Science Trivia Questions — page 111

Shale is a sedimentary rock that can be metamorphosed into slate by

• Acementation.
• Bsedimentation.
• Cincreased pressure.
• Dchemical weathering.

Which of these is most necessary for the production of geothermal energy?

• Ahot rock
• Bthick crust
• Cfossil fuel
• Dwarm climate

An atom of tin has an atomic number of 50 and a mass number of 119. How many protons, electrons, and neutrons are found in one neutral atom of tin?

• A69 protons, 69 electrons, 50 neutrons
• B50 protons, 50 electrons, 69 neutrons
• C69 protons, 50 electrons, 69 neutrons
• D50 protons, 69 electrons, 50 neutrons

What term is best associated with Sigmund Freud?

• ADialectical Behavior Therapy
• BTheory of Gravity
• CPsychoanalysis
• DCognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Manganese has an atomic number of 25 and an atomic mass of 55 amu. How many particles are found in its nucleus?

• A30
• B25
• C55
• D80

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.

Which of these is not a benefit of microorganisms?

• AThey cause food to spoil.
• BThey help make antibiotics.
• CThey break down waste.
• DThey release nutrients in soil.

Uranus was renamed Urectum in what animated TV Series?

• AThe Family Guy
• BThe Simpsons
• CFuturama
• DAmerican Dad

Which action will cause sugar to form a new substance?

• Acrushing a sugar cube into pieces
• Bcooking sugar on a stove
• Cdissolving a sugar cube in water
• Dpouring sugar through a screen

Fossil fuels were made from specific kinds of ancient organisms. The fossilized remains of tiny ocean organisms formed

• Aoil and natural gas.
• Bonly natural gas.
• Conly coal.
• Doil and coal.

Which of the following gases do plants use in photosynthesis?

• Acarbon monoxide
• Bhydrogen
• Coxygen
• Dcarbon dioxide

Hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water. The water in this reaction is described as

• Aan atom
• Ba reactant
• Can element
• Da compound

The layered mixture of gases surrounding Earth is called the

• Ahemisphere
• Blithosphere
• Catmosphere
• Dhydrosphere

Della has a mixture of soil and water in a jar. Which of the following tools would best help Della separate the soil from the water?

• Aa balance
• Ba measuring cup
• Ca magnifying glass
• Da filter

At camp, Raj sees a lightning storm. He sees the lightning before he hears the thunder. What does this show?

• ALight and sound move at the same speed
• BLight moves faster than sound
• CLight moves slower than sound

Sharpening a pencil and tearing paper are examples of physical changes. Which statement describes why these are physical changes?

• AThere is a change in the materials from which the objects are made.
• BThere is a change in how the objects are used.
• CThere is a change in the appearance of the objects.
• DThere is a change in both the appearance of the objects and the materials from which they are made.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes AIDS. The first known human cases AIDS were in Africa in the late 1950s. Since then, tens of millions of people have died from the disease, and tens of millions more people all over the world are infected. Which term best describes the disease AIDS?

• Aoutbreak
• Bisolated cases
• Cepidemic
• Dpandemic

Scientists claim that the continents of South America and Africa were once a single landmass. All of the following observations support this claim except

• Athe mountains on these continents have similar rocks of the same age.
• Bthese continents appear to fit together like the pieces of a puzzle.
• Cthe same kinds of fossils have been found on these continents.
• Dsimilar fish live in the ocean off the coasts of these continents.

When was the multiplication sign, x, first used?

• A1731
• B1531
• C1831
• D1631

Robert is thinking about buying a new refrigerator. His old refrigerator runs at about 43% efficiency. Which most likely accounts for the remaining 57% of the energy?

• AIt is released to the surroundings as heat.
• BIt is converted into mechanical energy.
• CIt stored as a form of potential energy.
• DIt is used up by the light in the refrigerator.

Which moon phase occurs approximately 14 days after a full moon?

• Awaning crescent
• Bnew moon
• Cwaxing gibbous
• Dfirst quarter

What part of a communication system converts binary codes in a computer into recognizable characters?

• Adecoder
• Btransmitter
• Cencoder
• Dreceiver

The nearest star to the Sun is described as being 4.3 light-years away. Which statement explains why the light-year unit of measure is used in this description?

• AThe distance is extremely large.
• BOnly light can travel between stars.
• CLight signals were timed reflecting from the star.
• DThe distance is a rough estimate.

Solar cells absorb energy from the sun. In order to use this energy to power household appliances, solar cells must convert the absorbed energy to

• Aelectricity.
• Bradiation.
• Clight.
• Dheat.

One limitation of food webs in representing an ecosystem is that they do not

• Ainclude producers in the ecosystem.
• Bshow predator-prey relationships in the ecosystem.
• Cinclude all species in the ecosystem.
• Dshow consumers in the ecosystem.

Which planet has been demoted from its planet status by scientists like Neil Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium?

• AMercury
• BUranus
• CPluto
• DNeptune

Which of the following is an example of a form of energy?

• Athe water in a small puddle
• Bthe sound in a loud classroom
• Cthe wire in a metal hanger
• Dthe air in a sealed jar

How many fluid ounces do 48 quarts equal?

• A1,563
• B1,536
• C1,635
• D1,653

An automobile engine transforms chemical energy of fuel primarily into

• Aelectrical energy and light energy.
• Belectrical energy and mechanical energy.
• Cthermal energy and light energy.
• Dthermal energy and mechanical energy.

A teacher is conducting an investigation by using special equipment to hold a magnesium (Mg) ribbon over the flame of a Bunsen burner. Which observation indicates a chemical reaction took place?

• AThe shape of the magnesium ribbon changed.
• BThe magnesium appeared to evaporate.
• CThe burning magnesium produced light.
• DThe temperature of the magnesium ribbon increased.

A gas is heated and its temperature increases. What happens to the gas molecules?

• AThey get bigger.
• BThey move slower.
• CThey increase in number.
• DThey move faster.

The Sun is approximately 1.5 x 10^8 km from Earth. The speed of light is 3.0 x 10^8 m/sec. What is the distance from the Sun to Earth in light-seconds?

• A5.0 x 10^2 light-seconds
• B2.0 light-seconds
• C2.0 x 10^-3 light-seconds
• D0.5 light-seconds

This class of enzyme can cut DNA at a specific place, making biotechnology possible.

• ALimiting Enzyme
• BBayton Enzyme
• CRestriction Enzyme
• DElectrophoretic Enzyme

Which statement best compares gravity on the Moon to gravity on Earth?

• AGravity on the Moon is greater because it has less mass than the Earth.
• BGravity on the Moon is less because it is smaller than the Earth.
• CGravity on the Moon is greater because it is closer to the Sun.
• DGravity on the Moon is less because it has less atmosphere than the Earth.

What is the basic chemical compound that natural pearls consist of?

• AAluminum carbonate
• BCalcium fluoride
• CCalcium carbonate
• DSodium sulphate

You need to move products across the ocean from Boston to Europe. What are your choices?

• Atruck or ship
• Btruck or airplane
• Ctunnel or ship
• Dship or airplane

The element involved in making human blood red is which of the following?

• ACobalt
• BCopper
• CIridium
• DIron

The best way to separate salt from water is with the use of

• Aoil.
• Brubbing alcohol.
• Ca magnet.
• Dheat.

Which gas makes up the greatest percentage of Earth's atmosphere?

• Aargon
• Bnitrous oxide
• Cnitrogen
• Dcarbon dioxide

The Moon is changing its position it relation to the Earth. In what way?

• AMoving away
• BGetting closer
• CMoving along the Earths X axis
• DMoving along the Earths Y axis

Two high tides and two low tides occur on Earth every

• Aweek.
• Bday.
• Chour.
• Dmonth.

Which of these provides most of the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere?

• Acoral reefs
• Bocean phytoplankton
• Crainforest plants
• Dcontinental grasslands

Byron is investigating how temperature affects mold growth on bread. Before starting his procedure, Byron states in his journal that he thinks wet bread placed in the refrigerator will grow the most mold. Which term best describes Byron's statement?

• Aresult
• Bconclusion
• Cvariable
• Dhypothesis

A fossil discovered in Colorado dates from the early Mesozoic Era. A year later a similar fossil is found in Wyoming that also dates from the early Mesozoic Era. These two organisms most likely lived in

• Athe same environment at different times.
• Bdifferent environments at about the same time.
• Cdifferent environments at different times.
• Dthe same environment at about the same time.

A student measured how quickly a car rolled down a hill. Which tool should the student have used to measure how quickly the car rolled down the hill?

• Aa hand lens
• Ba stopwatch
• Ca thermometer
• Da centimeter ruler

The atoms of which type of chemical elements have a complete set of valence electrons - 8?

• AAlkali metals
• BSalts
• CNoble gases
• DChlorides

Less force is required to launch a spaceship from the surface of the Moon than to launch an identical ship from the surface of Earth because

• Athe atmosphere of the Moon is much thinner than that of Earth.
• Bthe gravitational field of the Moon is less than that of Earth.
• Cthe Moon has a smaller surface area than Earth.
• Dthe mass of an object on Earth is greater than on the Moon.

Which location on Earth receives the most direct sunlight?

• Athe South Pole
• Bthe deserts
• Cthe equator
• Dthe Western Hemisphere

What is the chemical formula for baking soda?

• AC12 H22 O11
• BNaHCO3
• CC3H8
• DCo3

If the planet Mars, with a diameter of 6772 kilometers, is at a distance of 80,000,000 kilometers, what is its angular diameter in arc seconds?

• A16.27
• B18.92
• C17.46
• D14.64