Science Trivia Questions — page 125

The fur of some animals becomes thicker in the winter and is shed in the spring. These observations show how animals

• Astore fat for the winter
• Bmove from place to place to survive
• Ccompete with other animals for food
• Drespond to changes in the environment

If you studied petrology, where would your interests lie?

• Arocks
• Bveins
• Cmicrobes
• Dpetroleum

Some machines have been designed to perform complicated tasks which result from a demand for

• Aminimizing illness from disease.
• Bminimizing the need for manual labor.
• Cmaximizing the use of non-renewable resources.
• Dmaximizing the price of consumer goods.

Jerry threw a ball into the air. It followed a curved path and soon fell to the ground because

• Agravity changed the ball's direction.
• Bthe ball was not thrown hard enough.
• Cthe ball was not thrown straight up.
• Dair friction stopped the ball.

What is the powerhouse of the cell?

• ARibosome
• BMitochondria
• CNucleus
• DRedbull

What is the role of chlorophyll in photosynthesis?

• Aabsorbing oxygen
• Breflecting green light
• Cabsorbing light energy
• Dblocking carbon dioxide

Which would a scientist use in trying to model the cause of planetary years?

• Aa planet's core temperature
• Ba planet's distance from the Sun
• Cplanetary mass
• Dplanetary color

A botanist developed a new fertilizer that was tested on different types of plants under different conditions. The results indicated that the fertilizer increased plant growth. Which would be the best way to validate the results?

• Ahave another lab replicate the tests
• Bchange the procedure
• Clook over the results several times
• Ddevelop a new hypothesis to test

Which tool would be best to measure the length of a butterfly?

• Atriple beam balance
• Bgraduated cylinder
• Cthermometer
• Dmetric ruler

What is the relationship between a community and a population?

• AA population is larger than a community.
• BA community includes populations of organisms interacting.
• CA population is smaller than a community.
• DA population includes communities of organisms interacting.

Which of the following is an example of a physical change but not a chemical change?

• AA water pipe freezes and cracks on a cold night.
• BA log gives off heat and light as it burns.
• CA penny lost in the grass slowly changes color.
• DA tree stores energy from the Sun in its fruit.

Which tool would a student use to measure wind speed?

• Acompass
• Bweather vane
• Cbarometer
• Danemometer

Which of the following has been formed on the Asian continent by two continental plates that have been pressing together for millions of years?

• Alarge fields of gravel
• Blarge freshwater lakes linked by rivers
• Can uneven thickness of sedimentary layers
• Da tall mountain chain

Which of the following spacecraft never touched the moon?

• ASMART-1
• BApollo 11
• CLuna 2
• DMariner 4

The name of which island is also a computer programming language name?

• AJamaica
• BJava
• CMalta
• DCuba

Four rods of equal thickness but made of different metals were tested with equal amounts of weight to see which was most flexible. Which of the following is the best way to report the results of this experiment?

• Aa sketch of each rod before testing
• Ba table showing how much each rod weighed
• Ca bar graph showing how much each rod bent
• Da list of each type of rod used

Which is the best tool to measure the angles of a triangular object?

• Aa meter stick
• Ba spring scale
• Ca compass
• Da protractor

Stomata are tiny pores located on the leaves of plants. These pores permit the exchange of gases between air in the environment and plant cells located inside the leaf. Which tissue performs a similar function in vertebrates?

• AThe salivary glands in the mouth
• BThe alveoli in the lungs
• CThe cornea in the eye
• DThe chambers in the heart

In pea plants, the trait for round seeds is dominant over the trait for wrinkled seeds. If a pure dominant plant with round seeds is crossed with a plant with wrinkled seeds, what can be predicted about the offspring plants?

• AThey will always produce round seeds.
• BThey will only produce wrinkled seeds.
• CUnless the plant with wrinkled seeds was pure recessive, no prediction can be made.
• DEach offspring plant will have some round and some wrinkled seeds.

A student concludes that a chemical reaction performed in a classroom investigation was exothermic. To communicate the validity of this conclusion, which would make the best visual evidence in a presentation?

• Alisting of time from start to finish of reaction
• Blisting of masses of reactants and products
• Cphotographs of reactants and products
• Dphotograph of a flame produced when the chemicals reacted

Charles Darwin was neglecting his studies at the University of Edinburgh, so his father sent him to Cambridge to get a Bachelor of Art degree, as the first step towards what profession?

• AMedical doctor
• BArtist
• CPriest
• DTeacher

Which is the correct order of the planets from the Sun?

• AMercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
• BMercury, Earth, Mars, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus
• CMercury, Venus, Mars, Earth, Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune
• DMercury, Venus, Earth, Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, Mars, Neptune

Nitrogen, a nutrient found in fertilizer, helps plants increase in size. Rainwater runoff often carries fertilizer into ponds and lakes. What effect does excess nitrogen have on organisms in a pond or lake ecosystem?

• AFrogs adapt quickly to new food sources.
• BMutations occur gradually in fish.
• CAlgae grows rapidly.
• DClam shells are slowly weakened.

Which type of energy does a radiator give off ?

• Alight
• Bsolar
• Celectrical
• Dheat

Which source of electricity would harm the environment the least?

• Ahydroelectric dams
• Bpower lines
• Csolar power
• Ddiesel generator

In which process is nitrogen from the air put into a form that plants can use?

• Adenitrification
• Bnitrification
• Cnitrogen saturation
• Dnitrogen fixation

Why is it that the Moon can sometimes be seen during the day as well as at night?

• AEarth reflects light from the Moon all the time.
• BThe Moon reflects light from the Sun all the time.
• CThe Moon goes around Earth every day.
• DThe Sun goes around Earth and the Moon every day.

Which tool is used to observe the cell wall of a leaf?

• Acamera
• Bhand lens
• Cruler
• Dmicroscope

The magnitude of the gravitational force between two planets depends on the

• Avolume of the planets.
• Bspeed the planets rotate.
• Cdistance between the planets.
• Dother nearby planets.

What is the name of a circuit in which the current splits at the junctions?

• Aclosed circuit
• Bshort circuit
• Cparallel circuit
• Dseries circuit

Before it rains water must collect in

• Asnow.
• Bfog.
• Csleet.
• Dclouds.

From simplest to most complicated, how are multicellular organisms organized?

• Acell, tissue, organ, organ system
• Borgan system, organ, cell, tissue
• Ctissue, cell, organ system, organ
• Dorgan, tissue, cell, organ system

A strong magnet will separate a mixture of

• Apaper cups and plastic cups.
• Bclear glass and green glass.
• Csand and salt.
• Diron nails and aluminum nails.

A science class investigated the percentage of corn kernels that pop in bags of different brands of popcorn. Fifteen students tested three brands of popcorn each and reported their results to the class. Why did the teacher most likely have so many students report the results?

• Afor more accurate results
• Bfor more student participation
• Cto help explain the hypothesis
• Dto help simplify the procedure

A rubber ball rolls across a level surface. The ball will eventually stop rolling due to

• Aconductivity
• Bmagnetism
• Celectricity
• Dfriction

The human body is composed of different systems made of specialized cells, tissues, and organs. Each of these structures has a specific function that aids in the survival of the human species. Which organs are used in reproduction?

• Alungs, esophagus, and heart
• Bovaries, uterus, and fallopian tubes
• Cmouth, stomach, and gallbladder
• Dbrain, spinal cord, and eyes

Which two processes occur during the life spans of all animals?

• Abuilding nests and communication
• Bhibernation and migration
• Cgrowth and development
• Dchanging color and shedding fur

A class is studying how gravity affects objects in motion. Which tool would best measure the distance an object travels after it is thrown?

• Aa magnetic compass
• Ba calculator
• Ca stop watch
• Da meter stick

A large rock breaks into small pieces within 10 years. Which process is most likely responsible for breaking the large rock into small pieces within 10 years?

• Alack of rain falling during a four-year drought
• Bsteady winds blowing throughout the years
• Cwater repeatedly freezing and thawing in a crack
• Dgentle rain falling during each spring and fall

Growing thicker fur in the winter helps some animals to

• Aattract a mate
• Bhide from danger
• Cfind food
• Dkeep warm

A certain type of hybrid car utilizes a braking system in which energy is recovered and stored in batteries. This is an example of which type of energy conversion?

• Achemical energy converted to kinetic energy
• Bthermal energy converted to potential energy
• Ckinetic energy converted to potential energy
• Dchemical energy converted to thermal energy

Environments have changed over millions of years. Which of these would be best for a scientist to study when investigating these environmental changes?

• Avolcanic deposits
• Bocean currents
• Cweather forecasts
• Dfossil records

Which biological activity occurs in a repeated rhythm?

• Ablinking
• Bsneezing
• Cbreathing
• Dcoughing

This commercially available non-toxic gas makes up 25% of the Suns mass. It is used in deep diving to reduce the effects of narcosis.

• Ahydrogen
• Bhelium
• Cnitrogen
• Dcarbon

How many phases are there in a human cardiac cycle?

• A3
• B1
• C4
• D2

Astronomical units can be used to measure distances between objects in outer space. One astronomical unit (AU) is the distance between Earth and the Sun. Based on this information, about how many astronomical units is Mars from the Sun?

• A1.5
• B0.7
• C1.0
• D0.4

For two organisms to be classified as the same species, they must produce offspring that are

• Afertile.
• Bidentical to the parents.
• Cadaptable.
• Dalive at birth.

Which type of drinking container best conserves natural resources?

• Aa paper carton
• Ba disposable bottle
• Ca reusable cup
• Da glass bottle

Clearing forests of trees and vegetation for human development can have major impacts on the ecosystem. Which would most likely occur after a forested area is cleared?

• Aa decrease in water runoff
• Ba decrease in food competition
• Can increase in habitat for wildlife
• Dan increase in soil erosion

When birds fly south for the winter, they are exhibiting

• Ainstinctive behavior.
• Bcourtship.
• Cmimicry.
• Dlearned behavior.