Science Trivia Questions for Students — page 48

Which of these is an unpiloted spacecraft designed to gather information while orbiting planets other than Earth?

• Aspace shuttle
• Bspace station
• Cspace telescope
• Dspace probe

A layer of solid brittle rock comprises the outer 100 kilometers of Earth. This layer, which contains both the crust and the upper mantle, is called the

• Asediment.
• Bhemisphere.
• Ccore.
• Dlithosphere.

Granite is classified as a rock because it

• Ahas crystals.
• Bis made of minerals.
• Cis hard and rounded.
• Dhas mass.

Students notice that in the fall leaves of sugar maple trees turn red, but the leaves of black oak trees turn brown. The students are making

• Aan observation
• Ba conclusion
• Ca prediction
• Dan inference

Which measurement tool is used to find the volume of a small piece of granite?

• Agraduated cylinder
• Bthermometer
• Cmetric ruler
• Dtriple beam balance

With the development of the microscope, scientists were able to see cells for the first time. Why was it difficult to view cells without a microscope?

• ACells are small.
• BCells move quickly.
• CCells are alive.
• DCells have an electrical charge.

An atom becomes an ion with a -1 charge because the atom

• Aloses one proton.
• Bgains one electron.
• Cgains one proton.
• Dloses one electron.

Which is true about reproduction in both a euglena and a paramecium?

• AThey divide vertically.
• BThey produce gametes.
• CThey form spores.
• DThey conjugate.

Gas and oil come from deposits of petroleum deep within the earth. What caused these deposits to form?

• AThe remains of plants and animals were trapped.
• BAir, water, and minerals combined.
• CLava deposited and then cooled.
• DRocks were dissolved by water.

A patient visits the doctor for a checkup and is diagnosed with skin cancer. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this disease?

• Apoor eating and sleeping habits
• Ba defect in the person's immune system
• Cexposure to ultraviolet rays
• Dworking with plants and animals

The shape of the moon appears to change regularly during each month. Which of the following best explains why the shape of the moon appears to change?

• AThe Moon turns on its axis.
• BClouds cover the Moon.
• CThe Earth turns on its axis.
• DThe Moon orbits around the Earth.

Which feature of Great Basin National Park provides the best evidence that glaciers have moved over the landscape?

• Afields of sagebrush
• Bshallow salt lakes
• Cmud flats
• Dpiles of rocky debris

In some national parks, controlled fires are maintained by firefighters. Which of these is one of the major reasons for using controlled burns to maintain certain ecosystems?

• Ato replace matured plants with saplings of the same species
• Bto prevent the spread of pests that cause damage to plants
• Cto give nonnative plants a chance to colonize the region
• Dto rid the forest floor of accumulated deadwood and brush

Which type of rock would most likely contain a fossil?

• Asedimentary rock
• Bmetamorphic rock
• Cmolten rock
• Digneous rock

Which resource has the most potential for production of renewable electric energy?

• Ageothermal
• Bcoal
• Coil
• Dnatural gas

All matter has two characteristics. These characteristics are that matter takes up space and matter has

• Acolor.
• Ba definite weight.
• Ca definite shape.
• Dmass.

Different species of carnivorous animals that share the same habitat in an ecosystem may

• Acompete for food
• Bproduce their own food
• Cbecome decomposers
• Dmate with each other

Sean felt the room become cooler. His body adjusts to enable him to survive. Which response did Sean have that enabled his body to continue to function correctly?

• Aan increase in the metabolism which decreases heat from cells
• Bopening of the capillaries in the skin to obtain more heat
• Csweating from the skin to lower inner heat levels
• Dan increase in cellular respiration which increases heat production

A pot of cold water was heated on a stove until the water boiled. Which of the following best explains why the water was able to boil?

• AThe cold water gave off cold to the surrounding air.
• BThe hot stove gave off heat to the surrounding air.
• CThe cold water absorbed heat from the pot.
• DThe hot stove absorbed cold from the pot.

Which of the following is a chemical property of silver?

• Areacts with nitric acid
• Bconductor of heat
• Cmalleable
• Dwhite metal

Fossils of sea animals were found in a cave in Arkansas. What does this mean about that area of Arkansas in the past?

• AIt was once underwater.
• BIt was once much warmer.
• CIt has changed little from then.
• DIt has become a rockier place.

Fossil fuels are common sources of energy. What type of pollution is most often associated with burning fossil fuels?

• Aair
• Bland
• Cnoise
• Dwater

Hector's class is counting the number of ducks in a pond. Hector counts a different number than the rest of the class. Which of the following actions should Hector most likely perform?

• Aremove his number from the class result
• Bkeep the result
• Cchange the number he counted
• Dthink that the class results are wrong

Which best explains how most soils are alike?

• AMost soils have many rocks.
• BMost soils have the same texture.
• CMost soils are found in layers.
• DMost soils hold the same amounts of water.

What is a primary role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

• AThey cycle matter by returning oxygen and other matter to the ecosystem.
• BThey cycle matter by returning carbon and other matter to the ecosystem.
• CThey eliminate matter by taking phosphorus from the ecosystem.
• DThey eliminate matter by taking nitrogen from the ecosystem.

Wave energy from the ocean can be harnessed to power generators to make electricity. Energy from ocean tides can also be used to make electricity. How would you categorize these two sources of energy?

• ABoth are nonrenewable.
• BBoth are renewable.
• CWave energy is nonrenewable. Tidal energy is renewable.
• DWave energy is renewable. Tidal energy is nonrenewable.

Which best describes both a mixture and a solution?

• AA material with new properties forms.
• BA solid dissolves in a liquid.
• CThe combined substances cannot be separated.
• DTwo different substances combine.

Two different species evolving from a common ancestor most likely occurs

• Awhen a species is overpopulated.
• Bover a long period of time.
• Cwhen there are abundant resources.
• Dwithin three generations.

Which physical change would most likely help an animal survive during the winter?

• Awhiskers get shorter
• Bfeathers are shed
• Cfur gets thicker
• Dtail gets longer

In late fall, a rabbit's fur grows thicker. This adaptation occurs to

• Akeep the rabbit safe from predators
• Bhelp the rabbit find green plants
• Chelp the rabbit find a mate
• Dkeep the rabbit's body warm

Which of the following is a correctly written chemical equation that demonstrates the conservation of mass?

• AMg + HCl -> H_{2} + MgCl_{2}
• BH_{2} + O_{2} -> H_{2}O
• CH_{2}O + CO_{2} -> H_{2}CO_{3}
• DKClO_{3} -> KCl + O_{2}

Which characteristic is found ONLY in mammals?

• Abodies that are protected by scales
• Bskin that absorbs oxygen
• Ceyes that detect color
• Dglands that make milk

When blood that is high in carbon dioxide exits the heart, it immediately enters which body system?

• Adigestive
• Bnervous
• Crespiratory
• Dmuscular

A teacher is performing a demonstration about static electricity for his class by rubbing a balloon against a wool sweater. The balloon sticks to the wool sweater. Which particles are exchanged during the demonstration?

• Aatoms
• Belectrons
• Cprotons
• Dneutrons

Which has the greatest effect on wind speed?

• Acloud cover
• Bwind direction
• Cprecipitation
• Dair pressure

If you wanted to be able to look at the stars, the planets, and the Moon more closely, what should you use?

• AMagnifying glass
• BMicroscope
• CTelescope
• DPeriscope

The Moon and Earth have a similar

• Agravity.
• Bsize.
• Crocky terrain.
• Dsurface atmosphere.

Which is a quick process that can form new land near an ocean?

• Avolcano erupting
• Bearthquake
• Cweathering from waves
• Dlandslide

Under which circumstance would an adaptation be useful that allows tadpoles to go through a shortened period of metamorphosis?

• Awhen tadpoles need to blend in with their surroundings
• Bwhen there is a limited amount of water in their environment
• Cwhen tadpoles need to swim immediately
• Dwhen there is a decrease in the number of predators

Which of these human activities in a forest has a positive effect on the ecosystem?

• APlanting new trees where old ones were cut down
• BClearing the land to build new homes
• CBuilding a new highway through the area
• DCutting down trees to make farmland

Which plant cells contain half the DNA from one parent plant?

• Axylem and phloem
• Bpollen and ovule
• Cpith and cambium
• Depidermis and mesophyll

Which material has the least resistance to the flow of electricity?

• Agranite
• Brubber
• Caluminum
• Dwood

Which property of an object describes how easily electricity travels through it?

• Aconductivity
• Btemperature
• Creflectivity
• Dcolor

Which of these structures is produced in an ovary?

• Aegg
• Bsperm
• Cembryo
• Dfetus

What do the Milky Way Galaxy and other galaxies in the universe have in common?

• AThey contain the same number of stars.
• BThey are similar in shape.
• CThey rotate in the same direction.
• DThey have similar elements.

After a rain, a puddle of water remains on a sidewalk. After a day of sunshine, the puddle is gone. Which process is most responsible for the disappearance of the puddle?

• Acondensation
• Bprecipitation
• Cevaporation
• Dtranspiration

Many areas of Massachusetts have small deep ponds called kettle ponds. Which of the following best explains the formation of these ponds?

• Asediment deposition
• Bavalanche
• Cwind erosion
• Dglacial depression

A student is investigating the effect of different nutrients on the growth of seedling plants. Which of these would be an independent (manipulated) variable in the investigation?

• Asunlight
• Bwater
• Cseedling plants
• Dsoil nutrients

Mountains are most likely formed

• Awhen glaciers melt.
• Bwhen land sinks.
• Calong tectonic plates.
• Dfrom earthquakes.

Which property of an object is identified using the sense of smell?

• Aweight
• Bodor
• Ccolor
• Dtemperature