher levels of organization could also be affected?
Organs, organ systems, and the organism.
Why might asexual reproduction be beneficial in stable environments?
It allows organisms to reproduce quickly without needing a mate.
Why might scientists search for planets inside habitable zones when looking for extraterrestrial life?
Because temperatures there may allow liquid water to exist, increasing the possibility of life.
A city covers natural land with concrete. Predict how this affects infiltration and runoff.
Infiltration decreases while runoff increases because water cannot soak into the ground.
A disease wipes out most producers in an ecosystem. Predict TWO effects this would have.
Answer:
Compare the roles of the nervous and endocrine systems in maintaining homeostasis.
The nervous system responds quickly with nerve signals while the endocrine system responds more slowly using hormones.
Explain why genetic variation is important for the survival of a species.
Variation increases the chance that some individuals survive environmental changes.