PSSA Science Practice Exam

Last updated about 5 years ago
18 questions
Multiple Choice Section
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Which statement best describes the mass of an apple?

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Which unit should a student use when measuring the change in the amount of space taken up by a liquid as it is heated?

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An engineering team developed a new airplane body design that uses less fuel while flying. The team built a model to test the new design. How does using a model most likely help the engineering team?

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A scientist examined a colorless gas, which had a density between 1.30 and 1.60 g/L and a boiling point between -190 and -180oC. The gas reacted with sodium (Na) metal. Based on the data in the table above, what is the most probable identity of the gas?

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A student is roasting marshmallows on a stick above the flames of a campfire. How does convection transfer heat from the fire to the marshmallows?

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Which statement best describes wood and coal in terms of renewability and formation time?

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Fossils of extinct corals are commonly found in Pennsylvania. Scientists who study these coral fossils indicate that they are similar to living corals. Which statement best explains why these fossils provide valuable information about prehistoric Pennsylvania?

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The acidity of the water in a stream is indicated by its pH. Historically, a certain stream has had a pH of 6.0. Acid rain has caused the stream's pH to become 4.8. Which statement predicts how the stream's ecosystem will most likely be impacted?

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Which system contains water that is most likely to form a deep canyon?

Science Scenario Section
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Which inference about the process of making maple syrup from maple tree sap is best supported by these data?

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What is the approximate percent change in water content after maple tree sap becomes maple syrup?

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Which internal structures in humans have the most similar functions to that of xylem in maple trees?

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Tapholes for collecting maple syrup can scar the tree's trunk. Why do the offspring of tapped maple trees, called saplings, have unscarred trunks?

Open-Ended Section
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Meteor Crater is a rimmed, bowl-shaped feature that lies in the desert of northern Arizona. The crater measures 1,200 meters (m) in diameter, with the crater floor lying 180 m beneath the rim. The rim rises about 60 m above the surrounding desert. In the early twentieth century, most scientists theorized that the crater formed as a result of volcanic activity (volcanism theory). However, Daniel Barringer proposed that a powerful meteor impact formed the crater (impact theory).

Part A - Explain why the impact theory is classified as a theory rather than an opinion.
Part B - Barringer's impact theory was eventually accepted by a majority scientists. describe what is needed for a new theory to become widely accepted by the scientific community.

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Part A - Describe one function of the hard external covering on the beetle.
Part B - Identify a human body scructure and describe how its function is similar to the hard, external covering of a beetle.

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