Science Trivia Questions — page 144

Chemistry is defined as the natural science of matter, dealing with the composition of substances and their properties, reactions and interactions. Which of the following would NOT be an example of a chemical reaction?

• Aconverting liquid water to gaseous steam
• Bthe rusting of a nail
• Cmixing vinegar and baking soda together
• Dthe burning of a piece of wood

How many atoms are in one formula unit of magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)_{2}?

• A3
• B5
• C6
• D4

Drew knows that Earth is tilted on its axis. He also knows this tilt is responsible for the season that a region on Earth will experience. When the South Pole is tilted toward the Sun, what season will it be in Florida?

• Afall
• Bspring
• Csummer
• Dwinter

Two girls are pulling on opposite ends of a thick rope. Both girls pull on the rope with the same force but in opposite directions. If both girls continue to pull with the same force, what will most likely happen?

• AGravity will cause the rope to sag.
• BBoth girls will stay in the same place.
• CThe rope will break.
• DOne girl will pull the other toward her.

The atmosphere of Earth changed when plant life increased. Before there were plants, the atmosphere contained much less

• Awater.
• Bhydrogen.
• Coxygen.
• Dnitrogen.

Which of these is an environmental benefit of converting to solar energy?

• Aan increase in the use of fossil fuels
• Ban increase in the cost of energy
• Ca decrease in electrical energy production
• Da decrease in air pollution

This American physicist was the youngest group leader of the Manhattan Project, a joint effort by the US and their WW II allies to develop the first nuclear weapons.

• ARobert R. Wilson
• BHenry DeWolf Smyth
• CEdward Teller
• DErnest O. Lawrence

The elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are parts of many different compounds. Which explains why these three elements can make so many different compounds?

• AThey can be a proton, a neutron, or an electron.
• BThey come in different sizes and shapes.
• CThey combine in different numbers and ratios.
• DThey can be solids, liquids, or gases.

As humans travel in space, which gas is provided in the atmosphere of the spacecraft and which gas is removed from the atmosphere of the spacecraft?

• ACarbon dioxide is provided. Oxygen is removed.
• BCarbon dioxide is provided. Nitrogen is removed.
• COxygen is provided. Nitrogen is removed.
• DOxygen is provided. Carbon dioxide is removed.

Which behavior is a learned behavior?

• Aeating with a fork
• Bsquinting your eyes in bright light
• Cdeveloping a fever when you are sick
• Dshivering when it is cold

Some scientists believe that the mass extinction of dinosaurs was caused by the impact of a large meteorite on Earth. This impact would have caused a darkening of the sky due to dust blown into the upper atmosphere. This darkening would have reduced the sizes of some ecosystems because of

• Areduced photosynthesis.
• Blonger seasons.
• Cincreased number of hurricanes.
• Daccelerated erosion.

The first moons of Jupiter discovered belong to this group.

• AHimalia group
• BGalilean Moons
• CAnanke group
• DCarme Group

What is the main reason humans need nitrogen to survive?

• ANitrogen is used to help the body eliminate wastes.
• BNitrogen is used in respiration to generate energy.
• CNitrogen is used in making the proteins in the body.
• DNitrogen is used by nerve cells to conduct impulses.

Which of these is hottest?

• AMars
• BThe Sun
• CThe Earth
• DThe Moon

Whose was the proposal to use the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet, π, as a symbol for Archimedes constant, also known as Ludolphs number?

• ALeonhard Euler
• BIsaac Newton
• CWilliam Jones
• DArchimedes

Which observation provides evidence of the existence of planets orbiting other stars?

• Arapid location changes of the stars
• Bperiodic dimming of the stars
• Cregular spectrum changes from the stars
• Dperiodic X-ray bursts from the stars

If you established Trivia TV and wanted a web site in the .tv domain, which of the following would earn some money?

• ATaiwan
• BTuvalu
• CCNN
• DBBC

A serotinous cone is a seed enclosure that requires intense heat to open. When would a population of trees most benefit from having serotinous cones?

• Aafter a forest fire
• Bafter a heat wave
• Cafter a tornado
• Dafter a drought

A rosebush and a bird are similar because they both

• Aare non-living organisms.
• Bneed to search for food.
• Cmake their own food.
• Dare living organisms.

Harmful ultraviolet rays from the Sun are primarily absorbed by

• Aozone.
• Bdust.
• Cland masses.
• Dwater vapor.

Which is a process that most likely formed the Appalachian Mountains found in the eastern part of North America?

• Avolcanic activity
• Bfolded rock
• Cearthquake
• Dplate tectonics

Animal wastes contain bacteria that make organisms sick. These wastes are often washed into water supplies by storms. How might a pet owner prevent these bacteria from polluting water supplies?

• AFeed pets food that produces less waste.
• BBrush the pet daily to remove bacteria.
• CBag the pet waste and throw it in the trash.
• DWash the pet with shampoo to kill the bacteria.

Bats find their prey at night using one of their senses to detect echoes. What does the bat send out to find prey?

• Aodors
• Bsound
• Clight
• Delectricity

On a cold, cloudy day, the local weather forecaster predicts that a high-pressure system will be moving into the area in the next 24 hours. Which weather conditions will this system most likely bring to the area?

• Asunny
• Bstormy
• Chot
• Dsnowy

Carolina uses a microscope to view a soil sample taken from her backyard. Which part of the soil would she ONLY be able to see with a microscope?

• Arainwater
• Bbacteria
• Cgrass
• Drocks

Today, almost all cars have seat belts. How does improving the design of seat belts help people the most?

• AIt increases the comfort of passengers in cars.
• BIt decreases injuries to passengers in cars.
• CIt decreases the cost of cars.
• DIt increases the speed at which cars can travel.

Which of the following is NOT a type of yoga?

• AHatha yoga
• BAshtanga yoga
• CAsana yoga
• DKundalini yoga

A student conducts an investigation using mold spores. In one part of the investigation, he needs to closely examine a spore sample. Which piece of equipment does the student need to use to keep mold spores from entering his respiratory system?

• Arubber gloves
• Blead smock
• Csafety goggles
• Dbreathing mask

A characteristic that all living organisms have in common is they

• Aneed similar food.
• Blive in the same climate.
• Chave the same life span.
• Dare made of cells.

Students conduct an investigation with 20 of the same tomato plants. Each plant receives the same amount of water but different amounts of sunlight. The students measure the number of fruits on each plant every day. What is the dependent variable in this investigation?

• Aamount of water
• Bamount of sunlight
• Ctype of plant
• Dnumber of fruits

There is proof that microbes existed on this planet.

• AThe Sun
• BNeptune
• CMars
• DPluto

Which of the following is not one of the groups on the periodic table?

• AAlkali Metals
• BFluorines
• CHalogens
• DNoble Gases

Which is the best example of recycling?

• Ausing low energy appliances
• Busing aluminum cans to make new products
• Cwashing and reusing plastic cups
• Dusing empty milk cartons as flower planters

The parallel sides of a trapezoid are 5 inches and 11 inches long. The height of the trapezoid is 4 inches. What is the area of the trapezoid?

• A20 square inches
• B256 inches
• C64 square inches
• D32 square inches

In a gasoline-powered car, chemical energy from gasoline is transformed to make the car move. The motion of the car is what form of energy?

• Amechanical energy
• Bradiant energy
• Cnuclear energy
• Delectrical energy

A boat is acted on by a river current flowing north and by wind blowing on its sails. The boat travels northeast. In which direction is the wind most likely applying force to the sails of the boat?

• Awest
• Bnorth
• Csouth
• Deast

This planet is slightly smaller than Earth and its closest neighbor (excluding the Moon).

• AUranus
• BVenus
• CMars
• DSaturn

Which of these provide the best evidence that life could develop on Mars?

• Aits atmospheric gases
• Bits craters and rocky surface
• Cits surface temperatures
• Dits ice and organic molecules

Which planet in the solar system has the longest year?

• AThe planet closest to the Sun.
• BThe planet farthest from the Sun.
• CThe planet with the most moons.
• DThe planet with the longest day.

Which of these most likely has the GREATEST mass?

• ALizard
• BHorse
• CChicken
• DPuppy

Modern factories and industrial plants have filters that remove much of the sulfur from their emissions before it reaches the atmosphere. This design feature helps most in reducing the contribution of factories to which environmental problem?

• Acoastline erosion
• Balgal growth in lakes
• Cacid rain
• Dhabitat loss

A glass of water at 110°F is placed in a room next to a glass of water that is 50°F. The temperature of the room is 73°F at all times. If the two glasses were left in the room overnight, the temperature for both glasses of water the next day would be approximately

• A73°F.
• B90°F.
• C43°F.
• D50°F.

An Italian scientist named Alessandro Volta invented the Voltaic pile in 1800. It was able to produce a steady electrical current. Based on this description, what is the modern equivalent of the Voltaic pile?

• Aa resistor
• Ba light bulb
• Ca wire
• Da battery

Which human body systems are most directly involved when a person is walking?

• Acirculatory and endocrine
• Bdigestive and reproductive
• Cmuscular and nervous
• Dexcretory and respiratory

What is the difference between a balloon and a zeppelin?

• AA zeppelin has a rigid frame around the balloon containing the gases.
• BA zeppelin is filled with specific gases rather than hot air.
• CA zeppelin has a pilot or pilots below the gas filled chamber.
• DA balloon can only go up and down; it cannot go East-West or left-right.

The nose is an amazing piece of the human body. Every flower or food gives off odor molecules that your nose picks up and your brain translates. How many smells can your brain recognize?

• A10,000
• B15,000
• C5,000
• D20,000

A research team wanted to produce a smaller variety of German shepherd dogs. They mated the smallest dogs from different litters for several generations. This is an example of which concept?

• Anatural selection
• Bselective breeding
• Cmutation
• Dextinction

The name of which country is derived from the Latin word for silver?

• AEl Salvador
• BArgentina
• CEcuador
• DAlbania

Many factors affect human health. Which term best describes diet and exercise for most adults?

• Alifestyle choice
• Bmedically prescribed behavior
• Cenvironmental factor
• Dgenetic predisposition

Some students measure the mass of a small pile of leaves before and after the leaves decompose. Each time the students measure the mass, they place a container with the decomposing leaves on a balance. Before recording the mass of the leaves, the students must do which of the following?

• ASubtract the mass of the container
• BAdd leaves from other plants to the container
• CAllow the leaves to settle in the container for a few days
• DUse a metric ruler to measure the volume of the container