Science Trivia Questions for Students — page 102

The fossils that are found in the oldest layers of sedimentary rock were formed which types of organisms?

• Aonly organisms that lived in the sea
• Bonly organisms that lived in the air
• Conly organisms that lived on land
• Dorganisms that lived on the land, in the sea and in the air

Which of the following lists Earth, Jupiter,the Moon, and the Sun in order from largest to smallest?

• ASun, Jupiter, Earth, Moon
• BJupiter, Earth, Sun, Moon
• CJupiter, Sun, Earth, Moon
• DSun, Jupiter, Moon, Earth

All living and nonliving material is composed of

• Aair
• Belements
• Cwater
• Dsoil

Falling and rising air and water molecules inside of clouds are believed to be factors in the formation of lightning. Which kind of energy transfer is taking place to cause this weather phenomenon?

• Achemical to mechanical
• Bmechanical to electrical
• Celectrical to thermal
• Dthermal to mechanical

Which behavior can help animals establish a territory?

• AA honeybee society divides the work between its members.
• BA scent trail leads ants to a food source.
• CA caribou herd migrates seasonally.
• DA wolf pack howls to warn other wolves to stay away.

The male insects in a population are treated to prevent sperm production. Would this reduce this insect population?

• AYes, because it would sharply decrease the reproduction rate.
• BNo, because the insects would still mate.
• CYes, because the males would die.
• DNo, because it would not change the offspring mutation rate.

Which layer of Earth is the source of lava that erupts from volcanoes?

• Aasthenosphere
• Bouter core
• Clithosphere
• Dinner core

The bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) live in the intestines of humans and make vitamins such as vitamin K and B-complex vitamins. Which would best describe the relationship between E. coli and humans?

• AThe E. coli benefit and humans are harmed.
• BThe E. coli and humans both benefit.
• CThere is only a benefit for the E. coli.
• DThere is only a benefit for the humans.

What is the main function of the cell wall in a plant cell?

• Ato give structural support
• Bto contain the parts of the cell
• Cto help with cell division
• Dto protect against disease

Plants have cells, tissues, organs, and systems that allow them to function as complete organisms. Which parts of a plant function as an organ?

• Aleaves
• Broot hairs
• Cchlorophyll molecules
• Dspores

Kendall studied the ways in which human body systems work together. He compared the respiratory and circulatory systems. In which way are these two systems similar to each other?

• AThey both bring oxygen to the body.
• BThey both pump blood through the body.
• CThey both send messages to the body.
• DThey both digest nutrients for the body.

During cellular respiration glucose molecules undergo a series of reactions. This process results in the formation of up to 38 molecules of high-energy ATP per each molecule of glucose. Which is the source of the energy stored in these ATP molecules?

• Akinetic energy generated by the chemical reactions
• Belectric current created during the destruction of electrons in the glucose
• Cpotential energy from the difference in the concentration gradients of the cell
• Dchemical energy originally stored in the glucose molecule

Jose has two bar magnets. He pushes the ends of the two magnets together and then he lets go. The magnets move quickly apart. Which of the following statements best explains why this happens?

• AThe north poles of the two magnets are facing each other.
• BOne magnet is storing energy and one magnet is releasing energy.
• CThe ends of magnets repel each other but the centers attract.
• DOne magnet is a north pole and one magnet is a south pole.

Some scientists study images of very distant celestial bodies. Where is the best location for the types of telescopes that can provide the scientists with the clearest images.

• Ain outer space
• Bat higher latitudes
• Cat sea level
• Don mountain tops

Which is a process that most likely formed the Appalachian Mountains found in the eastern part of North America?

• Avolcanic activity
• Bfolded rock
• Cearthquake
• Dplate tectonics

Which of these questions is best answered by observing the habitat of an insect?

• AHow long does an insect live?
• BWhere does an insect live?
• CHow much does an insect weigh?
• DWhen does an insect breed?

Scientists invented a liquid that removes grease and keeps the skin soft. How could this discovery most likely be used?

• Ato improve dish soap
• Bto cure a disease
• Cto make clothes
• Dto grow plants

What is the primary energy source driving circulation of ocean currents on Earth?

• Alunar tidal forces
• Bplanetary rotation
• Cgeothermal heating
• Dsolar heating

In order to maintain good health, humans should

• Adrink alcohol often
• Beat foods high in fat
• Csmoke tobacco occasionally
• Dexercise regularly

Oil, coal, and natural gas are fossil fuels formed under what conditions?

• Alow temperature and high pressure
• Blow temperature and low pressure
• Chigh temperature and low pressure
• Dhigh temperature and high pressure

What advantage do sea stars gain from having radial symmetry?

• AThey move quickly along the ground.
• BThey sense predators and potential food from all directions.
• CThey reproduce at a faster rate.
• DThey digest food more efficiently.

During science class, a teacher explains that the samples the students are studying are made of two or more minerals. What are the students studying?

• Arocks
• Belements
• Cmolecules
• Dgases

A company is making prototypes for a new computer system. Which of the following statements best describes an advantage of making several different prototypes?

• AThey can be produced in large numbers.
• BThey can be tested at the same time.
• CThey will be sold for more than they cost to build.
• DThey will be bought by many different users.

There are different kinds of muscles in the human body. Each muscle is formed from a group of cells that works together. The main function of a group of muscle cells is to

• Arelease energy.
• Bmake oxygen.
• Ccause movement.
• Ddigest nutrients.

When a tree suffers from a decreased ability to transport materials within the phloem, what is directly impacted?

• Aresponse to environmental factors
• Bflow of necessary nutrients
• Crate of photosynthesis in leaves
• Dvolume of water in the xylem

Some wasp species lay their eggs inside living caterpillars. As the eggs mature, they use the caterpillar as a food resource. Eventually, the wasp larvae hatch out of the caterpillar. This type of relationship is best described as

• Aparasitic.
• Bmutualistic.
• Ccommensalistic.
• Dpredator-prey.

Decomposers are important to the flow of energy in an ecosystem because they

• Aeat things other organisms do not eat.
• Bbreak organic material into parts that can be reused.
• Care at the top of every food chain.
• Dmake up a large portion of the top layer of the soil.

A tree is a renewable resource because it can be

• Aburned in a fire.
• Breplaced with a newly planted tree.
• Ceaten by some organisms.
• Dmade into lumber.

Students are studying the classifications of stars and they learned that the majority of stars are similar to the Sun. What can the students conclude knowing that most of the stars in the galaxy are like the Sun?

• AMost of the stars are main sequence stars.
• BMost of the stars are protostars.
• CMost of the stars are red giants.
• DMost of the stars will become black holes.

What are the basic structural units of living organisms?

• Aorgans
• Bcells
• Cnuclei
• Dtissues

Which organisms break down dead matter and recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem?

• Amushrooms and bacteria
• Bgrasses and trees
• Clions and alligators
• Drabbits and deer

All of these types of waves travel from the Sun to Earth except

• Aultraviolet waves.
• Blight waves.
• Csound waves.
• Dinfrared waves.

Daphnee is going to build a model of the solar system for her science project. She decides that a meter (m) will represent one astronomical unit (AU) in her model. Based on this scale, how far away from the Sun would she need to place Earth?

• Afour meters
• Bthree meters
• Cone meter
• Dtwo meters

Which location on Earth receives the most direct sunlight?

• Athe South Pole
• Bthe deserts
• Cthe equator
• Dthe Western Hemisphere

The morning temperature in a city is 41°F. If a sunny, mild day is forecast, which temperature is most likely for 2:00 p.m.?

• A78° F
• B32° F
• C41° F
• D98° F

A student is reading the nutritional information on a box of cereal. It says that a single serving contains 215 calories. Which type of energy is being measured by this unit?

• Achemical
• Bkinetic
• Celectrical
• Dmechanical

Which best determines the health of a lake used as a source of freshwater?

• Aits depth and width
• Bits location and depth
• Cits temperature and pH
• Dits temperature and depth

Water evaporation on the surface of Earth most likely causes the formation of

• Alimestone.
• Bglaciers.
• Cmountains.
• Dnatural gas.

When heat flows from a hot spot to a cooler spot, entropy increases. When heat is forced to flow from a cool spot to a warmer spot, entropy decreases. Marta is looking for something in her house that causes a decrease in entropy. Which of these should she choose?

• Athe refrigerator
• Ban ice cube melting
• Cthe toaster
• Dan egg frying

When trees are removed from a tropical rain forest, other plants and animals are affected. Which statement identifies another change that will most likely occur when a rain forest habitat is destroyed?

• AThe temperature of Earth will decrease.
• BCarbon dioxide levels will increase.
• COxygen levels will increase.
• DThe air pollution in the atmosphere will decrease.

Which is most likely needed when describing the change in position of an object?

• Adirection change
• Binitial speed
• Cconstant rate
• Dreference point

Which is a characteristic Earth and the Moon have in common?

• Aseas
• Bthunderstorms
• Ccraters
• Datmosphere

A lipid bilayer allows certain molecules to pass through and blocks other molecules. Which structure is most often protected by a lipid bilayer?

• Atissue
• Borgan
• Csystem
• Dcell

Newton's first law of motion states that an object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. Which activity is an example of this law?

• AA baseball player slides into second base.
• BA floating stick is carried over a waterfall.
• CA bicycle travels faster as it goes downhill.
• DA football is kicked off a tee.

A student throws a ball. Which of these best describes the moving ball?

• AThe ball has light energy.
• BThe ball is transferring light energy to the air.
• CThe ball has kinetic energy.
• DThe ball is transferring sound energy to the air.

An object is moving in a straight line at a constant speed. What will happen to the object if no outside force acts on the object?

• AThe speed and direction of the object will not change.
• BThe direction of the object will change; the speed will remain constant.
• CThe speed and direction of the object will change.
• DThe speed of the object will change; the direction will remain constant.

Shale is a sedimentary rock that can be metamorphosed into slate by

• Acementation.
• Bsedimentation.
• Cincreased pressure.
• Dchemical weathering.

Which mixture contains ingredients that can be easily separated?

• Afruit salad
• Bocean water
• Cbread
• Dsoda water

How is the stratosphere different from the troposphere?

• AThe air in the stratosphere has a greater density.
• BThe clouds in the stratosphere produce more rain.
• CThe composition of the stratosphere lacks ozone.
• DThe temperature of the stratosphere warms at higher altitude.

When performing a new experiment for the first time, a scientist reaches an unexpected conclusion. What must the scientist do in order to have the conclusion accepted by other scientists?

• Apurchase new equipment
• Bwrite a brief report
• Cmake a data chart
• Drepeat the experiment