Life Science
Physical Science
Earth Science
Nature of Science
Surprise Me!
100
A partial food chain in a meadow ecosystem is shown in the illustration. Based on the food chain, which phrase describes the energy flow from a consumer to another consumer?
A from the grasshoppers to the alfalfa
B from the alfalfa to the grasshoppers
C from the ground squirrels to the rattlesnakes
D from the ground squirrels to the grasshoppers
from the ground squirrels to the rattlesnakes
100
A student observes a light fixture hanging from a long chain that is attached to the ceiling. The student claims that there are balanced forces acting on the light fixture. Which of the following statements best supports the student’s claim?
A The light fixture pulls on the chain.
B The light fixture is attracted to gravity.
C The light fixture remains in one position.
D The light fixture is connected to the ceiling.
C The light fixture remains in one position.
100
The chart below shows the sky conditions and temperatures, in degrees Celsius (°C) and degrees Fahrenheit (°F), for four cities on the same day in January.
Which of the following predictions most likely describes the weather in two of these cities?
A It is raining in Boise and snowing in Boston.
B It is raining in Boise and snowing in St. Louis.
C It is snowing in Boston and raining in Flagstaff.
D It is snowing in Flagstaff and raining in St. Louis.
A It is raining in Boise and snowing in Boston.
100
Bill conducts an investigation to observe how far paper airplanes can fly. After the investigation, Bill claims that adding mass to the paper airplanes causes them to fly farther. Which of the following does Bill need to support his claim?
A a list of questions about mass and distance to be answered by an investigation
B a description of materials used to measure mass and distance in an investigation
C observations of the distances the airplanes of different masses fly during an investigation
D predictions of the distances the airplanes of different masses will fly during an investigation
C observations of the distances the airplanes of different masses fly during an investigation
100
Mrs. Nelson is demonstrating to her class how to use physical properties to identify minerals. She taps a piece of graphite with a hammer, and the graphite splits into thin sheets. Which property is the teacher demonstrating?
A cleavage
B hardness
C streak
D texture
A cleavage
200
A scientist is observing behavioral adaptations of a North American porcupine. The porcupine is a mammal that climbs trees and has hardened fur called quills on its back and tail. Which of the porcupine’s adaptations is best described as a learned behavior rather than an inherited behavior?
A using its quills to defend against predators
B returning to the same tree for protection
C staying in a den during the winter
D searching for food at night
B returning to the same tree for protection
200
A student wants to know how to make salt dissolve quickly in water. The student places a large piece of salt in a cup of warm water. The student measures how much time it takes for the salt to dissolve. Which of the following actions would best help the piece of salt dissolve faster?
A Crush the salt.
B Add more water to the cup.
C Add the salt to the cup first.
D Decrease the temperature of the water.
A Crush the salt.
200
Plants grow in many places, including in rocks like the one shown in the illustration below.
What will happen to the rock as the plant continues to grow?
A The rock will move somewhere else.
B The rock will stay the same.
C The rock will break apart.
D The rock will get bigger.
C The rock will break apart.
200
To determine which liquid cools faster, Albert placed three beakers of water and three beakers of cooking oil in a tray of ice. He measured the temperature of each beaker every 3 minutes for 15 minutes. His setup is shown below.
How can Albert improve his procedure?
A by adding ice to all the beakers
B by using a smaller beaker for the water
C by using the same amount of liquid in each beaker
D by placing larger thermometers in the beakers of oil
C by using the same amount of liquid in each beaker
200
Minerals are identified by observing and testing their physical properties. Which of the following statements describes a physical property used to identify a mineral?
A This mineral makes a black streak.
B This mineral has a mass of 16 grams.
C This mineral formed a long time ago.
D This mineral was found at a local rock quarry.
A This mineral makes a black streak.
300
Scientists discover a new animal in the Florida Everglades. Some information about the animal is listed below.
Which additional information would help the scientists classify this
animal as a fish rather than a reptile?
A Lays eggs
B Eats small animals
C Breathes using gills
D Swims in fresh water
C Breathes using gills
300
A student uses a solar cooker, a device that uses energy from the Sun to cook food. The student places a covered pot containing the food inside the cooker. An illustration of the solar cooker is shown below.
Which statement best explains why the inside of the solar cooker is painted black?
A The black paint causes light to pass through the solar cooker.
B The black paint causes sunlight to bounce onto the top panel.
C The black paint absorbs the light reflected from the top panel.
D The black paint reflects most of the sunlight into the solar cooker.
C The black paint absorbs the light reflected from the top panel.
300
The main climate zones of the world are shown on the map below.
Which of the following statements best describes a temperate
climate zone?
A It receives the most rain because of its altitude.
B It has moderate temperatures because of its latitude.
C It receives the least precipitation because of its elevation.
D It has the warmest temperatures because of its lakes and seas.
B It has moderate temperatures because of its latitude.
300
33. Joseph mixes cooking oil and vinegar in a beaker. He records his observations and his inferences about the mixture. Which of the following statements is an observation about this mixture rather than an inference?
A The liquids form two separate layers.
B The cooking oil will never completely mix with the vinegar.
C The cooking oil floats because it has less mass than the vinegar.
D The liquids will take the shape of any container into which they are poured.
A The liquids form two separate layers.
300
Muscles and the skeleton work together to help keep humans healthy. Which of the following phrases best describes the function of the muscles and the bones of the skeleton?
A provide support and protection to the body
B warm the body when the temperature is cold
C control body movement and collect information
D guard the body against harmful viruses and germs
A provide support and protection to the body
400
The Florida Keys are a group of small islands. Human activities can have positive or negative effects on this ecosystem. Which of the following human activities would most likely have a positive effect on the Florida Keys ecosystem?
A removing grasses and trees from areas to be developed
B releasing nonnative animals into the wild
C increasing fertilizer use on grasses and trees
D restoring the habitats of native animals
D restoring the habitats of native animals
400
Two stringed instruments and the sound waves they produce are represented in the diagrams below.
Which statement best compares the sounds produced by the
instruments?
A The sound from Instrument 2 is louder than the sound from Instrument 1 is.
B The sound from Instrument 2 has a higher pitch than the sound from Instrument 1 has.
C The sound from Instrument 2 has a lower frequency than the sound from Instrument 1 has.
D The sound from Instrument 2 lasts for a longer amount of time than the sound from Instrument 1 does.
B The sound from Instrument 2 has a higher pitch than the sound from Instrument 1 has.
400
A teacher uses the model shown below to demonstrate the water cycle.
Which statement best describes how a part of this model is used to represent a water cycle process?
A The ice cubes are used to represent runoff.
B The beaker of water is used to represent condensation.
C The metal pan is used to represent energy that produces precipitation.
D The hot plate is used to represent energy from the Sun that causes evaporation.
D The hot plate is used to represent energy from the Sun that causes evaporation.
400
In science class, students will complete the activities listed in the chart below to learn about birds.
Which student activity can be completed using scientific experimentation?
A Activity 1
B Activity 2
C Activity 3
D Activity 4
D Activity 4
400
In the 1850s, the European green crab was accidentally transported on ships to the north Atlantic coast of the United States. There, this crab’s population grew rapidly. The crabs ate several kinds of snails, including the smooth periwinkle. Today, smooth periwinkle snails have thicker shells. Which of the following statements best describes this change in the smooth periwinkle snail?
A Snail shells changed when stronger and faster snails avoided the predators.
B A greater population of crabs forced the snails to move to a different area.
C Snails born with thicker shells more often survived predator attacks.
D Snails formed thicker shells as each individual became older.
C Snails born with thicker shells more often survived predator attacks.
500
Part of a desert food chain is shown below.
A food chain traces the flow of energy from the Sun through several organisms. Which type of organism should be included to complete the flow of energy in this food chain?
A producer
B predator
C herbivore
D carnivore
C herbivore
500
Lilly moves a cart up a hill and stops, as shown.
Which of the following descriptions best explains why the cart is
NOT moving?
A Lilly applies a force so that the forces are balanced.
B Lilly applies a force that changes the direction of the forces.
C Lilly applies a force that is less than the forces pulling on the cart.
D Lilly applies a force that decreases the other forces pulling on the cart.
A Lilly applies a force so that the forces are balanced.
500
Sergio and Paola use a computer model to study Earth’s movements, as shown in the illustration below.
Which of these statements best explains a relationship between Earth’s
movement and the appearance of the Sun as seen from Earth?
A The Sun appears in the sky for longer periods during the summer because Earth rotates on its axis.
B The Sun appears to become larger during the evening because Earth revolves around the Sun.
C The Sun appears to travel across the sky during the day because Earth rotates on its axis.
D The Sun appears to rise and set in the sky because Earth revolves around the Sun.
C The Sun appears to travel across the sky during the day because Earth rotates on its axis.
500
Chinara and Shawn are investigating how plants respond to light. They each develop a procedure, as shown in the chart below. Which of the following conclusions best predicts the results of Chinara’s and Shawn’s procedures?
A The results will be different because Chinara and Shawn will write down their data at different times of the day.
B Chinara and Shawn will have the same results because their procedures have similar steps in the same order.
C The results will be similar because Chinara and Shawn use the same materials in each of their procedures.
D Chinara and Shawn will have different results because their procedures have steps that are not identical.
D Chinara and Shawn will have different results because their procedures have steps that are not identical.
500
Players run from one place to another while participating in some team sports. The illustration below shows a field hockey player in motion.
Which of the following forces moves the player forward?
A the force of friction pulling on the player
B the pushing force of the wind against the player
C the pushing force between the player and the ground
D the force of gravity pulling the player toward the ground
C the pushing force between the player and the ground