Science Trivia Questions — page 81

Genes are located on chromosomes which are composed of

• AATP.
• BRNA.
• CDNA.
• DADP.

One key physical process in beach formation is wave action. Sand is deposited on beaches as waves break onto the shoreline and the energy from the wave scatters. Which type of energy is most used by wave action to modify the shape of the beaches?

• Achemical
• Bthermal
• Cpotential
• Dmechanical

Which term best describes the movement of water through cell membranes?

• Aosmosis
• Bmitosis
• Ccondensation
• Drespiration

Students design an investigation to study the effect of different surfaces on the speed of a ball rolling down a ramp. Which of these is the independent variable?

• Atime to roll down the ramp
• Bkind of surface on the ramp
• Cdiameter of the ball
• Dmass of the ball

How does an ecosystem benefit when leaves fall from a tree and decompose on the soil?

• ASoil temperature decreases.
• BSoil erosion decreases.
• CNutrients are released into the soil.
• DCarbon dioxide is absorbed by the soil.

Cupid, named after a character in a Shakespearean play and discovered in 2003 with the help of the Hubble telescope, is a small natural satellite of which planet?

• ASaturn
• BNeptune
• CUranus
• DMars

Which is the best conductor of electricity?

• Aair
• Bglass
• Cwood
• Dwater

In the USA, obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death after this one.

• APollution
• BSmoking
• CStress
• DDrugs

Which best explains the importance of nitrogen in the cycling of energy and matter?

• ANitrogen increases the effectiveness of photosynthesis.
• BNitrogen increases protein production in plants.
• CNitrogen decreases the effectiveness of photosynthesis.
• DNitrogen decreases protein production in plants.

In economics, opportunity cost is the difference between the yield that funds and resources earn in one use and the yield they could have earned had they been placed in an alternative investment. Which of these factors has the most impact on opportunity cost?

• AConsumer spending
• BPoverty
• CUnemployment
• DScarcity

A student describes a substance as lacking a definite shape. The description also states that the particles of matter are close to each other but still able to flow past each other. Which type of substance is the student most likely describing?

• Aliquid
• Bcompound
• Cmixture
• Dsolid

Which statement about the Sun is true?

• AThe Sun has the Milky Way and several other galaxies moving in orbits around it.
• BThe Sun is a very large star that exists far from the Milky Way Galaxy.
• CThe Sun is a medium-sized star near the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy.
• DThe Sun is at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.

When building an electrical circuit, which safety precaution should be taken first?

• Ause a new battery
• Bread all directions
• Cwear rubber gloves
• Dclean the electrical wire

Some objects conduct electricity. Which object is the best conductor of electricity?

• Aa rubber eraser
• Ba plastic comb
• Ca wood spoon
• Da metal fork

Who came up with the laws of gravity?

• APythagoras
• BArchimedes
• CNewton
• DEinstein

A student is given a mixture of gravel and sand and instructed to separate them. Which tool should the student use to best complete this task?

• Aa sieve
• Ba scale and weights
• Ca battery and wire
• Da magnet

New engine technology has helped cars get more mileage per gallon of gas. Since gasoline comes from oil, this technology will affect the world supply of oil by

• Adecreasing the amount of oil that exists underground.
• Bextending the time that oil will be available for people to use.
• Cincreasing the need to search for more oil.
• Dreducing the time it takes for oil to be renewed.

Which statement best describes why the Moon is visible from Earth?

• ALight is produced by the Moon.
• BThe Moon reflects light from other planets.
• CThe Moon reflects light from the Sun.
• DLight from Earth illuminates the Moon.

An engineer measured the time it takes sound to travel through samples of different materials. All of the samples were identical in shape and size. The measurements were made using ultrasonic waves with a frequency of 5 megahertz. Which question was the engineer most likely trying to answer?

• ADoes the shape of the medium affect the speed of sound?
• BIn which material does sound travel farthest?
• CIn which material does sound travel fastest?
• DDoes frequency affect the distance sound travels?

What keeps the Moon orbiting Earth?

• AEarth's gravity
• Bthe Sun's gravity
• Cthe Moon's rotation
• DEarth's rotation

Which ability is the most useful for making observations?

• Asenses
• Bcreativity
• Cmemory
• Dimagination

A homeowner wants to use a renewable source of energy to heat the home. Which of these would be the best to use?

• Asolar
• Boil
• Ccoal
• Dgas

Water moves directly from a lake to the air by which of the following processes?

• Asedimentation
• Bevaporation
• Cprecipitation
• Dcondensation

Which demonstrates a chemical change?

• Aa garbage can rusting
• Bwater evaporating from a sidewalk
• Csugar dissolving in water
• Dglass breaking

As a sample of water turns to ice,

• Athe arrangement of the molecules changes.
• Bnew molecules are formed.
• Cenergy is absorbed by the molecules.
• Dthe mass of the sample is increased.

Which type of patient is most likely to have an AV fistula or graft?

• AArthritic
• BDialysis
• CWheelchair-bound
• DHospice

What is the voltage in a circuit with a current of 3 ohms and a total resistance of 12?

• A0.25 V
• B15 V
• C36 V
• D4 V

During which change of state do the particles of a substance move from being tightly packed together to having more freedom of movement?

• Aa gas becoming a solid
• Ba solid becoming a liquid
• Ca gas becoming a liquid
• Da liquid becoming a solid

Which part of th eye captures light rays and converts the rays into electrical impulses?

• ARetina
• BPupil
• CCornea
• DIris

Which tool, when properly used, would best help a student classify a basket of apples into groups based on mass?

• Athermometer
• Bmeter stick
• Cgraduated cylinder
• Dbalance

In humans, the nervous system is divided into a central nervous system and a peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system has two more divisions. The first one is the autonomic nervous system. What is the second one?

• ASympathetic nervous system
• BSomatic nervous system
• CParasympathetic nervous system
• DEnteric nervous system

Leucine is one of the amino acids your body needs but cannot make. Which of these happens so that the human body can obtain leucine?

• AThe body breaks down fatty acids to obtain leucine.
• BThe body digests protein in food to obtain leucine.
• CThe body converts other amino acids to leucine.
• DThe body stores carbohydrates containing leucine.

In economics, the Law of Supply is the direct opposite of the Law of Demand. Which of the following correlations best describes the Law of Supply?

• AThe higher the price, the lower the quantity supplied.
• BIf the price is low, supply will always be inadequate for the demand.
• CThe higher the price, the larger the quantity supplied.
• DIf the price is high, demand will exceed supply.

Many scientists theorize that global warming will melt the polar ice caps. What would most likely happen if the polar ice caps melted?

• AHuman population would increase.
• BOcean levels would increase.
• CGlobal precipitation would decrease.
• DVegetation in water would decrease.

Phytoplankton are plant-like microscopic organisms that float in bodies of water such as the ocean. They take in carbon dioxide during the process of photosynthesis. What would most likely happen if the population of phytoplankton was destroyed?

• AAtmospheric oxygen would increase.
• BGreenhouse gases would increase.
• CSea temperatures would decrease.
• DSea levels would drastically decrease.

In the 1600s Sir Isaac Newton discovered that sunlight is made up of all the colors of the rainbow. What tool did Sir Isaac Newton most likely use to make his discovery?

• AA telescope
• BA mirror
• CA lens
• DA prism

In the water cycle, where does water go after reaching the ocean?

• AThe water sinks to the ocean floor.
• BThe water changes into water vapor.
• CThe water falls from the clouds.
• DThe water flows into a river.

Most volcanoes develop due to interactions between two tectonic plates. Which of the tectonic plate interactions is least likely to produce volcanic activity?

• Atwo diverging continental plates
• Btwo diverging oceanic plates
• Ctwo converging continental plates
• Dtwo converging oceanic plates

When was fibromyalgia recognized as an illness by the American Medical Association?

• Ain the 1960s
• Bin the 1970s
• Cin the 1980s
• Din the 1990s

If your cell phone runs out of power, this gadget will come to the rescue. Just plug it into your mobile phones charging port and turn the crank.

• ANew Cell Phone
• BSOS Charger
• CLithium Battery Generator
• DManual Cranker Battery

Which is the first step in a design process?

• AIdentify possible solutions.
• BRevise the solution.
• CDescribe the problem.
• DTest the possible solutions.

Deposition of sediment during floods makes the land near some rivers

• Aacidic.
• Bfertile.
• Chilly.
• Dunstable.

Animal foods generally contain more saturated fats that plant foods.

• AYes
• BNo

Which of these is a threat to the survival of an ecosystem?

• Aa shrinking variety of animal and plant species
• Bcompetition among some consumer populations
• Cless biomass at higher levels of the food web
• Dpredator-prey population cycles

What type of cells are Betz cells that are found in the human body?

• AStriated muscle cells
• BMelanocytes
• CEpithelial cells
• DNeurons

Which is a basic structure found in all living organisms?

• Aelement
• Bcell
• Ccompound
• Dorgan

Which statement describes how energy can be helpful?

• AA fire burns down a house.
• BElectricity heats an oven.
• CThe wind blows down a sign.
• DLightning strikes a building.

Changes to Earth's surface can happen slowly or quickly. Which of these changes happens the most quickly?

• Aa mountain eroding to a hill
• Ba river making a delta
• Ca storm moving a sandbar
• Da glacier making a canyon

It takes approximately 365 days for

• Athe Moon to orbit around Earth.
• Bthe Sun to orbit around Earth.
• CEarth to orbit around the Sun.
• DEarth to orbit around the Moon.

A mouse's rate of carbon dioxide output increased. Which of the following most likely happened?

• AThe mouse went to sleep.
• BThe mouse ate some food.
• CThe mouse started running.
• DThe mouse detected an odor.