Science Trivia Questions — page 157

Which information would probably be most helpful to someone trying to identify a mineral sample?

• Ahardness and streak of the sample
• Bshape and texture of the sample
• Clocation and mass of the sample
• Dcolor and size of the sample

An ice cube melts on a hot summer day because the energy of the particles

• Acauses the particles to move closer together.
• Bdecreases over a period of time and is lost.
• Cis converted into potential energy.
• Dincreases and the particles move apart.

Which characteristic is shared by all members of Arthropoda and Chordata phyla?

• Aone pair of wings
• Bmandibles
• Cjointed limbs
• Dsimple eyes

Which of these elements on the Periodic Table is a Noble Gas?

• AIodine
• BPotassium
• CColbalt
• DNeon

What is the name of the pigment that determines the color of human skin?

• AAntocian
• BMelanin
• CMelatonin
• DMelamine

A student studied the growth of plants in different soil types. The best way to organize the data is by

• Aplant height and soil type
• Bdate and plant height.
• Cdate and time.
• Ddate, plant height, and soil type.

Which is caused by the tilt of Earth on its axis?

• Aseason changes
• Bday and night
• Cstormy weather
• Dhigh and low tide

Sand is a type of soil that is made of very tiny pieces of material. Which process most likely forms sand?

• Athe rotation of Earth
• Bthe weathering of rocks
• Cthe decay of large trees
• Dthe growth of animals

What element was usually the subject of transformation in alchemy?

• ATin
• BLithium
• CCopper
• DLead

A student rubs her hands together on a cold winter day. The heat that warms her hands is produced by

• Alight
• Bfriction
• Cmagnetism
• Dgravity

How many paired DNA chromosomes are there in a human male?

• A23
• B18
• C24
• D20

What is the name of the cognitive bias wherein a person with low ability in a particular skill mistake themselves as being superior?

• AMüller-Lyer effect
• BFreud-Hall effect
• CMeyers-Briggs effect
• DDunning-Kruger effect

When first announced, the RS MultiMediaCard (RS-MMC) was available in what maximum density?

• A32mb
• B128mb
• C256mb
• D64mb

Finding fossils of warm-weather plants in the rock layers of a cold northern island suggests that

• Athe island used to be located farther south.
• Bthe climate of the island used to be warmer.
• Cthe fossils used to be more resistant to cold.
• Dthe plants used to be harvested for food.

What atoms combine to make up a molecule of water? 1. 1 hydrogen, 1 oxygen 2.

• A2 hydrogen, 1 oxygen
• B2 hydrogen, 2 oxygen
• Coxygen
• Dhydrogen,

When a cup of water at room temperature is put in a freezer, the water's state of matter will change from

• Aliquid to solid
• Bliquid to gas
• Cgas to liquid
• Dsolid to liquid

Nutrients are recycled when materials decompose in an ecosystem. Which is the best example of the decomposition process where organic material is recycled in an ecosystem?

• Abacteria feeding on dead plants
• Ba hawk eating a mouse
• Cworms tunneling through soil
• Da plant using nitrogen to make proteins

Which is the best way to help prevent the flu from becoming a pandemic?

• Awashing hands often
• Bgetting a vaccination
• Ctaking antibiotics
• Deating fruits and vegetables

What kind of animal is the primary host of the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii which causes toxoplasmosis?

• ACat
• BDog
• CPigeon
• DFly

The Bodhi tree, located near Bodh Gaya in India, is of great importance to the followers of Buddhism, because it is considered to be related to the spiritual teacher, Buddha, in what way?

• ABuddha found enlightenment under this tree.
• BIt is Buddhas birth place.
• CGod Vishnu spoke to him for the first time under this tree.
• DBuddha died under this tree.

Which feature is a kitten most likely to inherit from its parents?

• Aindependence
• Bdiet
• Ccolor
• Dhealth

You wish to closely observe a small insect. Which tool is the best to use?

• Aa magnifying glass
• Ba balance
• Ca telescope
• Da test tube

This device is used for dispersing light, reflecting it or refracting it.

• Asphere
• Blens
• Cmonocle
• Dprism

Which property of an object can be described as smooth?

• Asize
• Bcolor
• Ctexture
• Dodor

What is the main difference between planets and moons in our solar system?

• AAll planets can support life; moons cannot.
• BAll planets orbit the Sun; all moons orbit planets.
• CAll planets have atmospheres; moons do not.
• DAll planets are larger than all moons.

What does the ROM part of a CD-ROM stand for?

• AErase Only Memory
• BRead Only Memory
• CRomial Memory
• DNothing

During first quarter moon, what time does the moon rise?

• Asunset
• Bnoon
• Cmidnight
• Ddawn

Energy is transferred in an electrical circuit through

• Astatic electrons.
• Bstatic protons.
• Cmoving protons.
• Dmoving electrons.

Which of these living things in a grassland ecosystem depend on the presence of a variety of bacteria and other microorganisms in the soil?

• Aplants and animals only
• Ball the organisms in the ecosystem
• Cgreen plants only
• Dworms only

Which two elements comprise the bulk of the atmosphere of Neptune?

• AHydrogen and Methane
• BHelium and Methane
• CHelium and Carbon Dioxide
• DHydrogen and Helium

Jamal lives in the Northern Hemisphere. Which season is it when the Northern Hemisphere is pointed away from the Sun?

• Aspring
• Bfall
• Csummer
• Dwinter

Which of the following animal features most helps the animal move around in its habitat?

• AA bird's sharp beak
• BA black bear's fur
• CA sea turtle's flippers
• DA cow's tail

During which chemical process is energy absorbed?

• Airon nails rusting
• Bplants photosynthesizing
• Ccandles burning
• Dvegetables rotting

Which is most likely needed when describing the change in position of an object?

• Adirection change
• Binitial speed
• Cconstant rate
• Dreference point

Which psychological term refers to the stress of holding contrasting beliefs?

• ACognitive Dissonance
• BFlip-Flop Syndrome
• CSplit-Brain
• DBlind Sight

In aeronautics, flaps and slats are used to control what on an aircraft?

• AWeight
• BThrust
• CLift
• DDrag

Which activity is most likely to add pollutants to the environment?

• Apulling weeds from a lawn
• Bwatering a garden
• Cinstalling a wooden fence
• Dburning leaves

The nervous system is composed of cells, tissues, and organs. Which is a cell of the nervous system?

• Aneuron
• Bbrain
• Cganglion
• Dspinal cord

What is the source of the organic matter needed for most fertile soils?

• Adecaying plants
• Beroded sand
• Cweathered bedrock
• Dmoving water

The formation of the mineral halite is most likely to occur by which process?

• Athe slow crystallization of magma deep in the crust
• Bthe hardening of lava in seawater
• Cthe cementing together of sediment particles
• Dthe evaporation of seawater

Janet learns that Earth is tilted. Due to its tilt, some areas on the surface of Earth experience darkness for an entire day. Which plant process is affected most during this darkness?

• Aphotosynthesis
• Broot growth
• Cwater absorption
• Dreproduction

Cloning and the boundless possibilities it offers is a challenging topic for scriptwriters imagination. All but one of these science fiction movies involve cloning in their plots.

• AThe 6th Day
• BThe Green Mile
• CJurassic Park
• DThe House of the Scorpion

Solar energy is referred to as the energy of the future because

• Asunlight offers an unlimited amount of energy for the world.
• Bthe atmosphere receives many kinds of rays from the Sun.
• Cthe thinning of the ozone layer is damaging the atmosphere.
• Dsunlight will not always be available and should be used now.

Which of these steps in the rock cycle occurs ONLY in the formation of metamorphic rock?

• Acementation
• Brecrystallization
• Cerosion
• Dcompaction

Students are conducting an investigation to see how sunlight affects the speed of plant growth. They measure the growth of the plant at the end of two weeks. What would be the best way to communicate the results of this investigation?

• Amake a chart or graph
• Bmake some notes
• Ctell the science teacher
• Ddraw a picture

How many chromosomes are in a human sperm cell?

• A12
• B58
• C46
• D23

One year a farmer decided not to plant crops in one of his fields. During that year his farm received a greater amount of precipitation than normal. Which will most likely occur in that unplanted field as a result of the greater precipitation?

• Amore carbon dioxide will be trapped in the field
• Banimals will dig burrows in the field
• Cinvasive species will inhabit the field
• Derosion of topsoil will increase in the field

What is the unit of electrical resistance?

• ATesla
• BMho
• CJoule
• DOhm

A fungus of the Armillaria ostoyae genus, discovered in the Malheur National Forest in the Strawberry Mountains of eastern Oregon, U.S. is often cited as which of these?

• AThe largest living organism
• BThe smallest living organism
• CThe fastest-growing living organism
• DThe oldest living organism

What eventually happens to a species when the environment changes and the organisms do not adapt?

• Aextinction
• Bdevelopment
• Cclassification
• Dregulation