Which is an accurate description of the layer of Earth called the mantle?

A. made of solid iron and nickelB. outermost layer of the solid EarthC. dense, hot layer of partially solid rockD. makes up approximately one-third of Earth’s mass

When you explain or interpret an observation, you are

• A. Making models• B. Classifying• C. Inferring• D. predicting

Which of the following is an example of something that would decrease biodiversity?

• A. A law is passed is protect coral reefs• B. Logging is outlawed in rainforests• C. A species’ gene pool becomes less

diverse• D. In a forest, 100,000 acres are set aside as

a national park

Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock are formed and recycled in the rock cycle by several processes. Which physical processes are at work in the formation of sedimentary

rock?

• A. melting, petrification, and cooling• B. erosion, deposition, and compaction• C. heating, metamorphism, and distortion• D. dissolving, evaporation, and crystallization

The process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce that

other members of the same species is called

• A. Natural selection• B. Evolution• C. Competition• D. Overproduction

Which rock layers are older than rock layer 2 shown below?

• A. Only layer 1• B. Only layer 4• C. Both layers 1 and 3• D. Both layers 3 and 4

Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift as a way to explain how the continents have moved on Earth’s surface over the

course of geologic time. His theory states that, at one time, all of the continents were joined in one large landmass called Pangaea. Over

time, the continents have moved slowly apart into the locations we are familiar with today.

• Which of the following describes physical evidence that would support Wegener’s theory?

• A. fossils of the same types of plants and animals found on different continents

• B. pictures of people who live on the same continent and look similar to one another

• C. maps from the 18th century that show the locations of continents and the oceans

• D. papers by fellow scientists that explain how the continents have moved apart over geologic time

Which types of surface changes in Earth’s crust are a direct result of

tectonic plate movement?

• A. oxbow lakes, deltas, and flood plains• B. desertification, deforestation, and deflation• C. terminal moraines, sea stacks, and sand bars• D. mountain building, volcanoes, and earthquakes

Another scientist conducts your experiment. This is an example of what process?

• A. Repeated trials• B. Replication• C. Scientific inquiry• D. Deductive reasoning

There are very few coastal areas today that do not have houses or businesses lining the shores in Florida. As more and more people have moved to the coasts,

there has been concern about the impacts all of these developments have on the beaches. To help protect the beaches, in some areas there has been a large

effort to plant sea oats.

How does planting sea oats help protect the shores from human development?

• A. The sea oats hold onto the sand, preventing erosion.

• B. The sea oats provide places for marine animals to give birth.

• C. The sea oats protect the houses from storms and high winds.

• D. The sea oats add beauty to the area, so more people will move in.

Which of these is a cause of earthquakes?

• A. magma pushing down inside a volcano• B. lava flowing down the side of a volcano• C. two plates sliding past each other• D. two plates moving away from each other

Genetic fingerprinting is a toll that is used in

• A. Gene therapy• B. Selective breeding• C. Cloning• D. Identification

Data and observations that have been collected through scientific process are called

• A. Empirical evidence• B. Opinions• C. Facts• D. Scientific explanations

Which pair of terms could apply to the same organism?

• A. Carnivore and Producer• B. Consumer and Carnivore• C. Scavenger and Herbivore• D. Producer and Omnivore

How does a limiting factor affect a population?

• A. It causes population growth• B. It causes population to stop growing• C. It improves an area’s carrying capacity• D. It improves living conditions

How does the study of fossils support the theory of evolution?

• A. Fossils allow scientists to look into the future and predict what organisms will look like in years to come.

• B. Fossils show evidence of the outside traits of an organism, which can show how the creature has changed.

• C. Fossils provide evidence of the past that shows relationships among organisms and how they have changed over time.

• D. Fossils give scientists information about the soft body structures of extinct organisms, which can show how a creature has changed.

The diagram below shows examples of the finches with different types of beaks that Darwin observed when he visited the Galapagos Islands.

Which statement best explains why birds with different types of beaks were found on different islands?

• A. Finches on different islands ate different types of food.

• B. Finches on different islands had different communication methods.

• C. Finches on different islands drank water from different types of sources.

• D. Finches on different islands had different methods for building their nests.

What do we call a volcano that has not erupted in a long time but that scientists

believe may erupt sometime in the future?

• A. Dormant• B. Active• C. Extinct• D. Island arc

One impact of changing sea temperatures is coral reef bleaching. When coral reef bleaching

occurs due to temperature change, the tiny organisms that live inside the coral will die.

Which of these is the most likely impact that coral reef bleaching will have on marine animals that live around the coral reefs?

A. Only the population of marine animals that feed on the coral will decrease.

B. There will be an increase in competition for shelter in the coral reefs by marine animals.

C. Invasive marine animals will migrate and inhabit the dead coral, causing a change in the food web.

D. All populations of marine animals living around the coral that are not able to adapt will begin to decrease.

Desertification may be caused by

• A. Water pollution• B. Smog• C. Overgrazing• D. Rain

Each cell in organisms contains a set of hereditary information that gets passed from one generation to the next. The genes in all organisms

contain instructions needed to make offspring. Which statement describes heredity in animals?

• A. Offspring receive genetic traits from a single parent only.• B. Offspring show recessive traits only.• C. Offspring receive genes with traits that are always

physically observable.• D. Offspring receive genes from each parent, which

contribute to the traits in the offspring.

What is a statement that describes what scientists expect to happen every time under a specific set of conditions?

• A. Law• B. Theory• C. Explanation• D. Model

When an earthquake occurs, seismic waves travel

• A. Only through the hanging wall• B. Only through the footwall• C. Outward from the focus• D. Inward to the epicenter

Florida panthers can have straight tails (S) or curly tails (s). What is the probability that two heterozygous

panthers (both Ss) will have offspring with CURLY tails?

If necessary, use a Punnett Square to determine probability.

• A. 25%• B. 50%• C. 75%• D. 100%

Cells can reproduce through a process of either meiosis or mitosis. Which statement about reproduction is true?

• A. The cells produced by meiosis are genetically identical to parent cells.

• B. The cells produced by mitosis are genetically identical to parent cells.

• C. Meiosis is a form of asexual reproduction.• D. Mitosis is a form of sexual reproduction.

Selective breeding and genetic engineering are used to alter animal or

plant traits.

Which of these traits can only be achieved with genetic engineering?

• A. dogs that have no tails• B. animals that are smaller in size• C. cats that can glow in the dark• D. mules that have traits of both a donkey and

horse

How has human development affected the Everglades?

A. the wetlands have too much water

B. bird populations are increasing

C. there are fewer pollutants in the environment

D. half of the original wetland ecosystem is gone.

The Sun is the ultimate source of energy for all life on Earth.

How does energy from the Sun get transferred to a top consumer such as a Florida panther?

• A. The Sun's energy is transferred to plants, then to animals that eat plants, then to the panther.

• B. The panther is able to absorb the energy directly from the Sun.• C. Energy from the Sun is absorbed by plants and is then

transferred to the panther when it eats them.• D. The Sun’s energy is absorbed by decomposers and is then

transferred to the panther when it eats them.

Where are the areas that are the greatest risk from earthquakes?

• A. In the center of plates• B. Where plates meet• C. In the middle of the ocean• D. Where land meets water

Which of these pairs of organisms provides the best example of mutualism?

• A. The brown pelican and the herring fish are both part of a beach ecosystem. The pelican eats the herring fish.

• B. The tapeworm gains shelter and nutrition from the intestines of a dog. The dog is harmed because it cannot absorb as many nutrients.

• C. The remora fish attaches to the body of a shark, gaining shelter, transportation, and leftover bits of food. The shark is neither harmed nor aided by the remora fish.

• D. The desert yucca plant can reproduce because it is pollinated by the yucca moth. The yucca moth depends on the yucca plant to provide shelter and food for its larvae.

Like the success of animals, the success of plants is limited based on the resources available to each individual. In

the tropical rainforest, plants are especially limited by the space they have available to grow and reproduce.

Which of these statements describes a way that limited space will impact the success of a plant in the rainforest?

• A. A plant without enough space will face increased predation from herbivores.

• B. A plant without enough space will not have as many parasites and diseases.

• C. A plant without enough space will not be able to capture enough light to grow.

• D. A plant without enough space will be more likely to be impacted by air quality.

Similar structures that related species have inherited from a common ancestor are called

• A. Adaptations• B. Fossils• C. Ancestral structures• D. Homologous structures

Why is it necessary to control all but one variable when an experiment is conducted?

• A. to identify how the variable alone is affecting the results

• B. to control the independent variable during an experiment

• C. to make graphing data more simple during an experiment

• D. to limit the number of times the experiment must be repeated

When DNA replicates, the new strand is _______ the original strand.

• A. Similar to• B. Larger than• C. Different from• D. Identical to

What is the total energy of all the particles in an object called?

• A. Chemical energy• B. Thermal energy• C. Potential energy• D. Mechanical energy

How can sediments negatively affect an aquatic ecosystem?

• A. By blocking sunlight• B. Causing algae to grow• C. By causing plants to grow• D. By changing water temperature

Which is an example of evidence that energy is neither created nor lost during a transformation?

• A. Ice melts in the hot sun• B. Ice does not melt in the hot sun• C. When a driver of a car applies the car’s

breaks, friction heats the break• D. If you drop a tennis ball, the tennis ball

will never stop bouncing

During ______________________, a cell divides to form two cells that have sets of chromosomes that are complete and identical to each other and to the parent cell.

• A. Meiosis• B. Mitosis• C. DNA replication• D. Fertilization

At what point does magma become lava?

• A. Below a vent• B. Inside a pipe• C. At the Earth’s surface• D. In the Earth’s mantle

The speed of sound through a gas will increase if the following is also increased:

• A. Temperature of the gas• B. Density of the gas• C. Compressibility of the gas• D. Index refraction of the gas.

When new evidence from experiments is presented, how do other scientists make sure that it is correct?

• A. Other scientists accept the experiment if it fits with a current theory.

• B. Other scientists accept the evidence if the experiment has been performed once.

• C. Other scientists try to replicate the experiment to see if they can get the same results.

• D. Other scientists accept the evidence if the experiment was performed 10 times by one scientist.

Scientists often use direct observation, but when this is not possible, they may make predictions based on models. Astronomy is one area of science in which models are often

useful.

In which of the following cases is making a model more likely than a direct observation?

• A. when determining the distance to a remote galaxy• B. when analyzing the composition of rocks on the Moon• C. when measuring the temperature of Earth's atmosphere• D. when studying the images collected by the Hubble telescope

Gregor Mendel’s discoveries formed the foundation of

• A. Meiosis• B. Genetics• C. Probability• D. The genetic code

A rainbow is formed because when white light passes through rain drops, the white light is

• A. Absorbed by the rain drops• B. Reflected by the air• C. Refracted by the rain drops• D. unaffected

For a science project, you must build a model of an aquifer. What material would

be best to use for the layer where the water will accumulate?

• A. Clay• B. Granite• C. Gravel • D. Bedrock

A rock that forms from many small fragments of other rocks is a(n)

• A. Igneous rock• B. Sedimentary rock• C. Metamorphic rock• D. Extrusive rock

What causes the transfer of heat within the Earth’s mantle?

• A. Convection currents• B. Earth’s core• C. The oceans• D. Movement of the Earth’s plates

Alita wants to know if the color of ice cream affects its taste. She has three batches of vanilla ice cream. Batch 1 has no food coloring, Batch 2 has red food coloring, and Batch 3 has green food coloring. She asks 10 people to taste the three batches of ice cream and choose their favorite.

What is the independent variable in Alita's investigation?

• A. color of the ice cream• B. taste of the ice cream• C. number of batches of ice cream• D. number of people tasting the ice cream

Which of the following is the least important step in the pursuit of a scientific explanation?

• A. accumulation of empirical data• B. formulation of a testable hypothesis• C. communicate results with other scientists• D. release of results to the general public

What happens when heat is added to a gas in a sealed container?

• A. The particles of gas slow down• B. The particles of gas speed up• C. The motion of the particles does not

change• The particles of gas form a pile on the bottom

of the container

Scientists study changes in beaches, marshes, and other coastal areas. The movement of water causes coastal areas to change.Which of these is NOT a source of evidence for studying coastal

areas?

• A. data on waves and tides• B. information on the size and shape of beaches• C. maps of hurricane paths in the past 10 years• D. surveys that ask people their opinions of

beaches

Which of these statements about scientific knowledge is most accurate?

• A. Scientific knowledge is static and never changes.• B. Scientific knowledge, once validated, cannot be explored

by others.• C. Scientific knowledge is always being tested and analyzed to

find out if previous conclusions are still supported.• D. Scientific knowledge is published immediately upon

discovery to prevent others from claiming the ideas as their own.

What happens when new information is discovered that contradicts an existing theory?

• A. The existing theory is still used.• B. The existing theory is changed to a law.• C. The existing theory is modified to include

the new information.• D. The new theory is changed to a law.

28. Scientists can determine the absolute age of rocks using

• A. Fault lines• B. Index fossils• C. Radioactive dating• D. The law of superposition

What is the biggest difference between a scientific law and a scientific theory?

• A. Laws explain the physical sciences, while theories explain only the life sciences.

• B. Laws are demonstrated in nature frequently, while theories are demonstrated less regularly.

• C. Laws take only temporary events into account, while theories discuss long-term phenomena.

• D. Laws describe the events that occur in what nature under certain conditions, while theories explain how nature works.

Scientific models are used to understand, design, think about, predict, and test ideas in science.

• Which of these is NOT a use of scientific models?

• A. to study very small objects, such as atoms• B. to directly observe something, such as a newly found tree

species• C. to study very large objects, such as continents and

tectonic plates• D. to understand past trends and predict future trends, such

as climate change

Which of the following statements is true of the Sun’s radiant energy as it travels to Earth?

• A. The radiation from the Sun travels to Earth in varying frequencies.

• B. Radiant energy from the Sun must travel through a medium or substance.

• C. Gamma rays and ultraviolet rays from the Sun have longer wavelengths than visible light.

• D. Visible light energy from the Sun is only one color of light and has only one wavelength.

The image shows a pencil in an empty glass and a pencil in a glass of water.

Which concept explains why the pencil does NOT appear to be straight in the glass of water?

• A. absorption of light• B. reflection of light• C. refraction of light• D. transmission of light

A teacher places a scoop of ice cream on a slice of warm pie.What change will occur?

• A. The pie's temperature remains the same and the ice cream melts.

• B. The pie's temperature decreases and the ice cream remains solid.

• C. The pie's temperature remains the same and the ice cream remains solid.

• D. The pie's temperature decreases and the ice cream melts.

Which energy conversion occurs in a gasoline-powered automobile engine?

• A. potential to light• B. electrical to chemical• C. mechanical to chemical• D. chemical to mechanical

How do pressure and temperature change inside the Earth as depth increases?

• A. pressure and temperature decrease• B. pressure increases; temperature decreases• C. pressure decreases; temperature increases• D. pressure and temperature increase

The Sun is the source of energy for producers. However, only about 10 percent of the energy is transferred from producers to consumers.

What happens to the other 90 percent of the producers' energy?

• A. Some of it is destroyed, and some of it is returned to light energy.

• B. Some of it is destroyed, and some of it is stored as chemical energy.

• C. Some of it is released as heat energy, and some of it is stored as chemical energy.

• D. Some of it is released as light energy, and some of it is stored as chemical energy.