2025: NY Grade 8 - Science

The sap must be heated for a long period of time to become syrup. The graph below shows the relationship between temperature and time for sap being heated over a wood fire. Points X and Y represent temperatures of the sap at different times.

Which statement describes the temperature and the kinetic energy of the particles in sap as the sap is heated from point X to point Y?

The graph below shows the change in density of collected liquid as maple sap is heated over time to produce maple syrup. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup.

A student is given two unlabeled 5-milliliter samples, one of which is maple sap and the other is maple syrup. Based on the information in the graph, which piece of evidence would best distinguish maple sap from maple syrup?

Maple syrup produced from maple trees is often called natural maple syrup. In addition to natural maple syrup, artificial maple syrup is produced to be used in cooking and as a topping. Artificial maple syrup is processed to mimic the taste and texture of natural maple syrup. The photos below show food labels from containers of both kinds of syrup.

Which statement explains why Syrup 2 is the artificial maple syrup and represents a synthetic material?

Explain how the observations in the procedure can be used as evidence to determine that a chemical reaction occurred during your chosen step.

Which process in the cycling of water is responsible for the change in size of the Lyell Glacier?

A student makes a claim that the Lyell Glacier changed in size between 1901 and 2011 because there was a rise in global temperatures. Which question, when investigated, includes a factor that caused the initial rise in global temperatures?

Which pair of organisms in Lake Erie display a competitive relationship?

Lake Erie has been negatively affected by algal blooms during periods of warmer weather. These blooms consist of excessive growth of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae phytoplankton), which are capable of producing toxins that pose a risk to human and animal health. The overgrowth of this algae creates thick mats on the lake’s surface (algal bloom) that block sunlight from reaching underwater plants. The photo below shows an algal bloom occurring.

Which argument correctly describes how an algal bloom could affect populations of organisms in Lake Erie?

Harmful algal blooms are caused by increases of phosphorus levels in the lake. Heavy spring rains lead to greater runoff of phosphorus from farm fields. About 85% of the phosphorous comes from agriculture. Other contributing sources of phosphorous runoff include septic tanks, lawns, golf courses, and wastewater treatment plants.

Graph 1 below shows some information about phosphorus in Lake Erie.

Graph 1

Amount of Phosphorus Entering Lake Erie from the Maumee River

March-August 2020-2022

Which statement describes the predictability of phosphorous levels in Lake Erie, based on the information in Graph 1?

The Lake Erie Watershed is the most human-populated watershed in the Great Lakes region. The water from the watershed is widely used for agriculture and industry. Resources from this area meet the agricultural needs of large regions for Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.

The table below compares the amount of water withdrawn from surface or groundwater for different uses from the Lake Erie Watershed, in millions of gallons per day (Mgal/day).

Water Used from Lake Erie Watershed by Different Sectors – 2012 and 2015

Which argument best describes a possible relationship between water consumption and its impact on a Lake Erie ecosystem between 2012 and 2015?

The scale model below represents the mean distance between Earth and Earth’s Moon. The dots in the model represent the positions of celestial objects.

Which model best represents the mean distance between Jupiter and Europa, if drawn at the same scale as the Earth–Moon model?

Many planets in our solar system have moons. The gravitational interaction between a planet and its moon keeps the moon in a relatively constant orbit around the planet.

Data Table 3 below shows some information about Jupiter and Saturn.

Which argument explains why Enceladus experiences a weaker gravitational force than I_o from the planet it orbits, even though Enceladus is closer to its planet?

In 2023, the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft was launched to investigate Jupiter and three of its moons. This mission will begin collecting data in 2031 and is expected to last eight years. It will focus on learning more about each moon’s environment, as well as their potential for supporting life, as it passes by them.

When planning and building JUICE, scientists needed to meet the mission’s objectives and consider both criteria and constraints. The objectives for the mission are listed below.

• Collect data on the ocean-bearing icy moons of Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede.

• Determine if there is water beneath the surface of the moons.

• Study the magnetic fields of Ganymede and Callisto.

• Map the topographic surface of Jupiter’s moons.

• Investigate the upper layers of Ganymede’s and Callisto’s atmospheres.

• Search for evidence of potentially habitable environments on Jupiter.

In order to successfully meet their objectives, scientists planning and building the JUICE spacecraft mission had to address the

The player’s coach always encourages all participants to work together as a team. The player claims that the human body works similarly because the body consists of interacting systems. Which piece of evidence supports this claim?

The model below represents the transport of gases within a muscle cell in a soccer player’s body. Structures labeled X are organelles within the muscle cell.

Model of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Transport

From the table below, which row correctly matches the name and function of the organelles labeled X?

While playing soccer, athletes often experience changes in body temperature. The model below represents the different ways the human body responds to changes in body temperature to maintain homeostasis.

Which row correctly pairs a sensory organ and the body’s response to increased activity while playing soccer?

Rust is produced when iron reacts with oxygen and water. The chemical formula for the reaction is shown below.

Reaction of Iron, Water, and Oxygen to Produce Rust

Chemical Formula for Rust Reaction

Given this reaction, which statement correctly identifies the properties of the substances that are different before and after this reaction has taken place?

Which table shows the total number of atoms in the reactants and the total number of atoms in the products for the chemical reaction?

A

B

C

D

The student, located in New York State, wants to have a shed built on the back of their house to protect the bicycle from future weather conditions. The criteria for the shed materials are:

• pressure-treated lumber

• not affected by cold, snowy winters

• reasonably priced

• quality materials that do not rust

The builder, whose priority is to build a safe, durable shed that will last, must decide what materials and nails to use in the construction of the shed.

Materials Used in Four Shed Designs

Which statement best explains why one of the designs meets all of the criteria and is the best choice for the shed materials?

Select the two statements that support the claim:

The Indian subcontinent collided with the Eurasian Plate.

The map below shows information about some tectonic plates and their interactions. A seamount is a structure that forms under the ocean. The lines on the map represent plate boundaries.

Locations of Four Geologic Structures

Based on evidence from the map, it can be inferred that

The map below shows some information about the bedrock below the Atlantic Ocean. The dark line that runs down the center of the ocean floor bedrock is a boundary between two tectonic plates.

Ages of Atlantic Ocean Floor Surface

The evidence in the map that supports the idea that Earth’s plates are spreading apart at the boundary is that the age of the ocean floor bedrock

The model below represents the potential genetic outcomes for offspring of two parents. Each parent carries one allele for normal red blood cell production (H) and one allele for sickle-shaped red blood cell production (h). A carrier is an individual who has only one allele associated with a disease and who does not usually show symptoms of this disease.

Model 2

Which statement is generally true for an individual who inherits the mutated sickle cell anemia gene from only one parent?

Sickle cell anemia can be treated using a process called CRISPR-mediated gene therapy. This technology involves removing specific cells from a patient. The mutated genes in these cells are corrected and the newly edited cells are placed back into the patient’s body to start making new normal blood cells.

Which statement about the function of cell parts accurately describes how CRISPR technology influences the traits of humans who have sickle cell anemia?

The team then investigated factors that affected the strength of the magnetic force exerted by an electromagnet. The model of the experimental setup and data taken are shown below. The current through the electromagnet was measured in amperes (A). The electromagnet was used to lift iron filings from a pile on a table. The mass of the iron filings lifted was measured in grams.

Data Table 1

The list below contains variables that can be manipulated in this investigation. Select the three variables that the team investigated in order for them to determine each variable’s effect on the strength of the magnetic force exerted by the electromagnet.

Engineers design recycling plants that use magnetic forces to sort metals like steel and iron from plastics, paper, and glass. The team of students investigated the recycling process that the engineers designed and developed.

Their model below represents a built-in magnet separator used in recycling. The separator is composed of two conveyor belt mechanisms. Ferrous metal (containing iron), glass, plastics, and paper travel on a lower conveyor belt in the direction shown. Ferrous metal is attracted to a magnet located inside the upper conveyor belt mechanism and travels in the direction shown. The various objects eventually fall into separate containers below.

Recycling Separator with Built-In Magnet

Which statement provides evidence that the objects that need to be sorted are in a magnetic field created by the magnet located inside the upper conveyor belt mechanism?

Electromagnets are used to lift and move magnetic metals in recycling facilities. These metals may be sharp and very heavy, but with the use of an electromagnetic crane, the metal can be moved safely and easily. The team of students investigated the types of objects that were able to be lifted by the electromagnetic crane.

Model of Electromagnetic Crane

The team of students observed that the crane was able to lift the car. When the electromagnet was placed on the more massive bus, the crane was not able to lift it. Which argument is supported by this evidence?

The team of students claimed that the electromagnetic crane has done work on the car because they observed that the car was lifted from Earth’s surface to the position shown in the model. Which argument about the energy of the Earth-car system best supports this claim?

Identify the type of reproduction exhibited by guppies.

Which statement implies an evolutionary relationship by providing evidence of anatomical similarities and differences between aquarium guppies and guppies in their natural habitat?

Two predators of guppies are cichlids and rivulus. Cichlids feed on adult guppies. Rivulus eat only young guppies before the guppies develop spots.

In another investigation, ponds under three different sets of conditions were used to raise guppies. In the first pond, guppies existed without any predators. After six months, one-third of the guppies were transferred to a pond with cichlids and one-third were transferred to a pond with rivulus. The remaining guppies were left in the first pond.

Graph 1 below represents the average number of spots on male guppies at 0, 6, 10, and 20 months of this investigation.

Predict the appearance of the guppy populations in the cichlid pond at month 25. Use numerical evidence from Graph 1 to support your prediction.

Guppies are known to be very tolerant of and adaptable to new environments, and able to consume multiple food sources, including mosquito larvae. As a result, guppies have been frequently introduced into established ecosystems to control mosquito populations. Guppies are now found worldwide. Due to the increasing need for mosquito-borne disease control, guppy relocation will likely continue.

Mosquito control is an issue in Malaysia. Population control methods for mosquitoes include:

• cleaning up mosquito breeding areas by draining standing water

• using guppy fishes to eat mosquito larvae

• using ABATL (mosquito larvae insecticide) which is deadly to mosquito larvae

• fogging which uses an airborne insecticide to kill adult mosquitos

Given these solutions for controlling mosquito populations in Malaysia, which statement describes the best solution that maintains biodiversity in the ecosystem?

What was the dependent variable in this investigation?

The formula for determining kinetic energy (KE) is:

KE = 0.5 x (mass of marble) x (speed on impact)²

Which graph correctly shows the speed (m/s) and the resulting kinetic energy (g•m²/s²) for each of the four different drop heights?

Before each marble was dropped, the amount of potential energy the marble had was the greatest at