Science Trivia Questions — page 71

Gastro is a common medical prefix, derived from the Greek word gastros which means what?

• ABrain
• BStomach
• CCell
• DGas

Maria collected the gas given off by a glowing piece of charcoal. The gas was then bubbled through a small amount of colorless limewater. Part of Maria's report stated, "After the gas was put into the jar, the limewater gradually changed to a milky white color." This statement is

• Aa generalization
• Ban observation
• Ca hypothesis
• Dan assumption of the investigation
• Ea conclusion

Which of the following components of the atom is not considered an elementary particle?

• AElectron
• BProton
• CQuark
• DGluon

The building of houses in Maryland uses many different materials. Which building material is made of a renewable natural resource?

• Awood boards
• Bcopper wire
• Csteel beams
• Dplastic siding

The burning of fossil fuels in cities results in high levels of air pollution. Which urban design would best help reduce air pollution?

• Anumerous park areas
• Bfrequent trash recycling
• Ceffective street lighting
• Defficient public transportation

Why is it difficult to create a terrarium ecosystem that will last a long time without human help?

• AAll ecosystems require thoughtful human management.
• BTerrarium ecosystems cannot get enough sunlight.
• CTerrarium ecosystems cannot get enough oxygen.
• DEcosystems with few species are weak and unstable.

The transfer of a section of DNA from one organism into the DNA of another organism by scientists is called

• Agenetic engineering
• Bselective breeding
• Cnatural selection
• Dinternal fertilization

The removal of plant material, such as grass clippings, would most likely affect an ecosystem by

• Aincreasing the accumulation of organic materials.
• Bdecreasing the potential for soil erosion.
• Cincreasing the food available for consumers.
• Ddecreasing the nutrients available for new plants.

Which two protein molecules are essential for muscle contraction and relaxation?

• Aactin and myosin
• Bcollagen and tubulin
• Chemoglobin and myoglobin
• Damylase and polymerase

A student sees many plants around a pond. The student can determine which plants are nonvascular by

• Acounting the number of leaves on each stalk
• Bnoticing if the plants are near rocks
• Cexamining the plants for spores
• Dobserving if they lack true stems, roots, or leaves

Some one-celled organisms can reproduce by the process of

• Acell division
• Bfertilization
• Chormone secretion
• Dmetamorphosis

In New York State, the longest period of daylight occurs during which month?

• ASeptember
• BDecember
• CMarch
• DJune

There are twelve apples on a table. You take four. How many apples do you have now?

• A8
• B12
• C0
• D4

In a large forest with many animals, there are only a small number of bears. Which of these most likely limits the population of bears in the forest?

• Aamount of suitable shelter
• Bsupply of food
• Ctype of tree
• Dpredation by carnivores

After fossils are formed, which process is most likely to destroy them?

• Athe carbon cycle
• Bthe nitrogen cycle
• Cthe water cycle
• Dthe rock cycle

A student ran around a circular track. Which statement best describes the motion of the student while running?

• AThe speed was constant.
• BThe velocity was constant.
• CThe velocity was always changing.
• DThe speed was always changing.

What is the MAJOR cause of acid rain?

• Aevaporation of polluted water
• Bsulfur combining with water vapor in the atmosphere
• Cjet airplane exhaust high in the sky
• Dsmelting ore

The texture of soil depends primarily on the

• Amass of the soil.
• Bwater in the soil.
• Cvegetation growing in the soil.
• Dcomposition of the soil.

Which is the most important reason for scientists to publish their data and findings that result from a scientific investigation?

• Ato gain respect from their peers in the scientific community
• Bto get paid for their research
• Cto become famous
• Dto allow other scientists to try to replicate their results

When a balloon is filled with air and suddenly released, it will fly around the room as the air escapes. If compared to space transportation, the escaping air is most similar to what subsystem of a spacecraft?

• Aguidance
• Bsuspension
• Csupport
• Dpropulsion

When butterfly eggs hatch, the young are called ___.

• Acaterpillars
• Bworms
• Ccocoons
• Dlittle butterflies

In a meadow ecosystem, mice receive most of the energy they need to survive directly from which of the following sources?

• Aplants
• Bminerals
• Coxygen
• Dwater

Which disease is treated by Synthroid (levothyroxine)?

• AMultiple Sclerosis
• BHypothyroidism
• CErectile Dysfunction
• DCongestive Heart Failure

Which structural characteristic is present in a paramecium that is not present in an amoeba?

• Acytoskeleton
• Bcell wall
• Ccytoplasm
• Dpellicle

Students are studying the classifications of stars and they learned that the majority of stars are similar to the Sun. What can the students conclude knowing that most of the stars in the galaxy are like the Sun?

• AMost of the stars are main sequence stars.
• BMost of the stars are protostars.
• CMost of the stars are red giants.
• DMost of the stars will become black holes.

Which of these is found in all organisms?

• Aa cell
• Ba tissue
• Can organ system
• Dan organ

To which of the following phenomena do humans contribute the least?

• Aair pollution
• Bdeforestation
• Csoil erosion
• Dplate tectonics

Which two environmental changes usually cause certain animals to migrate?

• Achange of season and fewer predators
• Bchange of season and less food
• Closs of habitat and more food
• Dloss of habitat and fewer predators

What is the speed of light in a vacuum?

• A308,215,043 m/s
• B50,461 m/s
• C299,792,458 m/s
• D751,665,014,151 m/s

When nitrogen-rich runoff from farms enters a nearby farm, it causes abundant growth of algal mat on the pond surface. As a result, underwater plants in the pond begin to die. Identify the limiting factor that is most responsible for causing the underwater plants to die.

• Anitrogen
• Bsunlight
• Ccarbon dioxide
• Doxygen

A star is a large astronomical body that

• Acondenses light.
• Breflects light.
• Cabsorbs light.
• Demits light.

The botanical term bonsai, deriving from Japanese, refers to which of these?

• AA region in Japan where miniature trees grow
• BA type of fertilizer that reduces the size of trees
• CA species of miniature trees
• DA technique for miniature growing trees

One example of matter is

• Aheat
• Bsound
• Cwater
• Dlight

A toy car rolls at a constant speed down a straight inclined track. When the car reaches the flat surface at the base of the inclined track, the speed of the car decreases. Which statement best explains why the speed of the car decreases when it reaches the flat surface?

• AThe force of gravity acting on the car decreases.
• BThe force of gravity acting on the car increases.
• CThe forces influencing the car are balanced.
• DThe forces influencing the car are not balanced.

During a presentation on astronomy, Professor Williams discussed various measurements in space. Which objects was she referring to when she talked about how astronomical units (AU) were determined?

• Athe inner and outer planets
• Bthe Sun and the closest star
• Cthe Sun and Earth
• Dthe Moon and Earth

Which change is the best example of a physical change?

• Apaper burning
• Ba cookie baking
• Cice cream melting
• Da nail rusting

Animals use resources in the environment to survive. Which of the following resources does an animal use for energy?

• Afood
• Bshelter
• Cair
• Dwater

The symptoms of influenza infection are partly caused by the

• Arapid genetic mutation in infected cells.
• Brelease of toxins by viral particles.
• Cbody's inflammatory response to infected cells.
• Dconsumption of the body's energy resources by viruses.

People often use a mixture of salt and water to clean contact lenses. Which statement best describes this mixture?

• ASalt is the solvent and water is the solute.
• BSalt is the solute and water is the solvent.
• CSalt is the solvent and water is the solution.
• DSalt is the solution and water is the solvent.

The formula X + ZY -> XZ + Y shows that

• AZY has decomposed into two smaller compounds.
• BY has changed into a new compound.
• CX and Y bonded into a more complex molecule.
• DX is a more reactive compound than Y.

Plant and animal life cycles are alike because they both

• Ahave beginning, growing, and mature stages.
• Bresemble their parents from the beginning stages.
• Crequire the same amount of time.
• Dbegin as eggs.

What keeps the Earth in orbit around the Sun?

• Ainertia of the moon
• Blocation of earth's orbit
• Cspeed of Earth's rotation
• DSun's gravitational pull

A snowball is made the exact size of a golf ball. Both the golf ball and the snowball are dropped from the same height onto a concrete sidewalk. The snowball breaks, but the golf ball bounces. Which of the following best describes a reason for the difference in reaction of the two balls?

• AThe snowball is less dense then the golf ball.
• BThe effects of Earth's gravity are greater on the snowball.
• CThe snowball is colder than the golf ball.
• DThe effects of friction are greater on the golf ball.

Beth and Juan made dough by combining sugar, butter, flour, and salt. Which term best describes the dough?

• Aa compound
• Ban element
• Ca solution
• Da mixture

What is the atomic mass of Carbon?

• A12
• B14
• C10
• D16

Blood absorbs oxygen in the

• Aheart.
• Blungs.
• Cmuscles.
• Dstomach.

In plants, what is responsible for passing traits from one generation to the next?

• Aphotosynthesis
• Bchloroplasts
• Cgenes
• Droots

How does a balanced chemical equation satisfy the Law of Conservation of Mass?

• ADuring a chemical reaction, the total number of atoms increases.
• BDuring a chemical reaction, one or more new substances are formed.
• CDuring a chemical reaction, matter is destroyed.
• DDuring a chemical reaction, the total amount of matter stays the same.

Which line contains only names of people who have or had AIDS?

• AJim Morrison, Bob Marley
• BFreddie Mercury, Jimi Hendrix
• CMagic Johnson, Isaac Asimov
• DTony Richardson, Kurt Cobain

The interaction of the skeletal and muscular systems to produce locomotion is coordinated by which human body system?

• Aexcretory
• Bcirculatory
• Cnervous
• Drespiratory