Science Trivia Questions — page 148

Meiosis contributes to the process of reproduction by producing what type of cell?

• Apolyploid
• Bdiploid
• Caneuploid
• Dhaploid

NASAs Chandra space observatory launched on July 23, 1999 uses what type of telescopes?

• AInfrared telescopes
• BRadio telescopes
• COptical telescopes
• DX-ray telescopes

Two atoms of oxygen combine to form pure oxygen gas. What is the electrical charge of the O_{2} molecules?

• Aneutral
• Bvariable
• Cnegative
• Dpositive

By what name was the closest planet to the Sun called by the Greeks?

• AMercury
• BHermes
• CHermaon
• DKokhav Hamah

Which factors can have the greatest effect on the health of a river system?

• Ahuman consumption and pH
• Bnatural disasters and tidal changes
• Cnitrate levels and turbidity
• Dtype of soil and salinity

A battery-powered cart pulls an 800-gram load across the floor. If the load were reduced to 400 grams, and the force used to move the cart remained the same, the cart would

• Amove faster
• Bmove at the same speed
• Cmove slower
• Dstop moving

A student compares a plant cell to an animal cell. Which structure will the student find ONLY in the plant cell?

• Amitochondrion
• Bcytoplasm
• Cchloroplast
• Dnucleus

A balanced chemical equation shows

• Athe number of molecules involved in a reaction.
• Bphase changes taking place during a reaction.
• Cthe products of a reaction.
• Delements created by a reaction.

The largest body in our solar system is

• AEarth.
• Bthe Sun.
• CJupiter.
• Dthe Moon.

What most likely happens when a cold air mass comes into contact with a warm, moist air mass?

• AWarm air is pushed to ground level.
• BThe sky becomes clear.
• CRain or snow begins to fall.
• DCold air is pushed to high altitudes.

Fred Gage and Peter Ericksson discovered and announced that adult human brain produces new brain cells. In what year did they make their discovery?

• A1998
• B1997
• C1992
• D2000

All animals need air to survive. An insect gets air through tiny holes on the sides of its body. A whale breathes through a blow hole. What body part do fish use to breathe?

• Amouth
• Bgills
• Cnose
• Dskin

Sunlight is able to penetrate the top several meters of marine water, where most plant and animal life exists. Which of these systems are interacting in this description?

• Asolar energy and weather systems
• Bweather systems and ocean systems
• Csolar energy, ocean systems, and weather systems
• Dsolar energy and ocean systems

Apple trees can live for many years, but bean plants usually live for only a few months. This statement suggests that

• Adifferent plants have different life spans
• Bplants depend on other plants
• Cseasonal changes help plants grow
• Dplants produce many offspring

The average temperature of Earth's surface has increased approximately 1°C in the past century. Which of the following can best explain this increase in temperature?

• Alower levels of ozone in the atmosphere
• Bhigher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
• Chigher levels of oxygen in the atmosphere
• Dlower levels of nitrogen in the atmosphere

At what level of organization does damage compromise the function of the whole system?

• Aa cell
• Ban organ
• Can organelle
• Da tissue

A chromosome is a very long piece of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) which contains genes. Which term refers to the number of chromosomes per cell in a species?

• Amonoploid number
• Baneuploid number
• Chaploid number
• Deuploid number

Volcanoes are considered constructive because they

• Acause erosion.
• Bdeposit lava.
• Ctrigger earthquakes.
• Drelease gases.

Once a tropical cyclone reaches wind speeds of at least 39 mph, it is classified as a tropical storm. At what minimum wind speed is a tropical storm classified as a hurricane or typhoon?

• A92 mph
• B74 mph
• C52 mph
• D85 mph

Which of the following is not a common symptom of fibromyalgia?

• AFatigue
• BPain
• CLow red blood count
• DSleep disturbances

Which of these illustrates that sound waves can travel through two different types of media?

• Ahearing people talking on the other side of a wall
• Bhearing thunder from a very distant storm
• Ctalking to someone under the water in a pool
• Dhearing a loud whisper from across the room

What is the scientific name of the knee cap?

• AForamen Magnum
• BPatella
• CScapula
• DFemur

Which change in Earth's surface is most directly related to the water cycle?

• Amovement of tectonic plates
• Bformation of ocean trenches
• Cdeposition of sediments
• Duplifting of a mountain

Which is an example of light being reflected?

• Alooking into a mirror
• Busing a magnifying glass
• Cusing eyeglasses
• Dtaking a picture

When an ice cube melts, its state of matter changes from a

• Asolid to a gas
• Bliquid to a solid
• Cgas to a liquid
• Dsolid to a liquid

Cumulonimbus clouds often form along cold fronts. Which type of weather is most likely to occur along a cold front?

• Astorms with hurricane winds
• Brain with possible severe thunderstorms
• Chigh temperatures with low winds
• Dmoderate temperature with mild breezes

This program pretends to be useful, while executing malicious code.

• ALogic bomb
• BTrojan horse
• CVirus
• DWorm

Alan is using cabbage juice to determine the relative pH of various household solutions. Which of these steps communicates the results of his investigation?

• AWrite down a procedure
• BConduct multiple trials
• CIdentify the materials to be tested
• DRecord observations and data in a journal

Rain forests contain more species of trees than any other biome. However, scientists have found that the soil of the forest floor is relatively nutrient poor. What could most likely account for this?

• AThe nutrients are being utilized by the plant life.
• BThe forest floor does not get enough sunlight.
• CThe animals eat the nutrients.
• DThe lack of weathering reduces the availability of the minerals.

How does acid rain most likely affect forests?

• APlants begin to grow deeper roots.
• BAnimals have more food sources.
• CTop soil loses all of its nutrients.
• DTrees become less healthy over time.

Planets in the solar system are in constant motion. What factor has the greatest effect on the orbits of the planets?

• Aelectromagnetic radiation from the Sun
• Bthe composition of the planets
• Cgravitational pull of the Sun
• Dthe size of the planets

This term refers to a division of the psyche dominated by the pleasure principle.

• Alibido
• Bego
• Csuperego
• Did

An organic compound is considered an alcohol if it has what functional group?

• AAldehyde
• BCarbonyl
• CHydroxyl
• DAlkyl

This Swedish botanist and physician, considered one of the fathers of modern ecology, initiated the method of binomial classification.

• ANils Gabriel Sefstrom
• BAlfred Nobel
• CJohan August Arfwedson
• DCarolus Linnaeus

Some scientists predict that as greenhouse gases change the climate of Earth, the number and strength of hurricanes will increase. In order for this to occur, the climate change would have to affect Earth by changing the

• Achemical compositions of the oceans.
• Bamount of dissolved oxygen in the oceans.
• Cdepths of the oceans.
• Dspeed of currents in the oceans.

During a walk in the woods, Mandy finds a plant structure that had fallen onto the trail. Mandy can tell the object contained seeds, and thinks it came from a flowering plant instead of a conifer. How can she determine if the object came from a flowering plant?

• Aby looking for young sporophytes inside the seeds
• Bby looking for wing-like structures on the seeds
• Cby looking for seed coats on the seeds
• Dby looking for fruit tissue around the seeds

Rocks and minerals are common materials found on Earth. Which property do most rocks and minerals share?

• AThey are pure.
• BThey are magnetic.
• CThey are liquid.
• DThey are solid.

The Piedmont and Coastal Plains regions in Maryland produce crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, tobacco, tomatoes, and apples. Which environmental factor most likely influences which crops are grown in these regions?

• Abird migration
• Bwind speeds
• Cwater temperature
• Dsoil quality

Joann repeatedly overfed the fish in the pond behind her house. The nitrates from the excess food contributed to an overgrowth of algae. To correct the problem, Joann added more plants to the pond. How will adding more plants help?

• AThe plants will camouflage the green algae.
• BThe plants will provide all the food for the fish.
• CThe plants will compete with algae for nutrients.
• DThe plants make the pond look beautiful.

Which of these is a structure that is present in all organisms?

• Aa cell
• Ba stomach
• Ca brain
• Da tissue

Ambien (zolpidem) is used to treat which one of the following conditions?

• ADiabetes
• BPeripheral Neuropathy
• CMigraine
• DInsomnia

Bees can see wavelengths of only yellow, blue, and ultraviolet light. Many plant flowers consist of yellow, blue, and ultraviolet markings that are near the center of the flower. Which sentence describes which organisms benefit from this and explains why?

• ANeither bees nor plants benefit, because it does not help either to reproduce.
• BBoth bees and plants benefit, because bees find food and plants are aided in reproduction.
• COnly bees benefit, because flowers are damaged by bees.
• DOnly plants benefit, because bees are unable to reach a food source on the plant.

Which human body system produces the hormones that regulate growth?

• Aendocrine
• Bskeletal
• Ccirculatory
• Ddigestive

Chemical pesticides are sometimes sprayed on crops to kill insects that eat the crops. People have different viewpoints about the use of pesticides on crops. What might be a concern about using pesticides on the crops?

• AWill the food harm bugs in the home?
• BWill the food ripen?
• CWill the food stay fresh?
• DWill the food harm humans?

A body structure under a skunk's tail produces a liquid with a very bad odor. This odor helps the skunk to

• Amake a shelter
• Bregulate its body heat
• Cobtain food
• Davoid predators

Vein deposits of gold and silver are often formed in areas that have experienced which geologic process?

• Achemical weathering
• Btransport by water
• Ccompaction by pressure
• Digneous intrusion

Which process occurs when ocean waves drop seashells on a beach?

• Adeposition
• Bcondensation
• Crotation
• Dclassification

Many animals are still being hunted for their fur. Because of this, many of these animals are in danger of

• Astarvation.
• Bforest fires.
• Coverpopulation.
• Dextinction.

When the lighted half of the Moon faces the Sun and the dark half faces Earth, the phase of the Moon viewed from Earth is called the

• Awaxing moon.
• Bnew moon.
• Cwaning moon.
• Dfull moon.

Electricians wear rubber boots and gloves while working with circuits. The main reason for this is because

• Arubber helps to ground them.
• Brubber is a conductor.
• Crubber is a nonconductor.
• Drubber is used as a transmitter.