Nature of Science
Allison and Heather are going to conduct an experiment to see whether salt affects the growth of plants. They assemble five groups of identical plants and give the plants in each group water with a different salt concentration. What is the outcome variable (dependent variable) for their experiment?
A. Salt concentration in plant tissue
B. Salt concentration in plant water
C. Amount of water absorbed by plants
D. Average mass of plants in each group
D. Average mass of plants in each group
The atmosphere surrounding Earth helps to maintain the various climates found around the world and keeps Earth from becoming extremely cold all over. How does the atmosphere help to keep Earth insulated and warm?
A. The atmosphere creates heat as Earth moves through space, helping to insulate Earth.
B. The atmosphere traps the heat generated by Earth's core and helps maintain Earth's climate.
C. The atmosphere helps spread the warmth from the water near the equator to other parts of Earth.
D. The atmosphere helps trap heat energy from the Sun and energy radiated from Earth to maintain the climate
D. The atmosphere helps trap heat energy from the Sun and energy radiated from Earth to maintain the climate
Which of the following processes would be most likely to release carbon dioxide into the environment?
A. building a wooden house
B. growing trees in the yard
C. burning wood in a campfire
D. chipping up wood for mulch
C. burning wood in a campfire
Jan noticed that when she put a tomato in water, it sank. When she put an apple in water, it floated. Why did the tomato sink while the apple floated?
A. The apple has more surface area than the tomato, which allowed the apple to float.
B. The apple is more dense than the water, and the tomato is less dense than the water.
C. The tomato is more dense than the water, and the apple is less dense than the water.
D. The apple and the tomato have the same density, but the tomato skin absorbed water, making it sink.
C. The tomato is more dense than the water, and the apple is less dense than the water.
What does CUBE stand for?
C- circle key science words
U- Underline important words
B- Box in question
E- Eliminate answers
Atomic theory, which describes the atoms that make up matter, has been explored for centuries. Scientists in ancient Greece first proposed that matter was made of units called atoms. For many years, scientists thought atoms were solid and could not be divided. Then, in the nineteenth century, scientists began to discover the particles that make up atoms. Modern techniques have allowed scientists to split atoms into increasingly smaller particles. Which of the following statements about theories is supported by the history of the atomic theory?
A. If new evidence contradicts earlier theories, it is a result of an experimental error.
B. Experiments with modern equipment cannot be used to support earlier theories.
C. A theory is discarded when new evidence contradicts a part of the theory.
D. Theories can change in response to new evidence.
D. Theories can change in response to new evidence.
There are places on the surface of the Earth where two tectonic plates slide against each other, moving in opposite directions. Sometimes these plates become stuck and don't move for long periods of time, which causes a lot of energy to build between the two plates until there is too much energy and the plates slip, causing a sudden motion. What is the result of this sudden motion?
A. mountains
B. earthquakes
C. volcanoes
D. large valleys
B. earthquakes
Scientists believe that the modern horse developed from a short, horse-like mammal about the size of a dog. Over millions of years, the horse increased in size and developed much longer legs. Horses with longer legs had a better chance of surviving than the shorter-legged members of the herd. How did longer legs help horses survive?
A. They allowed the horses to reach nuts in trees.
B. They allowed the horses to outrun predators.
C. They allowed the horses to carry more body weight.
D. They allowed the horses to capture prey.
B. They allowed the horses to outrun predators.
Sunlight is composed of energy that is visible to humans and energy that is not visible to humans. Which statement describes how the visible energy from the Sun is different from the non visible energy?
A. It travels at a different speed through space.
B. It travels a different distance through space.
C. It has different wavelengths.
D. It has different amplitudes.
C. It has different wavelengths.
When you first start the test, what should you do?
A group of scientists has been asked to conduct a study on how an oil spill will affect the surrounding sea life. The scientists decide that the best way to complete the study is to create a model. Which of the following is the most likely reason that the scientists will use a model instead of creating an actual oil spill study?
A. They think using a model will provide them with more accurate results.
B. They can study the effects of an oil spill without harming surrounding sea life.
C. They can use different species that the plants and animals found in the real ecosystem.
D. They expect the oil spill in their model to have a much greater effect than an oil spill in the natural environment.
B. They can study the effects of an oil spill without harming surrounding sea life.
If you visit the beach on a hot summer day you will probably feel a sea breeze coming off the water onto the land. Which of the following causes this sea breeze?
A. During the day, solar radiation warms the land more than the water.
B. The water is warmer than the land during the day.
C. Earth is tilted toward the Sun, causing air to move inland from the water.
D. Hurricanes that form in the oceans blow air into the shore.
A. During the day, solar radiation warms the land more than the water.
Soil organisms, such as fungi, worms and bacteria are parts of a forest ecosystem. What is the role of these organisms in a food web?
A. To break down the remains of once living things.
B. To obtain dissolved oxygen from moisture.
C. To store chlorophyll for photosynthesis.
D. To provide oxygen for the animals.
A. To break down the remains of once living things.
A student in class makes the statement, “Living things are made of cells and nonliving things are made of atoms.” Which statement BEST describes why this statement is false?
A. Atoms cannot be found in nonliving things
B. Atoms cannot be found in living organisms
C. Both living and nonliving things contain atoms
D. Both living and nonliving things contain cells
C. Both living and nonliving things contain atoms
What 2 resources are you given to help you answer questions?
Periodic Table & Calculator
When formulating a new recipe, food scientists take detailed notes of their procedures and record carefully measured amounts of the ingredients. Different scientists will then follow the steps in the recipe and compare the final products. Why is it important for other food scientists to review new recipes before they are sold to the public?
A. To determine if the researcher is creating the most nutritious recipes
B. To make sure that they get the most profit from the new product
C. To ensure that the recipe can be replicated easily by others
D. To ensure that the recipe can be repeated by themselves
C. To ensure that the recipe can be replicated easily by others
What would be the most effective way for a scientist to get an idea of the actual age of a rock?
A. Measure the relative amounts of radioactive elements in it.
B. Judge its position in the rock face relative to that of other rocks.
C. Measure the amounts of different forms of carbon it contains.
D. Estimate how much of it has worn away since it formed originally.
A. Measure the relative amounts of radioactive elements in it.
Jay-Z and Beyonce are both heterozygous for brown eyes, which is a dominant trait. What is the likelihood that they will have a blue-eyed baby?
25% blue
Beth takes a sip of very hot soup and decides to put an ice cube in her bowl. Which best describes what happens next?
A. The cold from the ice evaporates in the air.
B. Heat is destroyed as the ice melts.
C. Heat from the soup flows into the ice cube.
D. Cold from the ice cube flows into the soup.
C. Heat from the soup flows into the ice cube.
When you get a tricky question you should _______
A. Give up
B. Think
C. Remove it from your test booklet
D. Invoke your right to remain silent
Until the 1500s, doctors thought diseases were caused spontaneously. Scientists began proposing that diseases were caused by seed-like entities that could be passed among people. After the invention of the microscope, doctors came to know that many diseases were actually caused by microscopic living organisms, like bacteria. What does this suggest about the nature of scientific knowledge?
A. Scientific knowledge should not be considered valid because it changes over time.
B. Technology has improved enough that scientific knowledge can stop changing.
C. New discoveries and evidence are more important than repeatable results.
D. Scientific knowledge changes over time based on evidence.
D. Scientific knowledge changes over time based on evidence.
Many different factors can affect the rock cycle, including the actions of living things. How have human activities, such as deforestation influenced the rock cycle?
A. Human activities has caused more volcanic activity, which creates metamorphic rock.
B. Human activities have changed the composition of the soil, which results in more metamorphic rock.
C. Human activities have caused more melting and cooling within the Earth, which drives the rock cycle.
D. Human activities have caused the creation of more erosion and sediment, which makes sedimentary rock.
D. Human activities have caused the creation of more erosion and sediment, which makes sedimentary rock.
n an animal, a muscle cell requires more energy than other cells. Because of this, you would expect to find more of which type of organelles in muscle cells than in other cells?
A. vacuoles
B. chloroplasts
C. cell walls
D. mitochondria
D. mitochondria
Carla pushes a toy car and lets it go. The toy car rolls and gradually comes to a stop. What would make the car stop?
A. A force must be applied to the car in a direction opposite to that in which it is moving.
B. A force must be applied pushing the car forward in the same direction as the moving car.
C. A force must be applied in a direction pushing the car upward to make the car stop.
D. A force must be applied in a direction pulling the car downward causing the car to stop.
A. A force must be applied to the car in a direction opposite to that in which it is moving.
The BEST word to describe standardized testing _______________