2017 STAAR Grade 8 Science

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Read each question carefully. For a multiple-choice question, determine the best answer to the question from the four answer choices provided. For a griddable question, determine the best answer to the question. Then fill in the answer on your answer document.

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

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?

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?

Part of a human body system is pictured.

The main function of this system is to —

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?

A partial mountain forest food web is shown.

Which statement does NOT describe a relationship shown in the food web?

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?

The diagram below shows four consecutive moon phases.

Which of the following diagrams shows the next four moon phases in the correct order?

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?

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

An archer shot a 0.06 kg arrow at a target. The arrow accelerated at 5,000 m/s2 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?

Record your answer and fill in the bubbles on your answer document. Be sure to use the correct place value.

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?

The table lists some compounds found in foods and their formulas.

Based on this information, which of these statements is NOT true?

The diagram below shows parts of a cell.

Which organelle stores the information that determines an individual’s blood type?

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 —

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?

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?

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?

DDT is a pesticide that was once widely used to control agricultural pests and mosquitoes. However, this pesticide caused the eggshells of certain birds, including the brown pelican, 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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

Two forces are applied to a 17 kg box, as shown. The box is on a smooth surface.

Which statement best describes the acceleration of the box?

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?

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?

The map shows some of Earth’s plate tectonic boundaries.

Based on the map, volcanic activity would most likely be found at —

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?

Which pair of properties describes the elements in Group 18?

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?

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

Record your answer and fill in the bubbles on your answer document. Be sure to use the correct place value.

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?

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?

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?

A manufacturer selected a metal to use in producing a lightweight button for clothing. A metal that has a density of 2.71 g/cm3 was selected.

Which of the metals was selected?

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?

A partial marine food web is shown.

Which organisms all consume the same producer?

Barnard’s Star is about 5.9 light-years from the sun. The star has an approximate temperature of 2,800 K.

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

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?

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 —

A student is using colored beads to make a model of aluminum sulfate, Al (SO ) 2 4 3. Aluminum atoms are represented by blue beads, sulfur atoms by yellow beads, and oxygen atoms by green beads.

What combination of beads should the student use for the model?

Based on the data, which periodic table shows the correct location of the four elements?

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?

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

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?

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

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?

Which of the following diagrams shows the next four moon phases in the correct order?

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?

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

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?

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

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

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 —

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

Two forces are applied to a 17 kg box, as shown. The box is on a smooth surface.Which statement best describes the acceleration of the box?

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?

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

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?

Which pair of properties describes the elements in Group 18?

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?

What is the total number of protons, neutrons, and electrons in a cadmium, Cd, atom that has a mass number of 112? Record your answer and fill in the bubbles on your answer document. Be sure to use the correct place value.

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?

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?

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?

A manufacturer selected a metal to use in producing a lightweight button for clothing. A metal that has a density of 2.71 g/cm3 was selected.Which of the metals was selected?

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

Barnard’s Star is about 5.9 light-years from the sun. The star has an approximate temperature of 2,800 K.Based on the diagram, what spectral class does Barnard’s Star belong to?

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?

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 —

A student is using colored beads to make a model of aluminum sulfate, Al (SO ) 2 4 3. Aluminum atoms are represented by blue beads, sulfur atoms by yellow beads, and oxygen atoms by green beads.What combination of beads should the student use for the model?

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?

Part of a human body system is pictured.

The main function of this system is to —

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?

A partial mountain forest food web is shown.

Which statement does NOT describe a relationship shown in the food web?

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?

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?

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?

The table lists some compounds found in foods and their formulas.

Based on this information, which of these statements is NOT true?

The diagram below shows parts of a cell.

Which organelle stores the information that determines an individual’s blood type?

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 —

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

Two forces are applied to a 17 kg box, as shown. The box is on a smooth surface.

Which statement best describes the acceleration of the box?

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?

The map shows some of Earth’s plate tectonic boundaries.

Based on the map, volcanic activity would most likely be found at —

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?

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?

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

Record your answer and fill in the bubbles on your answer document. Be sure to use the correct place value.

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?

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?

A manufacturer selected a metal to use in producing a lightweight button for clothing. A metal that has a density of 2.71 g/cm3 was selected.

Which of the metals was selected?

A partial marine food web is shown.

Which organisms all consume the same producer?

Barnard’s Star is about 5.9 light-years from the sun. The star has an approximate temperature of 2,800 K.

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

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?

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 —

A student is using colored beads to make a model of aluminum sulfate, Al (SO ) 2 4 3. Aluminum atoms are represented by blue beads, sulfur atoms by yellow beads, and oxygen atoms by green beads.

What combination of beads should the student use for the model?