Forces and Motion/Gravity
Nature of Science
Earth's Surface/Energy
Weather and Climate
Random
100
The width of the arrows in the illustration below represents the strength of the gravitational attraction between two objects. Using the law of universal gravitation, select the answer that best explains why the arrows are thicker in the top figure?
a. The gravitational force is slightly weaker in the top figure as compared to the bottom figure.
b. The masses of the objects in the top figure are different than the masses of the objects in the bottom figure.
c. The distance between the objects is shorter in the top figure as compared to the bottom figure.
d. The smaller object is in free fall.
C is correct because the closer two objects are to each other, the larger the gravitational force is between them.
100
Karl watches a star in the eastern sky at the same time each night for one week. He notices that the star seems to be a little bit higher each night, even though he is watching it at the same time each night. What best describes the type of scientific investigating Karl is doing?
a. experimenting
b. measuring
c. making inferences
d. observing systematically
D is correct because Karl is using his senses in the same way each night to gather information about the stars.
100
Energy can be transformed from one type to another. In which of the following situations is kinetic energy transformed into potential energy?
a. when a boulder rolls down a mountain
b. when a water tank ruptures and water flows out
c. when a tree branch falls toward the ground
d. when a ball is thrown straight up into the air
D is correct because the kinetic energy of the ball will be transformed into gravitational potential energy.
100
Solar energy does not warm Earth’s surface evenly. For example, during the day, land areas warm up faster than nearby bodies of water. How does this uneven warming affect the movement of air over land and water?
a. The cooler, denser air above the water flows toward the warmer, less dense air above the land, causing a sea breeze.
b. The warmer, less dense air above the land flows toward the cooler, denser air above the water, causing a land breeze.
c. The cooler air over the water would absorb water vapor and rise, resulting in rainy conditions over the shoreline.
d. The warmer air over the land would transfer energy to the cooler air by conduction, leading to a uniform air temperature.
A is correct because the space left on land by the warm air rising is filled with cooler air from over the ocean.
100
Ice from glaciers carves parts of Earth’s crust, changing V-shaped river valleys into broad, U-shaped valleys. Which of the following spheres are interacting?
a. geosphere and biosphere
b. cryosphere and geosphere
c. biosphere and hydrosphere
d. hydrosphere and cryosphere
B is correct because glaciers are part of the cryosphere and the erosion of rock affects the geosphere.
200
Aito carried out an experiment to separate the components in a mixture. The steps Aito took are shown in the illustration below. What forces did Aito depend upon to separate the components in this mixture?
a. magnetic and electrical forces
b. magnetic and gravitational forces
c. gravitational and electrical forces
d. balanced and unbalanced forces
B is correct because Aito used a magnet to separate out magnetic particles, and gravity to let particles fall through filters.
200
Hannah grows tomato plants in her garden. She wants to find out if the temperature of the water she provides to her tomato plants affects how tall the plants grow. What type of scientific investigation will best help Hannah answer her question?
a. mathematical model
b. systematic observations
c. experiment
d. physical model
C is correct because Hannah wants to determine the effect of a test variable (independent variable)—water temperature on an outcome variable (dependent variable)—tomato plant growth.
200
The illustration below shows the path that a ball rolls, from left to right.
Which statement would correctly describe the energy of the ball as it travels along the path?
a. The ball has the most potential energy at point D.
b. The ball has the least potential energy at point A.
c. The ball has the most kinetic energy at point C.
d. The ball has the least kinetic energy at point D.
C is correct because point C is the lowest point along the ball’s path, where the greatest amount of its initial potential energy will have been converted to kinetic energy.
200
A city's distance from an ocean has an effect on the amount of precipitation it receives. Why would a city near the ocean have more precipitation than a city far away from the ocean?
a. The ocean attracts clouds, which pass over the city nearby and cause more precipitation.
b. Ocean water condenses into the atmosphere, evaporates to form clouds, then falls as precipitation on the city nearby.
c. Ocean water evaporates into the atmosphere, condenses to form clouds, then falls as precipitation on the city nearby.
d. A cloud that does not travel far from its source of water vapor contains more moisture than a cloud that travels a long distance to reach a city far away.
C is correct because ocean water evaporates into the atmosphere, and then condenses to form clouds, which would cause more precipitation in a city close by.
200
Conduction is one way in which energy in the form of heat is transferred through the Earth system. Which of the following best describes how conduction causes magma to heat the surrounding rock inside Earth?
a. The warm magma flows towards Earth’s surface and cools.
b. Electromagnetic waves from the sun warm the magma, which in turn warms the surrounding rock.
c. Differences in the density of the magma cause movement in the magma, which warms the surrounding rock.
d. Molecules of magma collide with molecules of rock and transfer energy as heat.
D is correct because this describes conduction. Collisions between particles, or contact between particles, must occur for the transfer of energy as heat by conduction.
300
Plotting a graph of speed vs. time is a good way to see how the motion of an object changes over time. Look closely at the graph below. What can you conclude about the motion of the object?
a. The speed of the object is slowly increasing at a constant speed.
b. The motion of the object is decreasing at a constant speed.
c. The object is maintaining its direction of motion.
d. The object is returning to its original position.
B is correct because the plot has a negative slope, and is linear.
300
Ty and Crystal are working together to learn about surface tension. They each add pennies to their own cup of water to see how many they can add before the cup overflows. Ty is able to add 15 pennies. Crystal is able to add 38. What should their next step be?
a. They should discuss differences in their methods.
b. They should each claim that their answer is right.
c. They should record their results and move on to a different investigation.
d. They should repeat the experiment using different pennies.
A is correct because identifying differences in the methods used by each student may provide an explanation of the discrepancies in the results.
300
All of the trees next to a stream are chopped down, leaving only rocks and soil. A paved parking lot is built next to the stream. What might cause the water in the stream to be cloudy following the next rain?
a. increased groundwater under the area
b. decreased abrasion from the pavement
c. increased erosion along the edges of the stream
d. increased erosion from the pavement being weathered
C is correct because, with no tree roots to hold the soil in place, runoff from the excess rainwater would wash away sediment near the edges of the stream and deposit that sediment into the stream.
300
Buffalo, New York, and cities in northern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania that are south and east of the Great Lakes experience large winter snowfalls, called lake-effect snows. Which is the best explanation of lake-effect snows?
a. The jet stream flows across the lakes and produces snowfall.
b. Fluctuations in shoreline temperatures produce snowstorms during cold periods
c. Fronts become stationary over the Great Lakes, where they pick up moisture and cause snowy weather.
d. Cold air flowing southeast from Canada picks up moisture when passing over the lakes, which produces snow over the land.
D is correct because even though the air mass picks up moisture over the lake, the water quickly condenses in the cold air and precipitates as snow
300
All plants are classified together in the plant kingdom. What are two characteristics that are used to classify an organism in the plant kingdom?
a. presence of cell wall and ability to make sugars
b. unicellular and carry out photosynthesis
c. multicellular and ability to move about independently
d. prokaryotic and lack organelles
A is correct because all plants have cells that are surrounded by a cell wall and make sugars during the process of photosynthesis.
400
A specific kind of force will result on an object when it is pushed from opposite sides. What must be true if the force on this object is unbalanced?
a. The push must be equal in force on each side.
b. The push must be greater on one side than on the other.
c. Both pushes must apply a zero net force on the object.
d. Both pushes must produce a net force so that the object remains in place.
B is correct because a greater push on one side than the other will yield an unbalanced force.
400
Carol wants to determine how a fertilizer will affect the growth of marigolds. Which best explains why Carol would choose to investigate this topic using an experiment rather than systematic observations?
a. Her research question requires comparison, not notation and measurements.
b. Her research question should be answered using samples that are in identical circumstances.
c. Her research question requires changing one variable to see how it affects others.
d. Her research question involves studying a system that is too large or dangerous to study directly.
C is correct because Carol’s question requires measuring the effect of a test variable (independent variable) on an outcome variable (dependent variable).
400
Weathering and erosion are two processes that shape Earth’s surface. Which of the following sets of factors causes both weathering and erosion?
a. moving water, plants, wind
b. glaciers, waves, wind
c. acids, tree roots, waves
d. acids, plants, ice
B is correct because all three agents cause weathering (the physical breakdown of rock) as well as erosion (the movement of rock particles from one place to another).
400
Why does precipitation occur more often near the equator than near the poles?
a. Warm ocean breezes near the equator bring rain
b. There is less water vapor in the air near the equator.
c. There is more moisture in the air due to the warmth of the water.
d. Moisture freezes quickly near the poles, resulting in little precipitation.
C is correct because the warm air at the equator is able to hold more moisture than cold air, resulting in greater precipitation.
400
Maintaining homeostasis requires many cell processes happening at the same time. Not all cells perform all of the same processes. Which of the actions below is performed by all cells to maintain homeostasis?
a. divide rapidly into two cells
b. get energy from nutrients
c. use light energy to produce food
d. combines with another cell to produce a zygote
B is correct because all cells need to obtain energy from nutrients to carry out cell processes.
500
Leanna decided to rearrange her bedroom by moving her dresser to the opposite wall. She tried pushing it, but found that the dresser would not move. What force was Leanne NOT able to overcome?
a. electrical force
b. magnetic force
c. balanced force
d. frictional force
D is correct because the dresser is in contact with the floor and a frictional force, which resists motion, exists between them.
500
A team of doctors is testing the effects of a new drug on sickle-cell anemia patients. The team organizes the patients into two groups. The experimental group is given the drug. The control group is given a placebo, or a substance that has no medicinal value. Neither group knows whether they received the drug or the placebo. Why is having a control group an important part of this experiment?
a. Scientists can determine the effects of the drug by comparing those patients that have been treated with the drug to those that have not.
b. By having two groups, it allows the scientists to have a larger sample size on which to test the drug.
c. It provides the patients with a choice of whether they want to take the experimental drug.
d. Scientists are able to study the effects of a second drug on the group that received the placebo.
A is correct because a control group is intended to provide an untreated group to which the experimental group can be compared.
500
Many processes help to shape Earth’s surface. Starting with a rock, in what order would you expect the following Earth processes to occur?
a. deposition, eruption, weathering
b. erosion, weathering, deposition
c. eruption, erosion, weathering
d. weathering, erosion, deposition
D is correct because the physical breakdown of rock must occur before the rock particles can be transported from one place to another. Accumulation of the rock particles occurs after they have been broken down and transported
500
The atmosphere helps keep the planet within the correct temperature range to sustain Earth’s life forms. How does water vapor help moderate Earth’s climate?
a. Water vapor reflects thermal energy from the sun.
b. Water vapor absorbs some thermal energy from Earth’s surface and reradiates it back to the lower atmosphere.
c. Water vapor produces thermal energy in the atmosphere.
d. Water vapor absorbs some thermal energy from clouds and reradiates it back into space.
B is correct because water vapor absorbs thermal energy from Earth’s surface and reradiates it back to the lower atmosphere.
500
Conduction results in the transfer of energy as heat. Which of the following is the best example of energy transfer by conduction?
a. Sunlight shines on the ocean and warms the surface water.
b. Cold surface water is warmed by warm air directly above it.
c. Cold ocean water sinks deep into the ocean while warm ocean water rises upward.
d. Water in the shallow parts of the ocean is warmer than waters in the deeper parts of the ocean.
B is correct because conduction requires contact between particles, as is true of the cold surface water in contact with the warm air directly above it.