Science Trivia Questions — page 106

Which great 20th century mathematician died because he refused to eat ?

• APaul Erdos
• BPaul Wittenberg
• CRobert Schatten
• DKurt Godel

Which of these will most likely occur if chemicals from fertilizers run off into lakes and streams?

• AFish will die from a lack of oxygen.
• BAquatic plants will stop growing.
• CWater quality will improve.
• DAquatic animals will thrive.

Which of these uses sound waves to locate underwater objects?

• Aradar
• Bmicroscope
• Csonar
• Dtelescope

In organisms, macromolecules are made up of subunits. Which of these pairs correctly describes how a macromolecule is constructed?

• AAmino acids are made up of protein.
• BNucleic acids are made up of DNA.
• CProtein is made up of amino acids.
• DDNA is made up of nucleic acids.

How does the presence of organic matter contribute to good soil?

• AIt destroys bacteria in the soil.
• BIt adds nutrients to the soil.
• CIt keeps the soil cool.
• DIt helps the soil to dry out.

What does a concave mirror do with the object that is reflected?

• AIt decreases the size of the object.
• BIt widens the size of the object.
• CIt increases the size of the object.
• DDepends on the on the distance between the object and the mirror.

Muscle fiber is constructed of bundles small long organelles called what?

• AMyofibrils
• BMyofiaments
• CEpimysium
• DMyocardium

Which of these processes makes it possible for cells to take in water?

• Amitosis
• Bphotosynthesis
• Crespiration
• Dosmosis

Which of these correctly identifies the way materials are transported in a plant?

• AXylem carries sugars from the flowers to the stems.
• BXylem carries water from the roots to the leaves.
• CPhloem carries water from the flowers to the stems.
• DPhloem carries minerals from the roots to the leaves.

How are the particles in a block of iron affected when the block is melted?

• AThe particles gain mass.
• BThe particles contain less energy.
• CThe particles move more rapidly.
• DThe particles increase in volume.

Which statement identifies an energy source as renewable?

• AWind, because it is always available.
• BOil, because it is found underground.
• CCoal, because it was formed from plants.
• DWater, because it is becoming scarce.

How many nucleotides of DNA does it take to encode a single amino acid in a given protein?

• A25
• B1
• C10
• D3

Astronomers measure distances using very large units called light years. Which distance between celestial objects would most likely be measured in light years?

• Adistance between the Moon and Earth
• Bdistance between two planets in the same solar system
• Cdistance between the Sun and Earth
• Ddistance between two stars in the same galaxy

Which fact best explains why there is life on Earth but not on the Moon?

• AThe Moon has little water and oxygen.
• BThe Moon does not go around the Sun.
• CThe Moon has no gravity.
• DThe Moon is much smaller than Earth.

After the last ice age, the melting of the polar and mountain ice caps caused the water levels of the oceans to rise. Which most likely resulted from the rising of ocean water levels?

• Adecrease in the depth of the ocean floor
• Bdecrease in the number of tides each day
• Cincrease in the salt content of existing coastal wetlands
• Dincrease in the number of organisms in existing reefs

In the water cycle, water moving from oceans to clouds involves which change in the water?

• AIt turns from saltwater to freshwater.
• BIts chemical energy increases.
• CIts crystal size becomes smaller.
• DIt changes from a solid to a gas.

If the tail of these animals appears thicker, then you could expect a severe winter.

• ASkunks
• BBears
• CSquirrels
• DMarmots

Which of the following is part of the frontal lobe, an area at the front of each cerebral hemisphere?

• Afusiform gyrus
• Bcingulate gyrus
• Ccingulate sulcus
• Dprecental gyrus

A student throws a ball into the air. While the ball travels up, the speed of the ball decreases. What force causes the ball to slow while traveling up?

• Aelectricity
• Bmagnetism
• Cgravity
• Dtension

What percentage of the Earths surface is covered by water?

• AExactly 50%
• BRoughly 50%
• CRoughly 25%
• DRoughly 70%

Through which material would sound travel the fastest?

• Awater
• Bair
• Csteel
• Dcork

Forest fires occur in many areas due to drought conditions. If the drought conditions continue for a long period of time, which might cause the repopulation of trees to be threatened?

• Aan increase in the bacterium population
• Ban increase in the production of oxygen
• Ca decrease in the thickness of soil
• Da decrease in the amount of erosion

What kind of therapy is the Tui na, used in traditional Chinese medicine?

• ATea therapy
• BMassage
• CMusic therapy
• DSauna

At which location are oceans the deepest?

• AAbyssal plain
• BMid-ocean ridge
• CVolcanic island
• DOcean trench

Which has the greatest effect on wind speed?

• Acloud cover
• Bwind direction
• Cprecipitation
• Dair pressure

Which of the following sleep disorders is more typical of a person with depression?

• AParasomnia (nightmares, sleepwalking, or other violent behaviors while sleeping)
• BEarly insomnia (difficulty getting to sleep)
• CSleep apnea
• DLate insomnia (difficulty staying asleep)

When Earth's shadow falls on the Moon, the shadow causes a

• Alunar eclipse
• BMoon phase
• Clow tide
• Dhigh tide

What is the primary addictive substance found in tobacco?

• ACathinone
• BEphedrine
• CGlaucine
• DNicotine

In what famous math problem, first posed in the 18th century by a French mathematician, is pi involved?

• AThe travelling salesman problem
• BBuffons Needle Problem
• CZenos Paradox of the Tortoise
• DZenos Paradox of Achilles

Great distances in space are measured in

• Aastronomical units.
• Bkilometers.
• Clight years.
• Dmegameters.

Alicia has lots of old bicycle parts. She wants to build something new with the parts. What is the first thing Alicia should do?

• Atry out the new item
• Bplan the new item
• Cevaluate the new item
• Dconstruct the new item

Which of these is a major problem concerning nutrition value of food, served at restaurants?

• AExcess sodium contents
• BExcess protein contents
• CFoods lacking whole grains and fibers
• DOversized meals

Which of the following disease does Propecia (finasteride) treat?

• AHair loss
• BLead poisoning
• CNicotine addiction
• DEmphysema

This person wrote HTTP, the language in which browsers and web servers communicate.

• ABill Gates
• BSteve Jobs
• CTim Berners-Lee
• DDouglas Engelbart

Which characteristic of sound makes it possible for bats to fly in the dark without hitting any objects?

• Arefraction
• Bamplification
• Creflection
• Dconduction

If water gets into the crack of a rock and then freezes, the rock will MOST likely

• Abe able to float
• Bchange colors
• Cbecome larger
• Dbreak apart

Which best describes construction technology?

• Aconverting and transmitting energy
• Bchanging raw materials into goods
• Cbuilding and finishing a structure
• Dexchanging information electronically

Which system absorbs and carries food from the digestive system to the rest of the body?

• Acirculatory system
• Bmuscular system
• Crespiratory system
• Dnervous system

Biochemical reactions that require high temperatures to proceed are able to take place at body temperature within the cells of living organisms. Which factor is mainly responsible for allowing biochemical reactions to proceed at body temperature?

• AThe pH of the cytoplasm increases reaction rate.
• BThe reactants are present in small quantities in the cell.
• CThe cellular enzymes act as catalysts.
• DThe small size of cells keeps reactants together.

What is the diameter of planet Mercury?

• A4,878 km / 3 031 miles
• B10,787 km / 6,702 miles
• C983 km / 610 miles
• D3,576 km / 2 222 miles

Which of the following allows materials to enter and leave a cell?

• Amitochondria
• Bcell wall
• Ccell membrane
• Dvacuole

The growing human population has many practices that adversely impact the environment. Acid rain is one example of environmental damage that is related to human activities. Which human activity is most likely the largest contributor to acid rain?

• Aclearing native forests for industrialization
• Busing pesticides on agricultural crops
• Cdumping waste matter into ocean waters
• Dburning fossil fuels in power plants

The smallest particle of an element is

• Aa compound.
• Ba mixture.
• Ca molecule.
• Dan atom.

What is the BEST reason for including fruits and leafy vegetables in a healthy diet?

• AThey are rich in minerals and vitamins.
• BThey are the best source of protein.
• CThey are the best source of carbohydrates.
• DThey have a high water content.

There are many different types of living cells on Earth. Which of these characteristics do all living cells have in common?

• Arequire water for survival
• Brequire sunlight for photosynthesis
• Crequire silicon for structural support
• Drequire oxygen for respiration

Which example describes an organism taking in nutrients?

• Aa dog burying a bone
• Ba boy planting tomatoes in a garden
• Can insect crawling on a leaf
• Da girl eating an apple

Each layer of Earth has different properties. Which statement best describes the mantle of Earth?

• AThe mantle lies below the core.
• BThe mantle lies between the core and the crust.
• CThe mantle temperature is lower than the crust temperature.
• DThe mantle is composed of hot gases.

A carbon monoxide detector is used in homes to

• Aalert residents to the possibility of fire.
• Badvise people of an increase in temperature in the home.
• Cwarn residents when a dangerous gas is present.
• Dtell people that it is time to check the smoke detector.

Which gas could cause a glowing splint to burst into flame?

• ANeon
• BNitrogen
• CCarbon dioxide
• DOxygen

Which statement is a description of weather?

• AThe temperature is 55° F in Winslow today.
• BThe Sun will set in Yuma today at 6:45 p.m.
• CWinters in Flagstaff are cold and snowy.
• DSummers in Tucson are hot and dry.