Science Trivia Questions — page 149

A researcher is viewing a cell that has cell walls. To best narrow down the taxonomic group from which the cell belongs, which question should a researcher ask?

• ACan any substances pass through the cell walls?
• BIs a cell membrane also present?
• CDo the cell walls help the cell to survive?
• DWhat is the composition of the cell walls?

Which metric units should be used to describe the mass of an object?

• Aliters
• Bgrams
• Ccentimeters
• Ddegrees Celsius

It has been proved that drinking only bottled water can have this effect on your health.

• AIncrease in heart disease
• BIncrease in weight
• CIncrease in dental problems
• DIncrease in body fat

One advantage of a hand lens over a microscope is that the hand lens

• Ais less likely to be infected by bacteria.
• Bproduces a more accurate image.
• Cmakes very tiny objects appear larger.
• Dis easier to carry on field investigations.

Some types of trees are able to survive the heat of a forest fire. Which of the following characteristics would best help a tree survive a fire?

• Alarge leaves
• Bthick bark
• Cthin trunks
• Dshallow roots

A student plants rosebushes in her front yard. The student is frequently seen pulling weeds from the base of the rosebushes. What is the most likely reason that the weeds are pulled?

• AWeeds increase the bacteria in the soil.
• BWeeds use nutrients the roses need to grow.
• CWeeds consume most of the oxygen.
• DWeeds add fertilizer to the soil.

Which form of precipitation is most likely to cause damage when hitting the roof of a car?

• Asnow
• Brain
• Chail
• Dsleet

Copper, silver, and nickel are all classified as

• Anonmetals.
• Bhalogens.
• Cnoble gases.
• Dtransition metals.

Which of these indicates a physical change that occurs during the process of digestion?

• Athe secretion of pepsin to change proteins to peptides
• Bthe squeezing of food through the intestines
• Cthe breakdown of food substances by digestive juices
• Dthe addition of acids to create a ball of food

What information would be most helpful to a person with allergies when selecting food products?

• Athe nutritional information
• Bthe company that makes it
• Cthe serving size
• Dthe ingredients

Diamonds are formed when carbon is placed under extreme heat and pressure. This process occurs

• Ain the ocean.
• Bin the atmosphere of Earth.
• Cin caves.
• Dbeneath the surface of Earth.

Scientists differentiate what three basic types of memory, based on the duration of memory retention?

• ATemporary memory, average memory, and permanent memory
• BSensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory
• CEpisodic memory, procedural memory, and semantic memory
• DMomentary memory, short-term memory, and permanent memory

A student observes the time it takes a marble to roll down a ramp four times. Which of these displays will best communicate the student's observations?

• Aa table with four rows and four columns
• Ba pie chart with four different sections
• Ca bar graph with a bar for each trial
• Da line graph with continuous data points

What is the main function of the cell wall in a plant cell?

• Ato give structural support
• Bto contain the parts of the cell
• Cto help with cell division
• Dto protect against disease

A company plants trees on a bare hillside. Which of these is the BEST reason for planting the trees?

• AThe trees cause animals to move to other places.
• BThe trees prevent soil from washing away.
• CThe trees make shade for animals living there.
• DThe trees provide oxygen for the soil.

Why is it important to protect soil?

• AIt dries quickly in sunlight.
• BIt covers the bedrock layer in the earth.
• CIt has nutrients used by plants to grow.
• DIt holds many harmful pollutants.

If 123facts.de existed, in which language would the quizzes most likely be written?

• ADanish
• BFrench
• CGerman
• DSpanish

Binary stars are used by scientists to determine a star's

• Adistance from the Sun.
• Bbrightness.
• Cdistance from Earth.
• Dmass.

In many parts of the world, land that is too dry for farming is used for grazing livestock. Overgrazing of these lands destroys the native plants and breaks down the natural soil covering. How does overgrazing result in desertification?

• Aby increasing the rate at which topsoil is eroded
• Bby reducing the food available to livestock
• Cby causing the land to absorb rainfall more quickly
• Dby allowing non-native species to colonize the land

Which device is used to determine the volume of a liquid?

• Aanemometer
• Bgraduated cylinder
• Cthermometer
• Dtest tube

A positron is an antiparticle of a what?

• ANeutron
• BProton
• CPhoton
• DElectron

Which of the following has the greatest mass?

• Amoon
• Bstar
• Cgalaxy
• Dplanet

What should be added to soil to increase its water retention?

• Asand
• Bclay
• Crocks
• Dpebbles

The bonding of oxygen to red blood cells is important to the body because it enables the body to

• Aperform aerobic respiration in cells.
• Babsorb nutrients from food.
• Cmake energy from light.
• Dmaintain a constant temperature.

Which is an example of melting?

• AA carrot becoming soft when cooked
• BFlowing water making a rock smooth
• CButter changing into liquid in a warm pan
• DSugar mixed into tea making the tea sweet

The hardness, odor, and taste of an object can all be

• Aobserved with the senses
• Bmeasured with a spring scale
• Cobserved with a hand lens
• Dmeasured with a metric ruler

The life cycle of a star includes formation, life, and death. In the Universe, where do new stars originate?

• Afrom large fragments of antimatter
• Bfrom fusion in red giants
• Cin molecular clouds of gas
• Din radiation from black holes

When a baby shakes a rattle, it makes a noise. Which form of energy was changed to sound energy?

• Aelectrical
• Blight
• Cheat
• Dmechanical

What is the Latin word for skin?

• ACutis
• BPapilla
• CDerma
• DEpicanthus

Liam lives in the Northern Hemisphere of Earth and plays in the snow in December. His friend lives in the Southern Hemisphere of Earth and plays at the beach in December. What is the best explanation for why this is possible?

• Arevolution of Earth around the Sun
• Btilt of Earth on its axis
• Crotation of Earth on its axis
• Drevolution of the Moon around Earth

A teacher carefully places some objects into very hot water. After one minute, which item is most likely too hot to touch?

• Aa metal spoon
• Ba plastic pencil
• Ca wooden stick
• Da cloth napkin

What term is used to designate a hurricanes calm, low-pressure center around which winds of high velocity spin?

• ARain bands
• BOuter rim
• CEye
• DEye wall

Which sequence represents the correct levels of organization for multicellular organisms?

• Atissue -> organ -> cell -> organ system
• Borgan system -> organ -> cell -> tissue
• Ccell -> tissue -> organ -> organ system
• Dcell -> organ -> tissue -> organ system

Gasoline is a nonrenewable energy resource used in most cars and trucks. Gasoline is made from which source?

• Awater vapor
• Bnatural gas
• Chydrogen
• Doil

Which material is the best heat insulator?

• Aglass
• Bwater
• Cwood
• Dmetal

Robots can perform tasks that are dangerous for humans. What is the MAJOR limitation to the use of robots?

• AThe assembly process must remain exactly the same.
• BThe assembly pieces must be very small.
• CRobots must be provided with electricity.
• DRobots require regular maintenance.

The reading on a barometer rises when the air

• Apressure increases.
• Bpressure decreases.
• Cspeed increases.
• Dspeed decreases.

Approximately how many years ago did the formation of the Earth take place?

• A14.6 billion years
• B4.6 billion years
• C46 billion years
• D4.6 trillion years

A sample of an unknown substance has a volume that is independent of its container. Which additional information is needed to determine the state of the sample?

• Awhether the sample conducts electricity
• Bthe density of the sample
• Cwhether the sample has a fixed shape
• Dthe mass of the sample

Thousands of years ago, several species of large mammals existed in North America. These species became extinct not long after the first human settlement of North America. Which human activity most likely contributed to the extinction of these mammals?

• Ahunting
• Bwaterway pollution
• Chabitat destruction
• Dcompetition for resources

What year was the iPod introduced?

• A2007
• B2008
• C2001
• D2003

At what temperature does water boil?

• A212°F
• B200°F
• C178°F
• D181°F

What is the science of colors called?

• AColoritics
• BChromatics
• CColorology
• DChromatology

Which two systems primarily function to rid the human body of the wastes resulting from cellular energy production?

• Arespiratory and circulatory systems
• Bexcretory and skeletal systems
• Cnervous and endocrine systems
• Dcirculatory and digestive systems

Traveling in opposite directions, buses A and B are passing each other at the relative speed of 25 km/h, while a passenger on bus A walks toward the back of the bus at the speed of 5 km/h. What is the velocity of the passenger on bus A relative to bus B?

• A20 km/h in the direction of bus B
• B30 km/h in the direction of bus B
• C30 km/h in the direction of bus A
• D20 km/h in the direction of bus A

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the molecule of heredity, is doubled in what stage of cell division?

• AS phase
• BG2 phase
• CM phase
• DG1 phase

Which of these activities is most likely to have a positive impact on the environment of Earth?

• AExpanding neighborhoods
• BCreating nature preserves
• CConstructing highways
• DBuilding factories

Antonia is testing the properties of block A. • She puts block A on top of a hot metal block and then touches the block A with her finger. • She keeps her finger on the block A for several minutes, but block A still does not get hot. What can Antonia conclude about block A?

• AIt is highly magnetic.
• BIt is a poor conductor.
• CIt is a good conductor.
• DIt is nonmagnetic.

This planet is has the largest group of moons - 31, but it is best known for its ring system.

• ASaturn
• BVenus
• CMars
• DNeptune

All energy resources have benefits, risks, and drawbacks. Which two resources present the most dangerous risks and consequences for the environment during their acquisition?

• Ageothermal energy and oil
• Bcoal and solar energy
• Coil and coal
• Dsolar energy and geothermal energy