Food Webs/Food Chains
Grass → rabbit → fox
Question: Which organism is the producer?
Answer: Grass is the producer.
10 points
Water evaporates from the ocean, forms clouds, and later falls as snow in the mountains. The melted snow eventually flows back to the ocean through rivers.
Question: What is this continuous movement of water called?
Answer: The water cycle.
200 points
A student mixes sand and water together. After sitting for several minutes, the sand sinks to the bottom.
Question: Did a new substance form? Explain how you know.
Answer: No, a new substance did not form because the sand and water can still be separated.
100 pointss
During an investigation, a toy car rolled 8 meters on tile floor but only 3 meters on carpet.
Question: What force caused the car to slow down more on the carpet?
Answer: Friction caused the car to slow down more on the carpet.
100 points
Cells form tissues, tissues form organs, and organs form systems.
Question: What do multiple systems working together create?
Answer: An organism.
100 points
A disease greatly reduces the rabbit population in a grassland ecosystem.
Question: How would this most likely affect foxes?
Answer: The fox population would likely decrease because they would have less food.
100 points
Warm water from the Atlantic Ocean helps keep North Carolina’s coastal climate milder during winter.
Question: What Earth system is mainly influencing the climate in this example?
Answer: The hydrosphere, especially the ocean water, is influencing the climate.
100 points
A piece of chocolate is heated until it melts into a liquid.
Question: Did the chocolate change physically or chemically?
Answer: It changed physically because melting does not create a new substance.
100 points
A bike rider travels 60 meters north in 20 seconds.
Question: What is the rider’s speed?
Answer: The speed is 3 meters per second.
50
The circulatory system transports oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.
Question: Which organ is mainly responsible for pumping blood?
Answer: The heart.
100 points
An estuary contains fish, crabs, marsh grass, birds, and algae.
Question: Why can estuaries support many populations?
Answer: Estuaries provide food, shelter, water, and diverse habitats for many organisms.
150 points
A student notices that temperatures are usually hotter in July than in January.
Question: What causes this seasonal weather pattern?
Answer: Earth’s tilt and the amount of sunlight received during different seasons cause temperature changes.
150 points
Two students weigh clay before and after shaping it into a bowl. The mass stays the same.
Question: What does this investigation show about matter?
Answer: Matter is conserved because changing shape does not change the amount of matter.
100 points
Two students race toy cars down ramps. One ramp is steep and one ramp is less steep. The car on the steeper ramp moves faster and farther.
Question: Explain why the steeper ramp changed the motion of the car.
Answer: The steeper ramp increased the effect of gravity, causing the car to accelerate faster and travel farther.
200 points
A student runs laps during gym class and begins breathing faster.
Question: Which two body systems are working closely together during this activity?
Answer: The respiratory system and circulatory system.
150 points
A farmer sprays pesticides that accidentally kill many insects in a pond ecosystem.
Question: Explain one possible effect this could have on the food web.
Answer: Animals that eat insects may lose a food source, causing their populations to decrease and disrupting the ecosystem.
200 points
Dark clouds form after water vapor cools high in the atmosphere. Tiny droplets join together and later fall as rain.
Question: Which part of the water cycle is being described when the droplets form?
Answer: Condensation.
50 points
A student mixes vinegar and baking soda. Bubbling gas forms and the mixture feels colder.
Question: Why is this evidence of a chemical change?
Answer: A new substance formed, shown by the production of gas and temperature change.
100 points
A student pushes an empty shopping cart and a full shopping cart with the same amount of force. The empty cart rolls much farther across the floor.
Question: Why did the empty cart travel farther?
Answer: The empty cart had less mass, so it required less force to move and could travel farther with the same push.
100 Points
Bones protect organs and help support the body, while muscles pull on bones to create movement.
Question: Which two body systems work together for movement?
Answer: The muscular system and skeletal system.
150 points
Mushrooms break down dead plants and animals in a forest ecosystem.
Question: What role do mushrooms play?
Answer: Mushrooms are decomposers.
50 points
A weather map shows falling air pressure, strong winds, and dark storm clouds approaching a coastal town.
Question: What type of weather is most likely coming?
Answer: Severe stormy weather, such as a hurricane or thunderstorm, is likely approaching.
30 points
Metal train tracks have small gaps between sections. During summer, the metal expands when heated.
Question: Why are the gaps important?
Answer: The gaps allow the metal to expand without bending or cracking.
50 points
A student drops a basketball and a tennis ball from the same height at the same time. Both hit the ground almost together.
Question: What force pulled both balls toward Earth?
Answer: Gravity pulled both balls toward Earth.
50 points
A person accidentally touches a hot stove and quickly pulls their hand away before thinking about it.
Question: Which body system detected the danger and sent signals to react quickly?
Answer: The nervous system.
100 points