Science Trivia Questions for Students — page 145

Which of these is an example of something being recycled?

• AUsing the same foil to cover food several times
• BWrapping glasses with newspaper to put them in a moving box
• CTaking glass bottles to a place that makes them into new bottles
• DCarrying lunch to school every day in the same plastic bag

Which of these substances is correctly identified as a mineral?

• Aquartz
• Bgranite
• Csandstone
• Dcoal

Which of these is true when a piece of wood is completely burned in a fire?

• AThe change in the wood is reversible.
• BThe change in the wood is physical.
• CThe energy in the wood is destroyed.
• DThe energy in the wood is transformed.

What are the building blocks of all matter?

• Acells
• Batoms
• Cforces
• Dvacuoles

What cell part is found in plant cells but not in animal cells?

• Acell membrane
• Bnucleus
• Ccytoplasm
• Dcell wall

All stars in the universe go through a life cycle. What factor determines how stars progress through this cycle?

• Athe location of the star in the universe
• Bthe radiation that is present in the star
• Cthe quantity of mass with which the star began
• Dthe amount of energy the star consumes

As a heavy metal ball rolls down a hill, it goes faster and faster. Which statement is true?

• AThe ball will continue gaining kinetic energy until it stops.
• BThe ball is gaining potential energy from the hill.
• CThe ball's potential energy is changing to kinetic energy.
• DThe ball is rapidly losing kinetic energy as it rolls down the hill.

Which of these is never found in prokaryotic cells?

• Acell membrane
• Bribosome
• Cnucleus
• Dcell wall

Which of the following is a result of the tilt of Earth's axis?

• Amoon phases
• Bseasonal changes
• Cheights of tides
• Dhours in a day

Which observation indicates that a chemical reaction has taken place?

• AA new chemical substance is formed.
• BBubbles form when a liquid is heated.
• CA substance becomes warmer.
• DA material changes from a solid to liquid.

The temperatures in space vary from extremely cold to extremely hot. Earth's surface temperature is relatively stable. Which of these is most responsible for Earth's surface temperatures?

• Amany volcanic eruptions near the Ring of Fire
• Bthe greenhouse effect in the atmosphere
• Csolar radiation reflected from the Moon
• Dplankton distribution in shallow ocean waters

Which of these is the BEST sign that the fall season has begun?

• AGrass being wet in the morning
• BLeaves changing color on trees
• CSun shining on flowers
• DPlants forming new buds

Which of the following best describes the mass of a solid block of ice?

• Athe force of gravity acting on the block
• Bthe amount of space the block takes up
• Cthe amount of matter in the block
• Dthe distance between the molecules in the block

Nutrients are recycled when materials decompose in an ecosystem. Which is the best example of the decomposition process where organic material is recycled in an ecosystem?

• Abacteria feeding on dead plants
• Ba hawk eating a mouse
• Cworms tunneling through soil
• Da plant using nitrogen to make proteins

A scientific article about the universe will most likely describe the universe as

• Aconsisting of billions of galaxies.
• Bcontaining approximately ten planets.
• Cbecoming smaller over time.
• Dbeing less than two billion years old.

Repeated pesticide use on an insect population can result in some of the insects becoming resistant to that pesticide over time. Which process is responsible for the pesticides no longer being effective on the insects?

• Abottleneck effect
• Bnatural selection
• Cdivergent evolution
• Dselective breeding

Which of the following characteristics is an acquired trait?

• Ahair color
• Beye shape
• Clanguage
• Dheight

Students want to compare the size of microorganism communities in 500-milliliter water samples from each of two ponds. Which factor most likely will affect the accuracy of their observations?

• Athe proper identification of each microorganism
• Bthe brand of microscope slide used
• Cthe magnifying power of the microscope
• Dthe average temperature of the water samples

The Arctic hare's brown fur turns white in winter. This adaptation helps the Arctic hare

• Ahide from enemies in snow.
• Blive in cold temperatures.
• Clook for food after dark.
• Dget along with other animals.

The driver of a car at a railroad crossing hears a change in pitch of the train whistle as the train passes by. This change in pitch is most likely due to

• Athe Doppler effect.
• Bthe Compton effect.
• Ca change in speed.
• Da change in medium.

Which type of energy in gasoline is transformed into mechanical energy in a motorcycle engine?

• Amagnetic
• Belectrical
• Cchemical
• Dnuclear

Certain fossils can be used to help determine the age of the rock layer in which the fossils are found. Which type of fossil is best to use when making this determination?

• Amarine mammal fossil
• Bswamp fern fossil
• Ctrace fossil
• Dindex fossil

What season is the Northern Hemisphere experiencing when it is tilted directly toward the Sun?

• Awinter
• Bfall
• Csummer
• Dspring

It was once thought that living organisms could come from non-living matter. For example, people believed that flies would develop from rotting meat. This idea was later disproved primarily because of

• Athe invention of the microscope.
• Bcontinued experimentation.
• Cbetter surgical techniques.
• Dthe discovery of the atom.

An area is semiarid, has few trees, and is home to ground-nesting birds. This area is most likely part of which biome?

• Ataiga
• Bdesert
• Cgrassland
• Dtundra

Earth has a limited supply of fresh drinking water. Which method is used to recycle water for humans to use?

• Abottling water
• Bwastewater treatment
• Ccollecting rainwater
• Ddam construction

The following represents a number displayed on a calculator. 1.454545 E3. Which of the following shows how a student should record this number in a laboratory report?

• A1.45 x 3
• B(1.45)^3
• C1.45 x 10^3
• D1 5/11

Newborn white-tailed deer have hundreds of spots on their coats which gradually disappear at three to four months of age. The spots on their coats make the newborns blend in with the environment through

• Amimicry.
• Bmigration.
• Chibernation.
• Dcamouflage.

Screech owls nest in holes in trees. They eat mice and crickets. Where would a screech owl most likely live?

• Aa forest
• Ba beach
• Ca rainforest
• Da desert

Many processes on Earth occur at or near tectonic plate boundaries. Which geological events are most common along tectonic plate boundaries?

• Ahurricanes and tornadoes
• Btidal waves and sedimentation
• Cearthquakes and volcanoes
• Derosion and deposition

Cell differentiation is the result of gene expression. Genes can be regulated several ways. For example, small interference RNA molecules (siRNA), prevent gene expression by binding to the product of transcription. How do siRNA molecules silence genes?

• AThey bind to tRNA.
• BThey bind to ribosomes.
• CThey bind to RNA polymerase.
• DThey bind to mRNA.

Which of the following is closest to the percentage of the total water on earth that is freshwater?

• A90%
• B100%
• C70%
• D3%

Why do trees like oaks and walnuts depend upon squirrels?

• Ato aid in seed distribution
• Bto pollinate their flowers
• Cto remove dead wood
• Dto control population size

A solar eclipse occurs when

• AEarth's shadow falls on the Sun.
• Bthe Moon blocks the Earth from the Sun.
• CEarth blocks the Moon from the Sun.
• Dthe first four planets in the solar system are aligned.

Which statement best compares single-celled and multi-celled organisms?

• AOrganelles in a single-celled organism are like the organs in a multi-celled organism.
• BThe nucleus in a single-celled organism is like the skin of a multi-celled organism.
• CThe cytoplasm in a single-celled organism is like the nervous system in a multi-celled organism.
• DTissues in a single-celled organism are like the cells in a multi-celled organism.

Which immune system function is carried out by antibodies?

• AAntibodies engulf the invading virus as a defense mechanism.
• BAntibodies attach to an invading virus as a target marker.
• CAntibodies release enzymes that lyse the invading virus.
• DAntibodies produce proteins that attach to an invading virus.

An Earth year is the length of time it takes for

• AEarth to revolve once around the Sun
• Bthe Moon to revolve once around Earth
• CEarth to rotate once on its axis
• Dthe Sun to revolve once around Earth

A drug company developed a pill to reduce cases of stomach virus. To test the medication, half of the participants got the pill with the new medicine and half got a sugar pill. Which term best identifies the participants who got a sugar pill?

• Aexperimental
• Bcontrol
• Cindependent variable
• Ddependent variable

Jesus learned that a space probe named Voyager 1 was launched from Earth in 1977. It will take Voyager 1 more than 500 years to travel 1 light year. What is a light year used to measure in space?

• Atime
• Benergy
• Cforce
• Ddistance

A vaccine can prevent a serious disease. When a new vaccine is developed, it is given to a small group of people. Why would it be important to test each vaccine on a small group of people before everyone can have one?

• Ato determine how the vaccine will affect people
• Bto find out how many people are affected by the disease
• Cto figure out how much the vaccine is worth
• Dto understand how that disease affects the human body

Twentieth-century research by such scientists as Jonas Salk on the use of vaccines has reduced the number of people who are infected with

• Adiabetes.
• Bpolio.
• Cstroke.
• Dtuberculosis.

Minerals are used for making many things including jewelry, chalk, and concrete. Where do we get the minerals needed to make these things?

• Afrom wood
• Bfrom crops
• Cfrom air
• Dfrom rocks

A jeweler melts gold to make jewelry. As the gold melts, the mass

• Adecreases.
• Bstays the same.
• Cis destroyed.
• Dincreases.

Christina kicks a ball. The ball moves faster when she kicks it on the concrete sidewalk than when she kicks it on the grass. Why does the ball travel slower on the grass than the sidewalk?

• AThe grass has more friction.
• BThe grass has a higher temperature.
• CThe grass increases Earth's gravity.
• DThe grass attracts more wind.

In a tug-of-war game, balanced forces are best represented when both teams cause the flag to

• Afall to the ground.
• Bstay in the middle.
• Cbe pulled quickly in one direction.
• Dmove slowly in one direction.

Mercury and gold are both metals. Unlike gold, mercury cannot be used to make jewelry because it is a liquid at room temperature. The difference in the state of matter is an example of which type of property?

• Anuclear
• Belectrical
• Cphysical
• Dchemical

Twentieth-century research and development of vaccines significantly reduced the threat of

• Astroke.
• Bdiabetes.
• Costeoporosis.
• Dpolio.

Why do doctors suggest that people get a flu vaccine each year?

• AVaccines are absorbed by the body after a year.
• BVaccines get stronger over time.
• CViruses can mutate from year to year.
• DViruses replicate more rapidly over time.

Which scientist is credited for the development of the polio vaccine?

• AAlbert Einstein
• BJonas Salk
• CNeil Armstrong
• DJacques Cousteau

New vaccines for diseases are being developed all the time. How do vaccines most likely help people?

• AVaccines keep the environment cleaner.
• BVaccines help cure people who are sick.
• CVaccines kill bacteria that cause infections.
• DVaccines help prevent illnesses.