Science and Nature Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Compared with a solution at pH 6, how much greater is the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution at pH 3?
Three times greater
One-third as great
One hundred times greater
One thousand times greater
2. A ringing electric bell is placed in a sealed jar. As the air is removed, the bell’s hammer still moves, but the sound fades. Why?
The vacuum prevents electricity from reaching the bell.
The bell stops vibrating when air pressure decreases.
Sound needs particles through which its vibrations can travel.
Light inside the jar absorbs the sound energy.
3. A blue star and a red star are compared by their visible surface colors. Which statement is generally correct?
The red star must be closer to Earth.
The blue star has the higher surface temperature.
The red star produces no visible light.
The blue star must be smaller than the red star.
4. In a forest without fungi or other decomposers, why would dead leaves accumulate?
Producers would stop using sunlight to make sugars.
Consumers would convert the leaves directly into soil minerals.
The leaves would gain energy and resist natural weathering.
Organic matter would not be broken down and its nutrients efficiently recycled.
5. Three bulbs are connected in a single series circuit. One bulb is removed, leaving a gap. What happens?
The remaining bulbs become brighter because they receive more current.
All the bulbs go out because the circuit is open.
Only the bulb nearest the battery remains lit.
Current bypasses the gap and flows through the air.
6. Approximately two weeks after a new Moon, which lunar phase would normally be expected?
Waxing crescent Moon
First-quarter Moon
New Moon again
Full Moon
7. Fertilizer runoff enters a lake and causes rapid algal growth. Why can fish later die as the algae decompose?
Decomposer activity consumes dissolved oxygen needed by fish.
The fertilizer converts dissolved oxygen into nitrogen gas.
The dead algae block all water from entering fish gills.
The algae permanently raise the lake’s salinity.
8. In a plant, B is a dominant allele and b is recessive. Two plants with genotype Bb are crossed. What is the probability that an offspring will show the recessive trait?
50%
25%
75%
100%
9. An oceanic tectonic plate moves beneath a continental plate. Which feature is most likely to form near the boundary?
A deep ocean trench and a chain of continental volcanoes
A broad zone with no earthquakes or volcanic activity
A mid-ocean ridge with new crust forming on both sides
A single volcanic island produced only by a stationary hot spot
10. Foxes prey on rabbits in a grassland food web. If fox numbers suddenly fall, what is the most likely initial effect?
Rabbit numbers fall because foxes no longer support them.
Grass grows faster because rabbits immediately eat less.
Fox numbers recover because the rabbit population disappears.
Rabbit numbers rise, increasing grazing pressure on plants.
11. A desert plant opens most of its stomata at night instead of during the hottest part of the day. What is the main advantage?
It allows the plant to absorb more minerals directly from the air.
It prevents roots from taking up excess water after rainfall.
It reduces water loss because cooler conditions slow evaporation.
It enables photosynthesis to occur without any stored energy.
12. Why can Australia experience summer while much of Europe experiences winter?
Earth’s axial tilt directs the Southern Hemisphere more toward the Sun.
The Southern Hemisphere receives stronger sunlight because it rotates faster.
Cloud cover permanently blocks winter sunlight in Europe.
Earth is much closer to the Sun during the Australian summer.
13. A mineral sample has a mass of 200 grams and a volume of 50 cubic centimeters. What is its density?
50 grams per cubic centimeter
0.25 grams per cubic centimeter
4 grams per cubic centimeter
250 grams per cubic centimeter
14. Which material would best help slow heat loss from a container of hot soup?
A solid copper sleeve surrounding it
A thin aluminum sheet fitted tightly around it
A thick foam layer containing pockets of trapped air
A damp cloth wrapped around its surface
15. Why do antibiotics that target bacterial cell structures not cure influenza?
Influenza is caused by a virus, which lacks the bacterial targets of those drugs.
Antibiotics work only when body temperature is below normal.
Influenza bacteria become resistant as soon as symptoms begin.
Influenza occurs only in cells that antibiotics cannot enter.
16. Droplets form on the outside of a cold glass on a warm, humid day. What is the best explanation?
Liquid water passes through the glass from the inside.
Water vapor in the air cools and condenses on the glass.
Oxygen and hydrogen in the air combine to make water.
The cold glass releases stored water from its surface.