Biology
Earth & Space Science
Physics
Chemistry
Potpourri
100
An increase in which atmospheric gas would most likely increase the rate of photosynthesis?

A. carbon dioxide
B. hydrogen
C. nitrogen
D. oxygen
C. carbon dioxide
100
Astronomers use optical telescopes to observe stars, but not planets, beyond our solar system. Which statement explains why optical telescopes cannot be used to observe planets beyond our solar system?

A. These planets are rotating too fast.
B. These planets do not reflect enough light.
C. These planets do not have life on them.
D. These planet are smaller than those in our solar system.
B. These planets do not reflect enough light.
100
A student bounces a ball on the ground. How does the force of the ground on the ball compare to the force of the ball on the ground?

A. The force of the ground on the ball has a greater magnitude.
B. The force of the ball on the ground has a greater magnitude.
C. The forces have equal magnitudes in the same direction.
D. The forces have equal magnitudes in opposite directions.
D. The forces have equal magnitudes in opposite directions.
100
Why is the compound sodium chloride stable?

A. Sodium gains one electron and chlorine loses one electron.
B. Sodium loses one electron and chlorine gains one electron.
C. Sodium gains seven electrons and chlorine loses seven electrons.
D. Sodium loses seven electrons and chlorine gains seven electrons.
B. Sodium loses one electron and chlorine gains one electron.
100
What does DNA sequencing most help taxonomists learn about an organism?

A. how the organism reproduces
B. how the organism interacts with its environment
C. how the organism is related to other species
D. how the organism firs into the food chain
C. how the organism is related to other species.
200
A cell containing 28 chromosomes undergoes mitosis and cell division. How many chromosomes will each of the resulting daughter cells contain?

A. 7
B. 14
C. 28
D. 56
C. 28
200
What is the primary cause of continental plate movement?

A. rotation of the Earth on its axis
B. uneven heating of the mantle
C. density differences within the atmosphere
D. gravitational pull of the Moon on continents
B. uneven heating of the mantle
200
According to the big bang theory, the universe emerged from a hot, dense state of matter only a few millimeters across. Which statement supports the big bang theory?

A. billions of galaxies fill the universe.
B. Gaseous planets are father than the Sun than rocky planets.
C. New matter is created and added to the universe as it expands.
D. Objects in the universe are moving father away from each other over time.
D. Objects in the universe are moving farther away from each other over time.
200
What characteristic does an acid have?

A. It feels slippery or soapy.
B. It does not react with metals.
C. It donates the hydroxide ion in solution.
D. It has a pH of less than 7.
D. It has a pH of less than 7.
200
For many years, penicillin was used to fight bacterial infections. However, penicillin is no longer an effective treatment for some bacterial infections. Which statement explains this change?

A. Some bacteria had mutations that prevented penicillin from affecting them, and they reproduced.
B. Some bacteria multiplied rapidly and overwhelmed the penicillin.
C. Some bacteria used the penicillin as a source of energy.
D. Some bacteria adapted to their environment and they destroyed the penicillin.
A. Some bacteria had mutations that prevented penicillin from affecting them, and they reproduced.
300
Which factor that limits a population's size is important only when populations become large and dense?

A. seasonal cycles
B. sea level height
C. extreme weather
D. competition for food
D. competition for food
300
How does an inadequately designed landfill impact the hydrosphere?

A. Toxic waste seeps into the groundwater.
B. Toxic waste causes mutations in living organisms.
C. Toxic waste releases gases into the atmosphere.
D. Toxic waste seeps into the asthenosphere.
A. Toxic waste seeps into the groundwater.
300
According to current research, during which stage of a star's evolution does a black hole appear?

A. birth
B. main sequence
C. expansion stage
D. final stage
D. final stage
300
Why does an air mass tend to rise as it becomes heated?

A. because air's volume decreases as air rises
B. because air pressure increases in an open space
C. because air becomes less dense as its temperature increases
D. because air becomes more dense as its temperature increases
C. because air becomes less dense as its temperature increases
300
Which molecule changes as a result of a genetic engineering procedure?

A. lipid
B. carbohydrate
C. nucleic acid
D. amino acid
C. nucleic acid
400
Which statement best describes the importance of sexual reproduction?

A. Sexual reproduction produces offspring that are identical.
B. Sexual reproduction produces variation among offspring.
C. Sexual reproduction provides for the regeneration of body parts in some species.
D. Sexual reproduction occurs between individuals of the same species.
B. Sexual reproduction produces variation among offspring.
400
Which statement best explains why soil in areas cleared of vegetation becomes washed out?

A. Rock cycle activity decreases in soil that has no vegetation.
B. Rain and wind easily erode soil that has no vegetation.
C. Microbe activity increases in soil that has no vegetation.
D. Sunlight destroys nutrients in soil that has no vegetation.
B. Rain and wind easily erode soil that has no vegetation.
400
The manager of a building wants to increase the speed of an elevator from the first to the fourth floor. Which elevator design change would best help the manager accomplish this goal?

A. Decrease the diameter of the elevator cable.
B. Increase the power of the elevator motor.
C. Increase the height of the elevator door.
D. Decrease the thickness of the elevator door.
B. Increase the power of the elevator motor.
400
In today's atomic models, what accounts for most of the volume of an atom?

A. electrons
B. protons
C. neutrons
D. empty space
D. empty space
400
In the 1500s, Copernicus proposed that Earth orbited the Sun rather than the other way around. Which statement summarized the major impact of this idea on human thought?

A. Earth was much older than had been previously though.
B. Earth was no longer thought to be the center of the universe.
C. Earth was thought to be created by random factors.
D. Earth was thought to be moving differently from other object in space.
B. Earth was no longer thought to be the center of the universe.
500
Why does the phytoplankton population in the Arctic Ocean increase rapidly during the summer months?

A. More shrimp are available for food.
B. More sunlight is available for photosynthesis.
C. The North Atlantic Drift current brings them north.
D. The insect population increases by a significant amount.
B. More sunlight is available for photosynthesis.
500
Which type of change marks the end of eras in the geologic time scale?

A. mass organism extinction
B. large-scale mountain building
C. global warming
D. seafloor spreading
A. mass organism extinction
500
Sound travels through the air by

A. mutual gravitational attraction between molecules.
B. repulsion between electrically charged molecules.
C. random motion of molecules.
D. regular vibration of molecules.
D. regular vibration of molecules.
500
What is produced when an acid reacts with a base?

A. nitrogen and hydrogen
B. carbon and hydrogen
C. a sugar and water
D. a salt and water
D. a salt and water
500
Old redwood logs remain intact for centuries. Which statement is the best scientific argument to explain this phenomenon?

A. The logs contain chemicals that repel other organisms, including decomposers.
B. In a redwood forest, no fungi or other decomposers are present.
C. When a tree become a log, a gene mutates to protect the log.
D. An ecosystem containing redwood trees does not need to recycle materials.
A. The logs contain chemicals that repel other organisms, including decomposers.
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