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1.
A partial marine food web is shown.
Green crabs carry a parasitic worm that can infect organisms that prey on the crabs. Which organism is most likely to be infected by this parasite?
SCI.8.11a
1
2.
With the use of the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists recently discovered a giant runaway star. It is 90 times larger than the sun and is very hot and blue-white in color. Why does the sun appear to be brighter than this runaway star when viewed from Earth?
SCI.8.8b
1
3.
Some students are using samples of different substances for a lab investigation. They plan to observe the physical properties of each substance and record their observations in a table like the one below.
Which of the substances observed are elements?
SCI.6.5c
1
4.
Two students are working together to build a birdhouse. Student 1 applies a force of 10 N to a wooden board in order to slide it across the table to Student 2.
If the force of friction resisting the student’s push is 4 N, what is the net force acting on the board?
SCI.8.6a
1
5.
Both primary and secondary succession begin with pioneer species that —
SCI.7.10c
1
6.
Element R and Element Q have the same number of valence electrons. These elements both have similar chemical behavior, but Element R has fewer energy levels than Element Q
Which statement best describes the positions of the two elements in the periodic table?
SCI.8.5c
1
7.
The San Andreas fault is a transform fault. The map below shows a student’s approximation of where the fault line crosses through the United States. Students were asked to make maps predicting which way land would most likely move over thousands of years.
Which map best predicts the likely movement of land along the fault line over thousands of years?
SCI.8.9b
1
8.
The white-tailed ptarmigan lives at high elevations on mountains that receive a lot of snow in the winter. During the summer, the ptarmigans’ feathers are mottled brown. The birds lose the brown feathers and grow a new set of white feathers during the winter. Scientists are concerned that rising global temperatures will affect the white-tailed ptarmigan.
If global climate change leads to the elimination of snow in the habitat of white-tailed ptarmigans, which adaptation is most likely to occur over many generations?
SCI.8.11c
1
9.
Which of these changes would likely occur if the rate of Earth’s rotation on its axis increased?
SCI.8.7a
1
10.
The graph below shows the motion of a ball rolling on a straight track
The graph below shows the motion of a ball rolling on a straight track
SCI.6.8c
1
11.
Lake Victoria in East Africa is home to many species of fish called cichlids. In 1954 the predatory Nile perch was introduced to Lake Victoria. The Nile perch became the dominant fish species in the lake by the mid-1980s. The number of cichlid species in the lake decreased as the Nile perch population increased. The perch preyed heavily on cichlid species that fed on algae and debris on the bottom of the lake. Algae in the lake increased, and oxygen levels decreased. The surface area of the gills of some cichlid species has increased in just over 20 years.
Which statement explains the increase in gill surface area seen in some of Lake Victoria’s cichlids?
SCI.7.11c
1
12.
A student obtains two strips of magnesium, Mg, ribbon that are each 3 cm long. One strip of magnesium is placed in a test tube containing 5 mL of water, and the other strip is placed in a test tube containing 5 mL of hydrochloric acid, HCl. Both liquids are at room temperature. The student’s observations are recorded in the table.
Which statement is not supported by the student’s observations?
SCI.8.5e
1
13.
In July 1994 the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with the planet Jupiter, as scientists had predicted. To be able to accurately predict when a comet will collide with a planet, it is essential to understand —
SCI.6.11b
1
14.
A group of students prepared a table listing the types of reproduction that occur in several organisms.
Based on this information, which of the organisms can produce offspring that are genetically identical to the parent organism?
SCI.7.14b
1
15.
The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram shows how the sun is classified among the stars.
A star that is several thousand times brighter than the sun with a temperature lower than 4,000 K would be classified as —
SCI.8.8a
1
16.
The list includes six situations.
A book sliding across a table at a constant speed
A ball sitting on a shelf
A can rolling down a ramp
A swing moving back and forth
A car traveling at a constant speed of 15 m/s
A bird landing on a branch
Which objects in the list experience an unbalanced force?
SCI.8.6c
1
17.
What is the difference between the number of electrons in an atom of selenium, Se, and the number of electrons in an atom of aluminum, Al? Record your answer and fill in the bubbles on your answer document. Be sure to use the correct place value.
SCI.8.5a
1
18.
Four students were asked to create a graph representing a typical predator–prey relationship. Which graph shows a situation in which the number of predators in a population depends on the number of prey?
SCI.8.11b
1
19.
Deep Space 1 was a spacecraft powered by an engine that gave off xenon particles to change velocity. It had a mass of 500 kg. Which expression can be used to find the spacecraft’s acceleration if its engine created a net force of 0.10 N?
SCI.8.6a
1
20.
Four students were given a list of compounds and asked to identify which ones are organic.
Which student correctly identified the organic compounds in the list?
SCI.7.6a
1
21.
A student must complete the column of the table that lists the dates of the full moons.
What are the most likely dates of the full moons?
SCI.8.7b
1
22.
The drawing shows two identical airplanes at an air show. The airplanes are flying at the same speed. Airplane W is flying 50 m higher than Airplane X.
Which statement best describes the energy of the two airplanes?
SCI.6.8a
1
23.
This satellite photograph shows an area in Alaska after a fire occurred.
Which statement best describes the most likely effect the fire had on the river in the 12 months after it occurred?
SCI.8.9c
1
24.
Four students were asked to name the parts of an atom that determine the atom’s identity and chemical properties. The students’ responses are shown in the table below.
Which student’s responses are correct?
SCI.8.5b
1
25.
A hobbyist collected data about the motion of a toy train on a straight track and then recorded the data in the graph below.
Which of these accurately describes the motion of the toy train?
SCI.6.8d
1
26.
The organism in the photo is a daphnia, or water flea. Daphnia are tiny aquatic organisms that live in most freshwater habitats. Adults range from less than 1 to 5 mm in length. They are good swimmers and eat mostly algae. Daphnia become mature at 5 to 10 days, and an adult female can produce up to 100 eggs every 3 or 4 days during its 2-month life span. When harmful algae rapidly increase in the daphnia’s environment, daphnia can develop adaptations to tolerate the negative effects of the algae within 10 years.
What characteristic of the daphnia allows the population to adapt to environmental change?
SCI.8.11c
1
27.
Strontium phosphate, Sr3 (PO4 )2 is a crystalline substance used in medicine and industry. How many phosphorus atoms are represented in the formula for Sr3 (PO4 )2 ?
SCI.8.5d
1
28.
During a lab investigation, students added four 50 g masses to two boxes and arranged the boxes so that they were motionless on a pulley, as shown in the diagram. The students then followed the procedure described in the box. The students recorded their observations after each procedure and reset the pulley system to the original conditions.
During which procedures did students observe an unbalanced upward force on Box 1?
SCI.8.6c
1
29.
A partial food web is shown. The numbers in the boxes represent animals in the food web.
Which organisms have three carnivorous predators and a consumer–producer relationship with at least one organism?
SCI.8.11a
1
30.
A chemical reaction in which calcium carbonate, CaCO3 , is decomposed results in the production of two simpler compounds.
What mass of calcium carbonate, to the nearest hundredth of a gram, is decomposed in this reaction?
Record your answer and fill in the bubbles on your answer document. Be sure to use the correct place value.
SCI.8.5f
1
31.
A student uses paper and fasteners to create a model of Earth, the sun, and the moon. The sun and Earth are attached to the paper background, while the moon is free to revolve around Earth.
Which diagram shows the objects arranged so that a new moon would be visible from Earth?
SCI.8.7b
1
32.
Students in a science class prepared flash cards so that they could quiz one another about the arrangement of the periodic table. One of the flash cards contained information about two elements, Element L and Element M.
The students had to use the information on the flash card to determine possible positions of the two elements on a blank periodic table. Which periodic table has the elements placed in locations that match the information on the flash card?
SCI.8.5c
1
33.
A clerk at a hardware store performed the activities in the list.
Which statement best describes the amount of work performed for the three activities?
SCI.7.7a
1
34.
The universe has many different components. Which list places four components of the universe in the most likely order from smallest to largest?
SCI.8.8a
1
35.
A teacher rubbed a match against a piece of sandpaper. The match started to burn. Which statement best describes the energy changes that occurred?
SCI.6.9c
1
36.
A mid-ocean ridge separates the Pacific plate and the Nazca plate off the western coast of South America.
Which statement best describes the relative motions of the Pacific and Nazca plates?
SCI.8.9b
1
37.
Black walnut trees produce a nontoxic chemical that becomes highly toxic when it is exposed to air or soil. How does this chemical help black walnut trees compete with plants growing nearby?
SCI.8.11b
1
38.
The model shows the star Wolf 359, the sun, and Star X. It takes 7.8 years for light produced on Wolf 359 to reach the sun.
If Star X is 50 times as far from the sun as Wolf 359 is, how far is Star X from the sun, to the nearest light-year?
Record your answer and fill in the bubbles on your answer document. Be sure to use the correct place value.
SCI.8.8d
1
39.
A student researching a northern forest ecosystem learns the following information about feeding relationships in the ecosystem.
Which food web best represents the flow of energy in these feeding relationships?
SCI.7.5c
1
40.
A student drew the model below to represent a part of a watershed and some human activities that affect the watershed.
How do the industrial, agricultural, and residential activities of humans most likely affect the groundwater in the area?
SCI.7.8c
1
41.
Nitrogen dioxide is a gas that can be generated by emissions from vehicles and factories. It can also be generated by natural sources, such as forest fires, lightning, and microbial activity in soil. The equation for producing nitrogen dioxide is shown below.
Which of these provides evidence that a chemical reaction occurs?
SCI.8.5e
1
42.
A student graphed the position of a cart during a 7-second time interval.
Which statement best describes the cart?
SCI.8.6b
1
43.
Which table best shows some functions of the circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and endocrine systems?
SCI.7.12b
1
44.
A golfer hits a golf ball with a club. The mass of the ball is 0.05 kg. The ball accelerates at 2,000 m/s2 .
What is the net force, to the nearest newton, that accelerates the ball? Record your answer and fill in the bubbles on your answer document. Be sure to use the correct place valu
SCI.8.6a
1
45.
How many protons, neutrons, and electrons are present in an atom of hafnium, Hf, with a mass number of 178?
SCI.8.5a
1
46.
Which table correctly describes the functions of the cell structures listed?
SCI.7.12d
1
47.
The table shows the chemical formulas for four substances.
Which substances have the same number of carbon atoms?
SCI.8.5d
1
48.
NASA’s space shuttle program was active from 1981 until 2011. The photograph shows rockets carrying a space shuttle off the launchpad.
How can Newton’s law of action–reaction best be applied to explain the movement of a rocket?
SCI.8.6c
1
49.
A partial food web is shown. The mourning dove is a bird that is often part of this food web.
Which of these describes the mourning dove when it is part of the food web shown?
SCI.8.11a
1
50.
The topographic map shows the location of a park ranger at Point X when a message is received that an injured hiker needs help at Point Z.
Which of these is closest to the difference in elevation between the locations of the ranger and the injured hiker?
SCI.8.9c
1
51.
After researching the diets of several birds inhabiting a nearby pond, a student goes on a field investigation to observe the feeding habits of the birds. The student records information from research and observations in the table.
The student observes a great blue heron catching fish near the edge of the pond. Based on the information the student collected, which bird will compete with the great blue heron for the same hunting spots and similar prey?
SCI.8.11b
1
52.
Tin, Sn, is a soft white metal. It has a low melting point compared with other metals. Tin is widely used as a coating for cans of food. Which statement accurately describes atoms of tin?
SCI.8.5b
1
53.
In the 1800s two scientists, Theodor Schwann and Matthias Schleiden, studied different types of organisms. After many years of studying a great variety of organisms, they drew similar but independent conclusions about their observations.
What statement was developed most directly from these conclusions and is part of the modern cell theory?
SCI.7.12f
1
54.
The model shows Earth in several positions relative to the sun.
