Question 1

A cook heats a meal in a microwave oven. What energy transformations occur between the microwave oven and the meal?

Accepted Answer

Electrical energy → electromagnetic energy → thermal energy

Answer

Chemical energy → thermal energy → light energy

Answer

Chemical energy → electromagnetic energy → chemical energy

Answer

Electrical energy → light energy → chemical energy

Question 2

Students were asked to identify the location of elements in the periodic table based on clues printed on game cards. Based on the data, which periodic table shows the correct location of the four elements?

Accepted Answer

#texas/ebf4b61e-8fbe-4c0b-9c17-489e5d067b7d/B.png

Answer

#texas/ebf4b61e-8fbe-4c0b-9c17-489e5d067b7d/A.png

Answer

#texas/ebf4b61e-8fbe-4c0b-9c17-489e5d067b7d/C.png

Answer

#texas/ebf4b61e-8fbe-4c0b-9c17-489e5d067b7d/D.png

Question 3

Rift valleys can form when fractures in Earth’s crust widen. The valley walls slowly move at a rate of only a few millimeters a year. Which of these best describes the type of tectonic activity that forms rift valleys?

Accepted Answer

Rift valleys form where two plates move away from each other.

Answer

Rift valleys form where a continental plate moves under an oceanic plate.

Answer

Rift valleys form where a plate slides horizontally past another plate.

Answer

Rift valleys form where an oceanic plate moves under another oceanic plate.

Question 4

Part of a human body system is pictured. The main function of this system is to —

Accepted Answer

remove waste

Answer

transport oxygen

Answer

control reproduction

Answer

produce hormones

Question 5

A student learns that the sun is classified as a medium-size star and that many stars are much bigger and brighter. However, the student observes that other stars look very dim, even through a telescope.

Why do other stars look much dimmer than the sun?

Accepted Answer

The sun is much closer to Earth than other stars are.

Answer

Other stars are made up of different gases than the sun is.

Answer

The sun appears yellow, which is more visible than other colors.

Answer

As light from other stars travels through space, it gets reflected.

Question 6

A partial mountain forest food web is shown. Which statement does NOT describe a relationship shown in the food web?

Accepted Answer

Rabbits consume shrubs and are parasites of grasses.

Answer

Mice are herbivores that consume grasses and are preyed on by snakes.

Answer

Owls prey on rabbits and frogs.

Answer

Elk are prey for mountain lions.

Question 7

A bicycle rider is traveling up a hill. When the rider reaches the top of the hill, she stops to rest. Then she travels down the hill. The diagram shows the rider in the three different positions. Which of these correctly describes the potential energy and the kinetic energy of the bicycle rider?

Accepted Answer

When the rider is at the top of the hill, her potential energy is the greatest, and her kinetic energy is the least.

Answer

As the rider reaches the bottom of the hill, her kinetic energy and her potential energy decrease.

Answer

When the rider goes down the hill, her potential energy increases, and her kinetic energy decreases.

Answer

As the rider moves up the hill, her kinetic energy increases, and her potential energy decreases.

Question 8

The diagram below shows four consecutive moon phases. Which of the following diagrams shows the next four moon phases in the correct order?

Accepted Answer

#texas/632248c6-9808-4d50-9821-679b75a3a423/B.png

Answer

#texas/632248c6-9808-4d50-9821-679b75a3a423/C.png

Answer

#texas/632248c6-9808-4d50-9821-679b75a3a423/D.png

Answer

#texas/632248c6-9808-4d50-9821-679b75a3a423/A.png

Question 9

A scientist added bacteria and a nutrient medium that could support the growth of the bacteria to a sterilized petri dish. No other materials were added. The graph models growth of the bacteria over time. Which of these most likely explains why the bacterial population stopped growing?

Accepted Answer

The bacteria competed for nutrients and died after all the nutrients were consumed.

Answer

The bacteria mutated from photosynthetic to carnivorous organisms and consumed one another until all the individuals were dead.

Answer

The bacteria became diseased and were unable to survive in the closed system.

Answer

The bacteria did not reproduce in the system, and eventually each individual died at the end of its life cycle.

Question 10

Which statement correctly describes the location and charge of the electrons in an atom?

Accepted Answer

The electrons are outside the nucleus and have a negative charge.

Answer

The electrons are inside the nucleus and have a negative charge.

Answer

The electrons are inside the nucleus and have no charge.

Answer

The electrons are outside the nucleus and have no charge.

Question 11

An archer shot a 0.06 kg arrow at a target. The arrow accelerated at 5,000 m/s$^2$ to reach a speed of 50.0 m/s as it left the bow. During this acceleration, what was the net force on the arrow to the nearest newton?  Be sure to use the correct place value.

Accepted Answer

300

Question 12

A student’s model of an area near a city depicts many activities that affect the quality of the water in the area. How does the agricultural activity most likely affect the surface water of the area?

Accepted Answer

Excess crop fertilizer is carried by runoff into the river, causing excess growth of water plants.

Answer

Excess crop material accumulates on the riverbanks, slowing the movement of the river water

Answer

Crops absorb pure water from soil, causing the remaining water to contain more salt.

Answer

Crops reduce erosion, increasing the amount of soil entering the river.

Question 13

The table lists some compounds found in foods and their formulas. Based on this information, which of these statements is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A molecule of lactose contains twice as many atoms as a molecule of fructose does.

Answer

A molecule of lactose contains twice as many carbon atoms as a molecule of sorbitol does.

Answer

A molecule of fructose contains four more atoms than a molecule of glutamine does.

Answer

A molecule of sorbitol contains three more oxygen atoms than a molecule of glutamine does.

Question 14

The diagram below shows parts of a cell. Which organelle stores the information that determines an individual’s blood type?

Accepted Answer

Organelle 1

Answer

Organelle 2

Answer

Organelle 4

Answer

Organelle 3

Question 15

The unusual strength of a glue makes it able to hold a heavy object, or load, as shown in the diagram below. If the load exerts a strong downward force, the glue —

Accepted Answer

exerts an upward force that is equal to the downward force

Answer

causes the load to accelerate upward

Answer

destroys the force

Answer

exerts a stronger downward force

Question 16

In November 2013 an object orbiting the sun seemed to disappear behind the sun. When a satellite did not detect the object, astronomers thought that the object had been destroyed when it passed close to the sun. However, when another satellite detected a small, bright object with a fan-shaped tail, astronomers proposed that the object was not destroyed.

What type of object were astronomers most likely observing?

Accepted Answer

A comet

Answer

A nebula

Answer

A meteor

Answer

An asteroid

Question 17

A few years ago the population of male blue moon butterflies on the island of Samoa declined. One hypothesis for the decline of the male butterflies is that a parasite infected the cells of female butterflies. The parasite was passed to offspring through the females’ eggs and killed the male butterfly embryos. At one point during the decline, nearly all the butterflies in the population were females, but after five years the number of males in the population increased significantly.

Which explanation most likely accounts for the increase in the number of male butterflies in the five years after the initial parasite problem?

Accepted Answer

Male butterflies in the population that survived had a gene that made them resistant to the parasite, and they passed the gene on to their offspring.

Answer

Female butterflies in the population that survived had a genetic adaptation that allowed them to transform into male butterflies.

Answer

Female butterflies in the population that survived were able to protect the male eggs from the parasite and provide extra care for the male offspring.

Answer

Male butterflies in the population that survived were able to prey on the parasites living in the females’ egg cells.

Question 18

Students in a science class made ball-and-stick models of the substances they were studying. The key shows the elements the students used in their models.

Which model represents an organic compound?

Accepted Answer

#texas/62c6244f-5fe8-458c-9627-41b7ee665660/D.png

Answer

#texas/62c6244f-5fe8-458c-9627-41b7ee665660/C.png

Answer

#texas/62c6244f-5fe8-458c-9627-41b7ee665660/A.png

Answer

#texas/62c6244f-5fe8-458c-9627-41b7ee665660/B.png

Question 19

DDT is a pesticide that was once widely used to control agricultural pests and mosquitoes. However&#44; this pesticide caused the eggshells of certain birds&#44; including the brown pelican&#44; to become fragile and thin. The adults would then accidentally crush the eggs while trying to incubate them.                                                                                                                                                                      What happened to brown pelican populations as a result of DDT use by humans?

Accepted Answer

The populations decreased as fewer eggs survived long enough to hatch.

Answer

The populations increased as pelicans laid more eggs so that more offspring would survive.

Answer

The populations increased much more slowly.

Answer

The populations remained stable over time.

Question 20

The satellite image below shows a portion of the Namib Desert in Africa. This is an ancient, sandy desert with dunes that can be up to 305 m tall. The Namib Desert extends inland from the Atlantic Ocean between 80 km and 200 km and receives only 5 mm to 76 mm of rain each year. A satellite picture of this same area taken weeks before shows that the shape and location of some sand dunes have changed. Which of these most likely caused the changes in the dunes?

Accepted Answer

Blowing wind

Answer

Crustal uplift

Answer

Ocean waves

Answer

Flowing rivers

Question 21

A student listed how different parts of the body work to aid in the digestion of food. Which of the following is a chemical change that occurs to the food?

Accepted Answer

The breakdown of molecules of food by enzymes and acid in the stomach

Answer

None of the above

Answer

The reduction in size of food particles as food is chewed

Answer

The movement of food to the stomach after food is swallowed

Question 22

A meteor moving $468\ km$ per minute traveling in a south-to-north direction passed near Earth in 2013. Because the meteor was only $45\ m$ wide and was $27,700\ km$ above Earth’s surface, it was not visible without the aid of a telescope.

Which statement describes the meteor’s motion?

Accepted Answer

Its velocity was

7.8\ km/s

northward.

Answer

Its speed was

7.8\ km/s

northward.

Answer

Its acceleration was

7.8\ km/s

Answer

Its acceleration was

7.8\ km/s

Question 23

A chemist made the table below to record some atomic properties of four elements. Based on the information in the table, which conclusion about the chemical reactivity of these elements is valid?

Accepted Answer

Fluorine is the most reactive because it has 7 electrons in the outer shell.

Answer

Gallium is the most reactive because it has many more neutrons than protons.

Answer

Boron is the most reactive because it has the most protons.

Answer

Silicon is the most reactive because it has an equal number of protons and neutrons.

Question 24

Students in a science class in Marfa, Texas, made a poster with a diagram to represent a seasonal change in the Northern Hemisphere. Which statement best describes conditions for Earth at Position 1 in the diagram?

Accepted Answer

The Northern Hemisphere has the fewest hours of daylight, and the North Pole is tilted away from the sun.

Answer

There are an equal number of hours of daylight and nighttime in the Northern Hemisphere, and the North Pole is tilted away from the sun.

Answer

There are an equal number of hours of daylight and nighttime in the Northern Hemisphere because Earth’s axis is not tilted in this position.

Answer

The Northern Hemisphere has the fewest hours of daylight, and Earth’s axis does not tilt at this position.

Question 25

Two forces are applied to a

7.8\ km/s

box, as shown. The box is on a smooth surface. Which statement best describes the acceleration of the box?

Accepted Answer

The box accelerates at

7.8\ km/s

to the right because the net force is

17 \,N

to the right.

Answer

The box accelerates at

7.8\ km/s

because the combined forces cause the box to accelerate.

Answer

The box does not accelerate, because neither force is large enough to move the box.

Answer

The box accelerates at

7.8\ km/s

to the right because the greater force is to the right.

Question 26

A silver ring reacts with compounds containing sulfur in the air to form silver sulfide, a black substance that makes up the tarnish on the surface of silver objects. To remove the tarnish from the ring, students placed it in a pan lined with aluminum foil and added hot water. Baking soda was added to the hot water and stirred. Students made observations about the process. Which observation of this process provides evidence of a chemical reaction?

Accepted Answer

The liquid solution changed color.

Answer

The pan was lined with aluminum foil.

Answer

The hot water cooled.

Answer

Hot water heated the aluminum foil.

Question 27

Students in a science class visited four local ecosystems. The students observed the species present in each ecosystem and recorded their observations in the table. Based on these observations, which ecosystem is likely to be the least sustainable?

Accepted Answer

Ecosystem 1, because it has the fewest species

Answer

Ecosystem 3, because it has few predators

Answer

Ecosystem 4, because it supports many animals

Answer

Ecosystem 2, because it includes both aquatic and terrestrial species

Question 28

The map shows some of Earth’s plate tectonic boundaries. Based on the map, volcanic activity would most likely be found at —

Accepted Answer

Location Z

Answer

Location X

Answer

Location W

Answer

Location Y

Question 29

A golfer collected data on the distance a golf cart traveled in a straight line and plotted it on a graph. Which of these does NOT describe the cart’s motion on this graph?

Accepted Answer

The cart moved

7.8\ km/s

toward the starting point between

17 \,N

and

10\ s.

Answer

The cart moved away from the starting point at a speed of

7.8\ km/s

for

17 \,N

Answer

The cart moved

7.8\ km/s

away from the starting point between

17 \,N

and

10\ s.

Answer

The cart moved toward the starting point at a speed of

7.8\ km/s

between

17 \,N

and

10\ s.

Question 30

Which pair of properties describes the elements in Group 18?

Accepted Answer

They are gaseous at room temperature and chemically stable.

Answer

They are magnetic and boil at low temperatures.

Answer

They have eight valence electrons and are flammable.

Answer

They are chemically stable and liquid at room temperature.

Question 31

Two friends want to go for a night hike when there is a full moon in July. If there is a third-quarter moon on July 2, what is the approximate date of the next full moon?

Accepted Answer

July 23

Answer

July 9

Answer

July 30

Answer

July 16

Question 32

What is the total number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in a cadmium, Cd, atom that has a mass number of 112?

Be sure to use the correct place value.

Accepted Answer

160

Question 33

Which of the following is most likely to cause a change in the genetic traits in an isolated population of a ground-dwelling lizard species?

Accepted Answer

The introduction of an invasive predator that preys on the brightest-colored individuals in the lizard population

Answer

The exposure of an individual lizard in the population to radiation that causes a mutation that is not passed on to its offspring

Answer

A fast-moving wildfire that burns the canopy of the trees in the lizard population’s ecosystem

Answer

An unusually dry summer in the lizard population’s ecosystem

Question 34

A student kicks a soccer ball three times. Another student records the distance, the amount of time the ball travels, and the average speed in the table shown below.

How many seconds did it take for the ball to travel 30 m during Kick 3?

Accepted Answer

2.0 s

Answer

1.5 s

Answer

1.0 s

Answer

0.5 s

Question 35

A coastal area that once supported a thriving fishing industry is overfished. The number of species found living in the marine ecosystem decreases. Which of these activities is most likely to increase the natural biodiversity in the area?

Accepted Answer

Building artificial reefs and limiting fishing activity

Answer

Introducing non-native species to fill unoccupied habitats and banning fishing

Answer

Eliminating non-native species and encouraging fishing for large predatory fish

Answer

Building artificial reefs and increasing fishing activity

Question 36

A manufacturer selected a metal to use in producing a lightweight button for clothing. A metal that has a density of

7.8\ km/s

was selected. Which of the metals was selected?

Accepted Answer

Metal 4

Answer

Metal 2

Answer

Metal 3

Answer

Metal 1

Question 37

In 2011, Typhoon Nesat struck the Philippines and caused widespread flooding. After hitting the Philippines, Typhoon Nesat was predicted to hit the large city of Hanoi, Vietnam.

If Typhoon Nesat had continued along the same path, which development would most likely have reduced its strength before it hit Hanoi?

Accepted Answer

Cool water moving into the sea east of Hanoi

Answer

Warm water moving into the sea east of Hanoi

Answer

The formation of a low-pressure area south of Bangkok

Answer

The formation of a high-pressure area south of Bangkok

Question 38

A partial marine food web is shown. Which organisms all consume the same producer?

Accepted Answer

Euphausiids, sweeps, water fleas

Answer

Tiger sharks, dolphins, octopuses

Answer

Crabs, pilchards, blennies

Answer

Sea urchins, crabs, octopuses

Question 39

Barnard’s Star is about $468\ km$ light-years from the sun. The star has an approximate temperature of $45\ m$

Based on the diagram, what spectral class does Barnard’s Star belong to?

Accepted Answer

Spectral class M

Answer

Spectral class O

Answer

Spectral class B

Answer

Spectral class A

Question 40

A leaf fell from a tree branch. The path it followed is shown in the diagram below. Which of these best describes why the leaf fell in a crooked path instead of straight down?

Accepted Answer

Air currents and gravity applied changing and unbalanced forces to the leaf.

Answer

The upward force of the air on the leaf was greater than the downward force of gravity.

Answer

Once the leaf was in motion, it continued moving in the same direction because the forces were balanced.

Answer

Objects with irregular shapes never fall in straight lines.

Question 41

The strangler fig is a vine that starts out as a seed in the tree canopy of the rain forest. It drops its roots down from the canopy to the forest floor. By sprouting in the rain-forest canopy, the strangler fig seedling is exposed to more —

Accepted Answer

sunlight

Answer

soil

Answer

nutrients

Answer

consumers

Question 42

A student is using colored beads to make a model of aluminum sulfate, $468\ km$ . Aluminum atoms are represented by blue beads, sulfur atoms by yellow beads, and oxygen atoms by green beads.