Science Trivia Questions for Students — page 118

Ice cubes are an example of which form of water?

• ANatural
• BGas
• CSolid
• DLiquid

In 1987, a supernova was detected in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, which is approximately 169,000 light years from Earth. Which event produces a supernova?

• Athe collapse of a medium-sized star
• Bthe explosion of a massive star
• Cthe birth of a main-sequence star
• Dthe collision of one star with another

Scientists have studied convergent boundaries and the results of the collisions. Besides the fact that mountains occur at these boundaries, which other part of the rock cycle is most likely associated with these areas of convergence?

• Adevelopment of folded rocks
• Bdevelopment of extrusive rocks
• Cdevelopment of chemical rocks
• Ddevelopment of layered rocks

A dog growls when a predator gets close. Growling is an example of which animal behavior?

• Agermination
• Bcommunication
• Cmigration
• Dhibernation

Which form of water, when present in the atmosphere, is most likely to contribute to global warming?

• Arain
• Bcloud
• Cvapor
• Dsnow

The human body produces motion by changing chemical energy into mechanical energy. Which of these best describes what happens to the energy?

• AThe energy is destroyed through motion.
• BThe total amount of energy is constant.
• CThe total amount of energy increases.
• DThe amount of chemical energy increases.

A scientist finds a plant and states that it is a new species. Which is the best way to verify that it is a new species?

• Acompare the plant to other plants
• Bobserve the plant with a microscope
• Cdetermine the best growing conditions for the plant
• Ddevelop a theory about the plant

When the roller coaster rolls onto a flat section of track, what force would ultimately bring it to a stop if no other forces are added?

• Aweight
• Bfriction
• Cgravity
• Dacceleration

Which color of light is produced when all of the colors of visible light in the electromagnetic spectrum are combined?

• Ablack
• Bwhite
• Cbrown
• Dgray

Which relationship is mutualistic?

• Aa deer that eats one kind of plant, which allows another kind of plant to grow in its place
• Ban ant that lives on a plant and defends the plant from other insects
• Ca bird that migrates to follow the movements of the butterflies that it eats
• Dan insect that lives and feeds on the body of an alligator

In which part of a tree does photosynthesis most likely take place?

• Abark
• Bleaves
• Croots
• Dtrunk

During most of the year, the air over Boston, Massachusetts, contains a high amount of moisture. Which of the following best explains why there is a high amount of moisture in the air?

• ABoston is far north of the equator.
• BBoston is near many mountains.
• CBoston is close to an ocean.
• DBoston is at a low elevation.

The position of the liver in the circulatory system maximizes its ability to filter out harmful chemicals as soon as they enter the bloodstream. Blood travels to the liver from the

• Adigestive system.
• Bexcretory system.
• Cimmune system.
• Dnervous system.

A small, fast-moving river in is in a V-shaped valley on the slope of a mountain. If you follow the river to where it passes through a plain, what will the river most likely look like compared with how it looked on the mountain?

• AStraighter
• BMuch the same
• CDeeper and faster
• DSlower and wider

A meteor in the atmosphere of Earth travels at 35 km/sec. It is slowed by friction with the atmosphere by 0.02 km/sec before it reaches the surface of Earth. What is the final the speed of the meteor caused by friction of the atmosphere?

• A1750 km/sec
• B34.98 km/sec
• C0.7 km/sec
• D35.02 km/sec

The fur of the snowshoe rabbit changes to a lighter color in the winter. This allows the rabbit to blend in with its surroundings. This change is an example of

• Acompetition
• Bbiological adaptation
• Cextinction
• Decological succession

Students are investigating the effects of different fertilizers on plant growth. Which units would be best to measure the mass of the fertilizer used?

• Ameters
• Bgrams
• Cmilligrams
• Dcentimeters

Plants in a forest need to obtain nutrients from the soil to survive. How do most of the nutrients get back in the soil once the forest plants have used them for growth?

• ASolar radiation reaches the ground surface.
• BRainwater drips off of living organisms.
• CCommercial fertilizers are applied by humans.
• DOrganic matter recycles from dead organisms.

Which objects in our solar system give off their own light?

• Athe Sun and the Moon
• Bonly the Sun
• Cthe Sun, the Moon, some planets, and comets
• Dthe Sun, the Moon, and some planets

During a walk in the woods, Mandy finds a plant structure that had fallen onto the trail. Mandy can tell the object contained seeds, and thinks it came from a flowering plant instead of a conifer. How can she determine if the object came from a flowering plant?

• Aby looking for young sporophytes inside the seeds
• Bby looking for wing-like structures on the seeds
• Cby looking for seed coats on the seeds
• Dby looking for fruit tissue around the seeds

How do scientists know that some mountains were once at the bottom of an ocean?

• AFreshwater rivers flow to the ocean.
• BSaltwater fish are found in some mountain streams.
• CMarine fossils have been found on the peaks of some mountains.
• DDinosaur bones have been discovered in the mountains.

Why are alternative fuels being used in some automobiles?

• AAlternative fuels cause pollution.
• BGasoline comes from a limited resource.
• CGasoline engines are too expensive to make.
• DAlternative fuels are at every gas station.

Which of the following tools is most useful for tightening a small mechanical fastener?

• Achisel
• Bsander
• Cpliers
• Dsaw

The BEST way to tell the DIFFERENCE between an oak and a maple tree is to compare the

• Anumber of leaves on the trees.
• Bshape of the leaves.
• Cheight of both trees.
• Dsize of the root systems of the trees.

When a hammer strikes a nail, the nail

• Aexerts an unbalanced force that changes its velocity.
• Bexerts a force equal to the weight of the hammer.
• Cexerts an equal and opposite force back on the hammer.
• Dexerts balanced forces that helps it from moving.

Which activity illustrates the main function of the motor neuron complex?

• Atransferring impulses to the appropriate muscle
• Bprocessing impulses within the cerebral cortex
• Cdelivering regular impulses to the autonomic system
• Dreceiving sensory impulses from the environment

Bromine (Br) is a liquid at room temperature. Oxygen (O) is a gas at room temperature. Room temperature is 25° C. Which of the following statements is true?

• AThe melting point of bromine is warmer than room temperature.
• BThe boiling point of oxygen is colder than room temperature.
• CThe boiling point of bromine is colder than room temperature.
• DThe melting point of oxygen is warmer than room temperature.

Katia was listening to music on the radio. In order for the sound to be produced, the electrical energy must be converted into which type of energy?

• Achemical energy
• Bthermal energy
• Cmagnetic energy
• Dmechanical energy

After playing outside on a cold day, Jaime went inside to wash his hands. Although the water was normal temperature, he noticed that it felt warmer than usual. What would explain this phenomenon?

• AHeat flowed from a cooler substance to a warmer substance.
• BThe thermal energy in the room was higher than the thermal energy outside.
• CHis body had more kinetic energy than the water.
• DThe water from the faucet had a higher temperature than his skin.

Muscle cells have the ability to store and release large amounts of energy. Which body function is best served by this release of energy?

• Amoving body parts
• Bsending nerve impulses
• Cabsorbing nutrients
• Dexchanging gases

At room temperature, what state of matter is copper?

• Aplasma
• Bgas
• Cliquid
• Dsolid

Which would best allow a species to survive environmental changes?

• Asmall population
• Blow mutation rate
• Csimilar physical features
• Dgenetic diversity

Which statement is true about the solar system?

• AThe solid planets are closer to the Sun.
• BThe gas planets are closer to the Sun.
• CThe solid planets are much larger than the gas planets.
• DThe planets are arranged in order of increasing size.

Bridge inspectors have determined that a bridge is unsafe. Which of the following is the BEST design process the company should use to correct the problem?

• Aplan for the repair-repair the bridge-identify the problem
• Bplan for the repair-identify the problem-repair the bridge
• Cidentify the problem-repair the bridge-plan for the repair
• Didentify the problem-plan for the repair-repair the bridge

Many endangered animals are captured, tagged, and then released back into their environment. The tag may be a piece of coded plastic or metal that is placed somewhere safe on the body. Which is the most likely reason to tag an animal?

• Ato monitor their roaming habits
• Bto monitor their eating habits
• Cto monitor their sleeping habits
• Dto monitor their reproductive habits

A student wants to know how long it takes mold to form on bread. After preparing the bread for the investigation, what should the student most likely do next?

• AGive the bread different amounts of light.
• BMeasure the weight of the bread.
• CRecord the temperature of the bread.
• DCheck the bread each day.

When water changes from a liquid to a gas and then the steam condenses back to the liquid form, these types of changes are

• Aphysical.
• Belectrical.
• Cchemical.
• Dmechanical.

The electromagnetic spectrum is described as a

• Aseries of colors of the rainbow.
• Brange of conductivity of metals.
• Cband of frequencies of light waves.
• Dlist of radioactive elements.

Which would be the most important to consider when selecting material for the walls and ceiling of a concert hall?

• Aacoustical properties
• Bchemical properties
• Cmechanical properties
• Dthermal properties

When a star explodes, an intensely bright object is formed. What is the name of this object?

• Asupernova
• Bwhite dwarf
• Cred giant
• Dnova

Of the choices listed, what is the best way to conserve water in a home?

• Aturn off the water while brushing your teeth
• Blet the water run while washing the dishes
• Ctake long showers
• Drun a half full dishwasher

Animals give off carbon dioxide that plants take in through leaves. What do plants give off as a result of photosynthesis that animals need to breathe?

• Awater
• Boxygen
• Cprotein
• Dheat

Seafloor spreading occurs along certain boundaries in the ocean. Which are most likely to form at the boundary where the seafloor is spreading?

• Astrike-slip faults
• Bcontinental shelves
• Cmid-ocean ridges
• Dsubduction zones

Which pair would be most necessary for life to develop on another planet?

• Aliquid water and carbon
• Bsulfur and nitrogen
• Chelium and hydrogen
• Dchlorophyll and oxygen

A student measured the volume of water in a pan. The student boiled the water for thirty minutes and then measured the volume of the water again. The volume of water most likely

• Aremained the same
• Bincreased
• Cdecreased

In areas where limestone is present underneath the soil, continued rains can alter the limestone formation. The limestone can change to a highly porous formation that can lead to the formation of caves and sinkholes. Which process is directly responsible for changing the limestone?

• Aweathering
• Berosion
• Ccompaction
• Dfaulting

Which of the following is a living component of a desert in California?

• Ahorned lizard
• Bhot temperature
• Clow rainfall
• Dpolar bear

Which one of these animals does NOT lay eggs?

• Achickens
• Bturtles
• Cfrogs
• Ddogs

Which best describes a characteristic of the jet stream?

• AIt forms a boundary between a cold air mass and a warm air mass.
• BIt causes high pressure air masses to rotate clockwise.
• CIt forces the hot air along the equator to rise to areas in North America.
• DIt creates the high winds around the eye of a hurricane.

Materials such as carbon and nitrogen go through cycles. The cycling of nitrogen waste materials is mostly dependent upon the role of which factor?

• Asunlight
• Batmosphere
• Cbacteria
• Dtrees