1. Scientists found some fossil bones from an extinct animal. The scientists used the bones to make a model of the animal’s skeleton. Based on the features shown, which of these is the best conclusion the scientists can make?

2. A student uses binoculars to observe how Ursa Major looks in the sky during different seasons of the year. Which of these most likely shows how Ursa Major looks in winter?

3. A young horse is called a foal. Five foals are born on a farm. All the foals have different parents. The data table shows the color of the coat of each foal. Which of the following foals most likely had parents with black coats?

The Local Group is a group that contains the Milky Way and about 50 other galaxies. The table lists data for five galaxies in the Local Group. The distance across a galaxy is measured in light-years, which is a unit of distance that contains millions of kilometers. Which statement correctly compares the Milky Way to another galaxy in the Local Group?

5. A glass of ice water is placed on a table inside a room that is at room temperature. The ice inside the glass melts. The diagram represents the changes observed. Which piece of evidence supports the conservation of matter during the changes shown in the diagram?

7. A student’s data table is shown. The table lists the distance of four stars from Earth. The four stars are of similar mass and are in the same life cycle stage. Each distance in the table is given in light-years. A light-year contains millions of kilometers. When the student observes the night sky, which two stars will appear the brightest?

8. The picture shows a carousel. The carousel spins while the horses move up and down. A student determines that each horse completes one up-down cycle in 30 seconds. The student rides a horse on the carousel for 2 minutes, which equals 120 seconds. How many times did the student riding the horse complete an up-down cycle?

The model represents the sun-Earth-moon system. The numbers represent four positions of the moon in its orbit around Earth. Which number represents the location of the moon when it is in the new moon phase?

17. Scientists study a fossil of an extinct fish. The scientists compare the extinct fish to fish that are living today. Which of these is the best conclusion the scientists can make about the extinct fish?

18. A student performs an experiment. The student wants to study the fastest way to dissolve sugar in tea. The student uses 50 milliliters of tea and adds 50 grams of sugar cubes for each trial. The student waits two minutes before making the observations shown in the table. How can the experiment be changed to be sure that as much sugar as possible has dissolved?

19. A student poured five different clear, colorless liquids into five different beakers. Each beaker was half-filled with the liquid. The student added 1 gram of a white powder and stirred each mixture. The student’s observations are recorded in the data table. In which two mixtures was a new substance formed?

20. The picture shows two mice called pocket mice. Pocket mice can be born with either light-colored fur or dark-colored fur. A group of pocket mice lives in a habitat where there is light sandy soil and dark lava rocks. Mice with light-colored fur blend in with the light sandy soil. Mice with dark-colored fur blend in with the dark lava rocks. Which habitat change would most likely benefit mice with dark-colored fur and not help mice with light-colored fur?

21. The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy with more than 100 billion stars. Students compare the Milky Way to a data table that lists features of five other galaxies. The distance of each galaxy from the Milky Way is given in light-years. A light-year contains millions of kilometers. Based on this data table, which galaxies are most likely the same type as the Milky Way galaxy?

22. Substances have different freezing and boiling points. These values help scientists know when phase changes happen. Which three substances will have a phase change if the temperature goes up from 50°C to 300°C?

24. Students are learning about the difference between how bright stars appear to be when viewed from Earth and how bright stars actually are. The students draw four stars at different distances from Earth. The stars are labeled by how bright they actually are, not by how bright they appear to be when viewed from Earth. The students want to know how bright these stars appear to be from Earth’s point of view. Which two statements are true based on the actual brightness of the stars? M. It is possible that Star W could appear brighter than Star X. P. It is possible that Star X could appear dimmer than Star Z R. It is possible that Star Y could appear brighter than Star X. S. It is possible that Star Y could appear dimmer than Star Z. T. It is possible that Star Z could appear brighter than Star W.

25. The diagram shows water moving through a trough and falling on a paddle wheel. The force of the water hitting each paddle on the wheel causes the paddle wheel to turn. Which change would most likely make the paddle wheel turn faster?

26. This table shows the different physical traits in a litter of guinea pigs. The father guinea pig has short, black fur. The mother guinea pig has short, white fur. For the litter shown, which trait combination is most common?

33. The student runs Trial 5 on the computer. The settings for the trial are shown. What will the force of gravity be for this trial?

34. The pictures show butter and water in solid states. The melting point of each substance is shown. Students put solid butter and solid water on a table. The air temperature around the table is 20°C. Which statement describes the most likely state of each substance after 2 hours?

35. Students studying constellations noticed that some constellations, like the Big Dipper, can be seen in the Tennessee night sky all year long. Other constellations can be seen only during certain parts of the year. One of the students explained why some constellations can be seen only during certain parts of the year. Which part of the student’s explanation best describes why some constellations stay below the horizon at night?

36. Students build a model rocket. The rocket uses a dissolving antacid tablet for power. The students want to know if the size of the pieces of antacid tablet affects the distance that the rocket flies. Students pour 20 milliliters of tap water into the rocket. Then they add half an antacid tablet to the water and close the rocket. They launch the rocket and measure the distance it flies. The diagram shows the materials used. Which change will help the students answer their question?

37. A student is swinging on a swing. The table shows data on the positions of the student during six seconds. Which two predictions show where the student will be if the pattern continues?

38. The diagram shows changes within a herd of deer over many hundreds of years. Which statement best explains why some deer that went to the mountains survived and others did not?

39. The size of a galaxy is determined by measuring the distance across the widest part. The sizes of some galaxies are given in the table. There are many other galaxies, larger and smaller than the Milky Way, that are not included in the table. Based on the data, which statement correctly compares the Milky Way to other galaxies?

40. The diagram shows four layers of sediment under the ground. A vertical shaft was dug and fossils were collected from each layer. Which three statements can students make about these soil layers? M. Fossils collected from Layer 1 will be younger than those collected from Layer 4. P. Fossils collected from Layer 3 will contain organisms larger than those collected from Layer 2. R. Fossils collected from Layer 1 will be the same age as those collected from Layer 3. S. Fossils collected from Layer 4 will be older than those collected from Layer 2. T. Fossils collected from Layer 2 could be closely related to those collected from Layer 1.

42. Woolly mammoths were large extinct animals that had features similar to elephants. Scientists have learned about woolly mammoths by studying their fossils. The table compares features found on woolly mammoth fossils to features of modern African elephants. Woolly mammoths were adapted to cold climates. African elephants have adapted to warmer climates. Which statement about the animals’ features best shows this difference?

52. Two identical basketballs in two different continents are dropped from the same height above the ground. Basketball 1 is located in North America in the Northern Hemisphere. Basketball 2 is located in Australia in the Southern Hemisphere. Which two statements are correct about the gravity acting on Ball 1 and Ball 2? M. Earth’s gravity causes the balls to fall away from each other. P. Earth’s gravity causes the balls to fall directly toward each other. R. Earth’s gravity causes both balls to experience a force directed toward Earth’s center. S. The gravity acting on Ball 1 points to the same location as the gravity acting on Ball 2. T. The gravity acting on Ball 1 points in the same direction as the gravity acting on Ball 2.

53. The diagram shows fossils in rock layers. Rock layer 5 formed first. Which of these correctly compares the age of the fossil in rock layer 3 to fossils in the other rock layers?

54. A student claims that people cannot live in Antarctica. He claims they would be upside down and fall off the surface of Earth. The student’s claim is

55. Two students are on a seesaw during recess. When Student A is at ground level, Student B is two meters above the ground. When the seesaw is completely horizontal, each student is exactly one meter above the ground. When Student A is two meters above the ground, where is Student B?

55. A student investigates sugar cubes by following the steps shown. Which bar graph represents the amount of matter present after the sugar cubes can no longer be seen?

56. Scientists found a fossilized plant. The scientists compared features of the fossilized plant to four plants that are living today. The scientists determined the types of habitats where the plants that are living today grow. Based on this information, which of these describes a habitat where the fossilized plant most likely lived?

57. The diagram shows two cliffs that are located very close to each other. Both cliffs have rock layers that contain fossils. Which statement correctly compares the ages of the rock layers?

58. The diagram shows Earth at four points in its orbit around the sun. The dot on Earth represents the location of Tennessee. Tennessee has the same number of daylight hours and nighttime hours two times each year. At which two points in Earth’s orbit does this occur?

59. The table shows some properties of three stars. Which conclusion is correct based on the star data?