Science Trivia Questions — page 159

Which body of water has the fewest plants and animals living in it?

• Aglacier
• Bestuary
• Cocean
• Dstream

Which stage of the virus life-cycle restricts it to infecting only a certain species (or group) of organisms?

• AAssembly of viral particles
• BReplication of the viral DNA or RNA
• CAttachment to host
• DRelease of viral particles

Which of these is an example of an endothermic process?

• Afirst-aid instant cold pack
• Bgasoline-burning car engine
• Cglowing light stick
• Dfireworks display

If a prescription has the terms NS and OS written on it, what does this probably mean?

• AYou have really bad dandruff.
• BYou need an IV.
• CYou have an eye problem.
• DYou can't get more of your ulcer medication.

Sometimes, large meteoroids enter the atmosphere of Earth and reach the ground. Scientists identify possible impact sites when they find

• Acarbon deposits.
• Bbowl-shaped craters.
• Cstrike-slip faults.
• Dvolcanic materials.

The chemical reaction of ethane and oxygen produces carbon dioxide and water. Which is the best form to identify reactants and products of the reaction?

• Aa graph
• Ba diagram
• Ca table
• Dan equation

For a few seconds after exposure to strong light we continue to see the shape of the light source even after we don't look at it any more. What are these fleeting images in our brain called?

• APrintouts
• BPreimages
• CAfterimages
• DEchoimages

What causes a person to have blue eyes?

• Ahaving a brother or sister with blue eyes
• Beating foods high in protein at a young age
• Creceiving a gene for blue eyes from each parent
• Dbeing overexposed to the Sun at a young age

The implementation of MPAs is one way to protect the coral reefs from destruction. What does MPA stand for in this context?

• AMagnetospheric Plasma Analyzer
• BMarine Protected Area
• CMarine Preservation Act
• DMammal Protection Act

The first telescopes were invented hundreds of years ago. Which was discovered as a result of this invention?

• Athe parts of a plant that perform photosynthesis
• Bthe bacteria that causes disease
• Cthe moons of Jupiter
• Dthe deep-sea trenches in the ocean

Does the myocardium receive stimulation from the nervous system for its contractions?

• AYes
• BNo

Stacey picks apples and puts them in a basket. When she puts her basket on a scale, the scale reads two kilograms (kg). What property is Stacey measuring?

• Aheight
• Btemperature
• Cweight
• Dvolume

The subject that studies the solution of a system of linear inequalities is called Linear Programming. Which of these men was most instrumental in its development?

• AGeorge B. Dantzig
• BAlfred Whitehead
• CSir Isaac Barrow
• DSir Isaac Newton

Free-fall is defined as a condition in which a falling object experiences acceleration due only to gravity. Therefore, in this case, the only weight acting on an object is its own weight. Which of the following is not an example of an object in free-fall?

• AA skydiver with an open parachute
• BA space shuttle with the rockets off
• CThe Earths orbit around the Sun
• DA feather falling through a vacuum tube

The force of gravitational attraction between Earth and any object on Earth is measured as

• Adensity.
• Bmass.
• Cweight.
• Dvolume.

Which tool would be best for students to use to observe and measure plant cells?

• Ahand lens
• Btriple-beam balance
• Cmetric ruler
• Dmicroscope

The surface of this planet is unique, it is the only one which has water in large quantities.

• APluto
• BSaturn
• CMars
• DEarth

Which of the following is a necessary condition for a lunar eclipse to occur?

• AThe Moon must be full.
• BThe Moon must be waxing.
• CIt must be winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
• DIt must be the beginning of the month.

Which process in the water cycle returns water to the atmosphere?

• Aprecipitation
• Bevaporation
• Ccondensation
• Dtranspiration

Which function do kidneys provide to maintain homeostasis?

• Athe removal of excess heat from the body
• Bthe removal of excess oxygen from the blood
• Cthe removal of carbon dioxide from the body
• Dthe removal of nitrogenous wastes from the blood

Some of Earth's water is stored underground in porous rock formations known as aquifers. Which of these could use up groundwater in aquifers?

• Acommunity water conservation
• Bdams on the lower Mississippi
• Cabundant rain in the Ozarks
• Dexcessive pumping from wells

When do mutations help make an ecosystem more sustainable?

• Awhen mutations increase the number of individuals in an ecosystem
• Bwhen mutations decrease the number of individuals in an ecosystem
• Cwhen mutations increase the number of species in an ecosystem
• Dwhen mutations decrease the number of species in an ecosystem

What is FireWire?

• Aa peer to peer sharing website for music and file sharing
• Ba movie
• Ca quality mouse by Logitech
• Da method of transporting data between two digital devices

A ship has a satellite communication device to identify the ship's position at sea. For which of the following activities is this device most likely used?

• Aguidance
• Bcontrol
• Csuspension
• Dpropulsion

Melinda looked out of her window one night and saw a very bright star just over the top of a tree. Late that night she looked out and the star was gone. Which BEST explains what happened?

• ASome stars move faster than others.
• BEarth turns so the stars seem to move.
• CSome stars only shine for a few hours each night.
• DThe star must have burned up.

The first step in the construction of a building typically involves

• Aservicing the structure.
• Bclearing the land.
• Csetting the foundation.
• Dinstalling utilities.

The soundtrack for which of these movies does not include the popular song Blue Moon, written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart?

• ANotting Hill
• BBitter Moon
• CGrease
• DBlue Moon (2002)

On cold days, snakes usually lie very still and eat little or nothing, while birds usually move around and eat a lot of food. Which statement best explains this?

• AUnlike birds, snakes are warm-blooded; they must hibernate during cold weather.
• BUnlike snakes, birds are cold-blooded; they are less affected by the cold than snakes.
• CUnlike snakes, birds are warm-blooded; they must eat food to maintain a constant temperature.
• DBoth animals are cold-blooded, but without feathers to keep warm, snakes get too cold to move.

This element, when overcome with extreme heat and pressure, creates diamonds.

• ANitrogen
• BHydrogen
• CCarbon
• DOxygen

As a warm moist air mass moving northward collides with a strong cold air mass moving southward, what observations will most likely be made?

• AClouds begin to form.
• BTemperatures increase.
• CWinds die down.
• DThick fog develops.

In the oxygen cycle, which group of organisms replenishes a large portion of the atmospheric oxygen supply?

• Afungi
• Binsects
• Cmammals
• Dplants

This property of the cell membrane allows allows some particles to cross more easily than others.

• ASelective permeability
• BDiscriminative passage
• CSemi-permeability
• DSemi-discriminative

A main function of a plant's seed is to

• Atake in light energy to be used during photosynthesis
• Bstore food to be used during early development
• Cattract pollen to be used during development
• Dproduce chlorophyll to be used during photosynthesis

Two boxes, A and B, both contain the same number of nitrogen gas molecules. The gas molecules in box A have twice the average speed of the molecules in box B. Which of the following best describes the nitrogen gas in box A?

• AThe nitrogen gas in box A has a greater density than the nitrogen gas in box B.
• BThe nitrogen gas in box A has a greater specific gravity than the nitrogen gas in box B.
• CThe nitrogen gas in box A has a greater temperature than the nitrogen gas in box B.
• DThe nitrogen gas in box A has a greater mass than the nitrogen gas in box B.

Dry ice is the solid form of what substance?

• AOxygen
• BAmmonia
• CCarbon dioxide
• DNitrogen

When scientists publish papers describing the results and conclusions of their experiments, members of the scientific community should

• Aevaluate the evidence in the paper.
• Baccept the paper as fact.
• Cask the writer to write an alternate paper.
• Dcollect their own data and rewrite the paper.

Signs in many stores and restaurants warn that microwaves are in use. What is the main reason for this warning?

• ASome people have pacemakers that may be affected by microwaves.
• BSome people do not like food cooked in microwave ovens.
• CMicrowaves sometimes affect people's sense of sight.
• DMicrowaves sometimes cause hair or teeth to fall out.

A scientist observes that both birds and snakes in the same ecosystem depend on the same mouse species as a food source. The relationship between the birds and the snakes is an example of

• Amutualism.
• Bpredation.
• Ccommensalism.
• Dcompetition.

Which is the correct order of the metamorphosis of a butterfly?

• Aegg, adult, larva, pupa
• Begg, pupa, larva, adult
• Cegg, larva, pupa, adult
• Degg, larva, adult, pupa

The baobab, a genus of trees typical for arid areas, is known to be used by Indigenous Australians as a source of water, food and medical remedy. In the 1890s however, a large, hollow baobab located near Derby, Western Australia was adapted for what usage?

• ATown hall
• BWarehouse
• CKindergarten
• DPrison

Some birds fly south in the fall and return in the spring. This is an example of

• Amigration
• Bhibernation
• Ccamouflage
• Dgrowth

A longitudinal wave, such as a sound wave, can travel through

• Asolids only.
• Bgas and a vacuum only.
• Cliquids only.
• Dgas, liquids, and solids.

What is the main function of photosynthetic cells within a plant?

• Ato allow the passage of carbon dioxide into the plant
• Bto convert energy from sunlight into food energy
• Cto break down sugar into usable chemicals
• Dto change oxygen into carbon dioxide

If you flip a fair coin three times what is the probability you will get three heads ?

• Aone out of six
• Bone out of eight
• Cthree out of eight
• Done out of three

Some antibiotics used to treat infections in humans are also used to treat chickens, but some groups oppose this practice. The overuse of the antibiotics will most likely influence the natural selection of which type of organisms?

• Achickens that are resistant to infection
• Bmicrobes that are susceptible to the antibiotics
• Cmicrobes that are resistant to the antibiotics
• Dchickens that naturally make the antibiotics

This microscope part supports the glass slide and the specimen.

• AStage clip
• BDraw tube
• CArm
• DRevolving nose piece

Which type of energy conversion occurs in a flashlight?

• Amechanical to light
• Belectrical to chemical
• Cchemical to light
• Dmechanical to chemical

An earthworm was placed on top of a thick layer of moist topsoil in a pan. The pan was placed in a room with the lights on. How did the earthworm most likely respond to these conditions?

• Aby burrowing under the soil
• Bby trying to crawl out of the pan
• Cby crawling around in the pan
• Dby staying where it was placed

What can scientists learn about the past by studying sedimentary rocks?

• Ahow animals made a shelter
• Bhow a species changed over time
• Cthe color of leaves on a plant
• Dthe number of chambers in a dinosaur's heart

Current moving through a circuit is stopped with a

• Abulb.
• Bwire.
• Cswitch.
• Dbattery.