Science Trivia Questions for Students — page 140

Which system protects the body by responding to the presence of a virus?

• Askeletal system
• Bexcretory system
• Crespiratory system
• Dimmune system

Which invention made mass production possible?

• Athe personal computer
• Bthe telephone
• Cthe assembly line
• Dthe airplane

Infectious diseases can be passed from organism to organism by all of the following except

• Acontaminated food.
• Binsect bites.
• Cgenetically from parents.
• Dpathogens in the air.

Two cities are located only 50 kilometers apart and yet the cities have different climates. Which of these factors is the most likely cause of this difference in climate?

• Alongitude
• Belevation
• Cpopulation
• Dlatitude

In the United States, windmills have been used for farming for hundreds of years. Which simple machine is the most important part of a windmill?

• Apulley
• Bwheel and axle
• Cinclined plane
• Dlever

The crews of two boats at sea can communicate with each other by shouting. Why is it impossible for the crews of two spaceships a similar distance apart in space to do this?

• AThere is no air in space for the sound to travel through.
• BThe sound is reflected more in space.
• CThe pressure is too high inside the spaceships.
• DThe spaceships are traveling faster than sound.

An earthquake occurs in western Nevada. What most likely causes the earthquake?

• Astress due to the movement of Earth's crustal plates
• Btemperature variation due to Earth's orbit around the Sun
• Cgravitational variation due to the Moon's orbit around Earth
• Drotational imbalance due to changes in the location of Earth's poles

The transfer of a section of DNA from one organism into the DNA of another organism by scientists is called

• Agenetic engineering
• Bselective breeding
• Cnatural selection
• Dinternal fertilization

Which tool is the best to use when studying small organisms not visible to the eye?

• Amagnifying glass
• Btelescope
• Cmicroscope
• Dhand lens

Which system helps maintain a normal body temperature of 98.6°F?

• Areproductive system
• Bendocrine system
• Cskeletal system
• Ddigestive system

A student pushes a shopping cart filled with groceries. The cart has a mass of 12 kilograms (kg). The student pushes the cart with a force of 15 newtons (N). Assuming the ground is frictionless, how fast will the cart accelerate until the student stops applying the force?

• A2.5 m/s^2
• B1.25 m/s^2
• C0.8 m/s^2
• D0.625 m/s^2

Which object is best used to demonstrate the bending of light as it passes through a substance?

• Aopaque rod
• Bflat mirror
• Cconcave mirror
• Dconvex lens

Six puppies were born at the same time. After 6 months, one of the puppies was much heavier than the others. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for difference in size of that puppy?

• AIt received more sunlight.
• BIt drank more water.
• CIt ate more food.
• DIt was more active.

Which of the following best explains what will occur when a population grows larger than the carrying capacity of its environment?

• AThe death rate will increase.
• BThe competition rate will decrease.
• CThe emigration rate will decrease.
• DThe birth rate will increase.

Which landforms are most like hills but are much taller?

• Avalleys
• Bcaves
• Cmountains
• Dplains

Which are the best tools to use for growing and studying bacterial cultures?

• Amicroscopes
• BPetri dishes
• Cbeakers
• Dgraduated cylinders

Which is not an example of animal instinct?

• Amigrating
• Bbuilding nests
• Chibernating
• Dhunting skills

Which items would best protect a group of students while investigating a forest ecosystem?

• Along pants and long-sleeved shirts
• Bshort pants and long-sleeved shirts
• Clong pants and T-shirts
• Dshort pants and T-shirts

Which process accounts for the expansion and contraction of rocks?

• Amechanical weathering
• Bheat conduction
• Corganic decomposition
• Dabrasion resistance

A student wants to cut a piece of string for a class activity. The length of the string is measured BEST in which units?

• AMiles
• BLiters
• CGallons
• DCentimeters

A population of plants growing on an island consisted of two varieties, one with thorns and the other without. Over a period of many years, the variety with thorns gradually disappeared. Which process most likely brought about this change in the plant population?

• Anatural selection
• Bgene flow
• Crandom mutation
• Dgenetic drift

Humans interpret seeing, hearing, tasting, and smelling in the

• Areceptors
• Bbrain
• Cskin
• Dspinal cord

Scientists working for a company are testing a new medicine that they think will help heal damaged tissue. In which part of the company are the scientists working?

• Apublic relations
• Bresearch
• Cdistribution
• Dmass marketing

Which of the following provides the best evidence that Earth has evolved over geologic time?

• Acoral reefs that slowly changed size
• Brock containing fossilized seashells found on a mountaintop
• Cdesert sand dunes that were shaped by winds
• Ddeposits of sediment found at the mouth of a river

Before rock can become soil, it must undergo certain processes. One process in the formation of soil involves plants. How can plants chemically change rocks into soil?

• AThey strip the rocks of minerals.
• BThey weather rocks with acid.
• CThey break rocks into small pieces.
• DThey increase the density of the rocks.

Which form of solar radiation causes sunburn?

• AVisible
• BX-rays
• CUltraviolet
• DRadio waves
• EInfrared

The temperature of the stratosphere increases with altitude because of the presence of

• Awater vapor.
• Bozone.
• Cnitrogen.
• Dcarbon monoxide.

In 1989, an oil spill off the coast of Alaska led to a decline in the population of many organisms. Which other population was most likely affected by the drop in population of the fish, otters, and seals?

• Asnakes
• Bdeer
• Ceagles
• Dfrogs

Which of the following keeps the planets in our solar system in orbit around the Sun?

• Agravitational force
• Batmospheric pressure
• Cthermal energy
• Delectromagnetic energy

How is xylem similar to phloem in a plant?

• AThey both make sugar in the leaves.
• BThey both transport materials through the plant.
• CThey both store waste products in the plant cells.
• DThey both take in water from the soil.

Ricardo measured an empty graduated cylinder on a balance. He then filled the graduated cylinder with 50 mL of a liquid and measured the cylinder again. Which question is Ricardo most likely trying to answer?

• AWhat is the volume of the liquid?
• BWhat is the mass of the liquid?
• CHow quickly will the liquid evaporate?
• DHow quickly will the liquid boil?

Which of the following is found in a eukaryotic cell but not in a prokaryotic cell?

• Acytoplasm
• Ba cell membrane
• Ca nucleus
• DDNA

During the early 1990s, people began using cell phones to communicate. The development of the cell phone was most likely a response to the need of society to

• Abe able to communicate when away from home.
• Bprovide a safer method of communicating.
• Cbe able to communicate when sick.
• Dprovide more jobs in the communication industry.

The oceans most influence global climate by

• Aproviding continuous onshore winds.
• Bcooling bordering land masses.
• Cremoving water vapor from the atmosphere.
• Dreleasing heat to the atmosphere.

In what form do plants store the energy produced from sunlight?

• Athermal
• Bchemical
• Cradiant
• Dmechanical

Which statement best describes the development of a human embryo?

• AMany cells combine to form one cell.
• BEach cell has a different function.
• CA single cell becomes many cells.
• DAll the cells have the same function.

A student flips a coin four times. It lands "heads" up three times. The student concludes that the coin will land "heads" up three times out of four. What will make the conclusion more accurate?

• Aflipping the coin twenty more times
• Btaping a weight to one side of the coin
• Cflipping the coin over a smoother surface
• Dsubstituting a different coin

When rain falls on the land, some of it is absorbed by surface sediment. How porous the surface sediments are controls how much water is absorbed. Which of the following will most likely result in an area where surface sediment is NOT porous?

• Aspring formation
• Bflooding
• Cdroughts
• Dtornadoes

Which is the best way a science student can help to maintain laboratory equipment?

• Athrow away glass items after investigations are complete
• Bclean up all materials and workspaces after investigations
• Ceat in the laboratory only after investigations are complete
• Dperform investigations using only new materials

Tectonic motion caused tension between plates in Earth's crust. A sudden release of this energy occurred. Based on this information, which event happened?

• Asubsidence
• Bvolcanic eruption
• Cearthquake
• Dmeteoroid impact

What is the main function of photosynthetic cells within a plant?

• Ato allow the passage of carbon dioxide into the plant
• Bto convert energy from sunlight into food energy
• Cto break down sugar into usable chemicals
• Dto change oxygen into carbon dioxide

Which of these converts electrical energy to light energy?

• Aa flashlight
• Ba star
• Ca tea kettle
• Da campfire

HIV makes the body vulnerable to secondary infections by targeting

• Amacrophages.
• Bhelper T-cells.
• Ckiller T-cells.
• Dcells.

Mrs. Henry's class studied the arrangement of planets in the solar system. Which planets are closest to each other?

• ASaturn and Jupiter
• BUranus and Neptune
• CMercury and Venus
• DMars and Earth

Infections may be caused by

• Amutations
• Bclimate changes
• Ctoxic substances
• Dmicroorganisms

Spring tides occur during which lunar phases?

• Afirst quarter and last quarter
• Bfull moon and new moon
• Cwhen the moon is waxing
• Dwhen the moon is waning

In flowering plants, what structure containing DNA is transported from one plant to another?

• Anectar
• Bchlorophyll
• Cpollen
• Dglucose

Which of the following is designed to convert energy into mechanical work?

• AFlashlight
• BElectric fan
• CBaking oven
• DKerosene heater

A student is trying to model an ocean environment. What is the most important factor the student should add to the aquarium in order to make sure that the model is accurate?

• Asalt water
• Bseaweed
• Ccoral reef
• Dstarfish

Mrs. Garry's class wants to know if their area has more acid rain than other parts of the state. Which would be the best way for them to begin research?

• Aexamine soil samples taken at different locations
• Blook for current acid rain studies on the Internet
• Ccontact other schools within the state
• Dstudy science textbooks in the library