Multiple Choice questions are found below. Choose and click on what you believe to be the correct answer. The computer will sound an alert only if you choose the wrong answer. If you miss it, you may then make another choice on the same question. Your score will be reported here at the end after you have attempted all of the questions.
(The purpose of the question is to test your familiarity with the basic levels of organization and structure that are evident in the universe. )
weight of a book
force exerted by a book on a table
gravitational force of earth
force keeping the moon in orbit
force keeping the solar system together
(The purpose of this question is to test your familiarity with the four fundamental forces of nature and particularly to see if you can identify a practical example of one of these.)
the same as that of the car
slightly greater than that of the car
slightly less than that of the car
much less than that of the car
much greater than that of the car
(We understand motion in terms of Newton's three laws of motion. The purpose of this question is to test whether you understand Newton's Second and Third Laws of motion.)
protons are transferred from rubber to glass
protons are transferred from glass to rubber
electrons are transferred from glass to rubber
electrons are transferred from rubber to glass
electrons and protons annihilate each other
(The purpose of the question is to test your understanding of the Electrical Model of Matter and specifically what we mean within that model when we say that an object has a "positive" charge. )
of a reduced gravitational force.
of an increased gravitational force.
of a single force acting upward on you.
the upward force of the elevator is greater than the force of gravity.
of three upward and downward forces acting.
(The question tests your ability to isolate an object and identify the significant forces on that object that directly control its motion. To answer the question correctly, you must be able to differentiate between uniform and accelerated motion. In this instance the elevator is speeding up.)
The force on object one is twice that on object two.
The force on object one is half that on object two.
The force on object one is equal to that on object two.
The acceleration of object one is twice that of object two.
The acceleration of object one is equal that of object two.
(The purpose of the question is to test your understanding of Newton's laws of motion and a key feature of Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation.)
The above situation is not possible.
Oil decreases the gravitational force on an object.
Water increases the gravitational force on an object.
The buoyant force on the object in oil is greater than the gravitational force on the object.
The buoyant force on the object in water is equal to the gravitational force on the object.
(The purpose of this question is to test your understanding of the concept of buoyant force. To answer the question you must also understand Newton's laws of motion and Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation.)
Mass is conserved in chemical reactions.
Mass is conserved in "mechanical" reactions.
Internal energy is conserved in all reactions.
Charge is conserved in all reactions.
Charge is conserved in chemical reactions.
("Mechanical reactions" means interactions, such as collisions or other exertion of forces that change the kinetic energy and/or the gravitational or electrical potential energy of the objects. In this question it is assumed that any effects of the Special Theory of Relativity can be ignored.)
Airflow in a warm air furnace.
Falling object.
Bonfire heat reaching a camper.
Light passing through a window pane.
Gasoline burning in an auto engine.
(Which of the above is PRIMARILY the process we have called "radiation" even if radiation might be involved secondarily in one or more of the others?)
The motion of a Foucault pendulum on the earth.
The stellar parallax as seen from earth.
Australian and American scientists get the same experimental results in identical experiments.
(The purpose of the question is to test your understanding of the meaning of "symmetry" as it is used in science. In particular, it tests your understanding of specific symmetries (motion, position, or time.)
An object's mass increases with speed.
The speed of light in empty space is the same for all observers.
Lengths contract in the direction of motion.
Moving clocks run slow.
(The purpose of the question is to test your understanding of the logical structure of the Special Theory of Relativity. Specifically, it tests whether you recognize the basic postulates of the theory and can differentiate them from logical predictions of the theory.)
(Relativistic) mass is the same and length is the same.
(Relativistic) mass is larger but length is the same.
(Relativistic) mass is the same but length is longer.
(Relativistic) mass is larger but length is shorter.
(Relativistic) mass is larger but length is longer.
(The purpose of the above question is to test whether you understand the basic conceptual predictions of Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, i.e., how measurements of length and mass depend on the relative motion of observer and the thing observed. Strictly speaking, the word "observed" means "measured.")
(The purpose of the question is to see if you understand the concept of "physical state" as it is applied to matter.)
chemical processes.
mechanical processes.
irreversible processes.
reversible processes.
nuclear power generation.
(The question tests your understanding of the Law of Increasing Disorder (Second Law of Thermodynamics).)
refraction.
diffraction.
reflection.
interference.
superposition.
(The purpose of the question is to test your understanding of the basic vocabulary describing different things that waves do (wave phenomena).)
sound in air.
wave going from earth's surface through the earth's center.
wave on a violin string.
first and third choices above.
first and second choices above.
(The question tests your understanding of a significant difference between "compressional" waves and "shear" waves.)
both travel with the same speed (in a vacuum).
both produce interference patterns.
both produce diffraction patterns.
both have photons of the same energy.
they have different wavelengths.
(The purpose of the question is to allow you to demonstrate a basic familiarity with the similarities and differences in the family of electromagnetic waves ("light"). The question asks which is FALSE.)
reflection.
refraction.
interference.
diffraction.
photoelectric effect.
(Light has a peculiar nature, acting sometimes as a wave and sometimes as a particle. The purpose of the question is to test whether you understand the physical evidence for light acting as a particle.)
electrons.
blue light.
radio waves.
sound waves.
all of the above.
(Interference is a wave phenomenon. The purpose of this question is to see if you understand what kinds of things behave like waves. The question also requires that you understand the concept of wave-particle duality.)
is an outcome of Newton's Laws of Motion.
applies mainly to subatomic particles.
conflicts with wave-particle duality.
supports strict determinism.
all of the above.
(The question tests whether you understand an important concept of the quantum description of the microscopic world. The Uncertainty Principle is sometimes referred to as the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.)
solar system model.
nuclear model.
Bohr model (modified solar system model).
wave model.
all of the above are equally complete and correct.
(There have been many models of the atom during the past century. The purpose of the question is to see if you understand how physical evidence (experiment) is used to discriminate among models in a search for a best model.)
(The purpose of the question is to test your understanding of the concept of "density" and to see if you can draw a simple conclusion about the density of elements from a knowledge of the sizes of atoms.)
N O P.
N P O.
P N O.
P O N.
O N P.
(The purpose of the question is to test your familiarity with one of the prominent patterns in the Periodic Table. If you do not remember the pattern outright, you might reason to the correct answer from the fact that the sizes of atoms result from an interplay between the changing electrical force between nucleus and electrons and the demands of the Exclusion Principle. In this question, the effect of the electrical force dominates.)
39 protons.
39 neutrons.
39 electrons.
19 neutrons.
19 protons.
(The purpose of the question is to test whether you can correctly interpret the information provided on the Periodic Table. To respond correctly you must be able to differentiate between atomic number and atomic mass.)
8 in p orbitals.
6 in p orbitals.
4 in p orbitals.
4 in s orbitals.
2 in s orbitals.
(The question tests your familiarity with the organization of the Wave Model of the Atom. To respond correctly you must have a basic understanding of s-orbitals, p-orbitals, and the Exclusion Principle.)
hydrogen (H).
helium (He).
lithium (Li).
beryllium (Be).
aluminum (Al).
(The question tests your familiarity with one of several prominent patterns in the Periodic Table. If you do not remember the pattern, you might reason your way to the correct answer by considering which elements in the Periodic Table readily give up electrons or lose electrons in chemical reactions and which do not.)
Elements in a row of the Periodic Table progress from metal to nonmetal (left to right).
Elements in a column are chemically similar.
Lithium (Li), sodium (Na), and potassium (K) are chemically similar.
Neon (Ne), Argon (Ar) and krypton (Kr) are chemically active solids.
Fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), and bromine (Br) are chemically active gases.
(The purpose of this question is to test your understanding of basic patterns in the Periodic Table.)
Fluorine(F) and bromine (Br).
Copper (Cu) and gold (Au).
Sodium (Na) and potassium (K).
Phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S).
Bromine (Br) and krypton (Kr).
(The purpose of the question is to see if you recognize and can apply one of the prominent patterns in the Periodic Table. "Chemically similar" means that the elements behave similarly in chemical reactions.)
2C + O2---> 2CO.
H2 + F2 ---> HF.
Mg + F2 --->MgF2.
2H2O2 ---> H2O + O2.
(The purpose of the question is to allow you to demonstrate that you understand what is meant by a "balanced chemical reaction.")
Ca + O2 ---> CaO.
NaOH + HCl ---> H2O + NaCl.
4Al + 3O2 ---> 2Al2O3.
NO2 + H2O ---> HNO3.
(The purpose of the question is to allow you to demonstrate that you understand what is meant by a "balanced chemical reaction.")
sulfur dioxide.
nitrous oxide.
water molecule.
oxygen molecule.
rust.
(The question tests your knowledge of basic vocabulary. Can you differentiate among "elements", "compounds", and "mixtures"? Note that the question asks which is NOT a compound.)
H2 + O2 ---> 2H2O.
H2 +O2 ---> H2O.
Ca + Cl2 ---> CaCl2.
S + O2 ---> SO4.
N2 + O2 ---> NO.
(The purpose of the question is to allow you to demonstrate that you understand what is meant by a "balanced chemical reaction.")
Barium (Ba) and galium (Ga).
Tin (Sn) and lead (Pb).
Lithium (Li) and bismuth (Bi).
(The purpose of the question is to test your understanding of what is meant by "metallic bond" and a prominent pattern in the Periodic Table associated with it.)
Cesium (Cs) and indium (In).
Platinum (Pt) and gold (Au).
Lead (Pb) and potassium (K).
(The purpose of the question is to test your understanding of what is meant by "metallic bond" and a prominent pattern in the Periodic Table associated with it.)
O2.
NH3.
CO2.
CH4.
MgF2.
(The purpose of the question is to test whether you understand the origins of the three major chemical bonds (metallic, ionic, covalent) and can reason which bond applies from positions of atoms in the Periodic Table.)
KS.
K2S.
KS2.
K3S.
KS3.
(The purpose of the question is to allow you to demonstrate the basic skill of using the Periodic Table to predict the chemical formula of a possible compound.)
+2.
+1.
0.
-1.
-2.
(The purpose of the question is to see if you understand the important concept of "oxidation state" and can use the Periodic Table to identify the primary oxidation states of selected atoms.)
Cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni).
Potassium (K) and fluorine (F).
Phosphorus (P) and oxygen (O).
Sodium (Na) and indium (In).
(The purpose of the question is to test whether you understand the origins of the three major chemical bonds (metallic, ionic, covalent) and can reason which bond applies from positions of atoms in the Periodic Table.)
Chlorine (Cl) and indium (In) .
Cesium (Cs) and bromine (Br).
Silicon (Si) and fluorine (F).
(The purpose of the question is to test whether you understand the origins of the three major chemical bonds (metallic, ionic, covalent) and can reason which bond applies from positions of atoms in the Periodic Table.)
single.
double.
triple.
quadruple.
none of the above.
(The purpose of the question is to see if you understand what is meant by a "covalent bond.")
metallic alloy, conducting.
transparent gas.
metallic allow, nonconducting.
brittle, transparent solid, nonconducting.
greenish liquid.
(The question tests whether you understand the physical properties that are associated with one of the three major chemical bonds (metallic, ionic, covalent).)
carbon.
oxygen.
nitrogen.
hydrogen.
calcium.
(The purpose of the question is to see if you recognize a striking pattern that relates two very different life forms.)
nucleotides.
enzymes.
catalysts.
chlorophyll.
insulin.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand the basic chemical structure of living organisms and what the building blocks of life are.)
phosphate group.
ribose or deoxyribose.
organic bases.
all of the above.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand the basic chemical structure of living organisms and what the building blocks of life are. The question does not intend that all of the simpler structures should be found simultaneously in a single nucleotide.)
hydroxyl group.
carbon-oxygen covalent bonds.
carbon-hydrogen covalent bonds.
carbon-carbon covalent bonds.
carboxyl group.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand the basic chemical structure of a molecule important to life. Note that the question asks which is NOT to be found in a sugar.)
chlorophyll.
nucleotides.
sugars.
amino acids.
nucleic acids.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand the basic chemical structure of living organisms and what the building blocks of life are.)
carbonyl group.
carboxyl group.
hydroxyl group.
amino group.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand the basic chemical structure of living organisms and what the building blocks of life are. The functional group sought in this question gives acid properties to amino acids.)
carbonyl group.
carboxyl group.
hydroxyl group.
amino group.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand the basic chemical structure of living organisms and what the building blocks of life are.)
amino group and carbonyl group.
amino group and carboxyl group.
amino group and hydroxyl group.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand the basic chemical structure of living organisms and what the building blocks of life are.)
carbon dioxide (CO2).
methane (CH4).
water (H2O).
hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
ammonia (NH3).
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand a process that allows molecules to chain together. The question asks you to identify an important byproduct of this chaining process.)
hydroxyl group.
carbonyl group.
carboxyl group.
amino group.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand a process that allows molecules to chain together. The question asks you to identify the functional groups responsible for the connection.)
2.
20.
2,000.
2,000,000.
More than 2 billion.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand the basic chemical structure of living organisms and what the building blocks of life are. The question asks how many different amino acids altogether are used by living organisms to build protein.)
4.
40.
4000.
4,000,000.
More than 4 billion.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand the basic chemical structure of living organisms and what the building blocks of life are. The questions asks how many different KINDS of organic bases altogether are found in the DNA of living organisms.)
A and G.
A and T.
A and C.
G and T.
C and T.
(The purpose of the question is to test for basic familiarity with DNA. Which bases bond together in DNA?)
ACGT.
ACGU.
CATG.
GTAC.
TGCA.
(The purpose of the question is to test for basic familiarity with DNA. Which bases bond together in DNA?)
Carbohydrates contain hydroxyl groups.
Amino acids chain to form proteins.
RNA and DNA are proteins.
Nucleotides chain to form nucleic acids.
Nucleotides contain organic bases.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand the basic chemical structure of living organisms and what the building blocks of life are. Note that the question asks which is FALSE.)
RNA is usually double stranded.
RNA and DNA contain different sugars.
RNA and DNA share three common bases.
DNA contains equal amounts of bases A and T.
DNA contains equal amounts of bases C and G.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand the basic chemical structure of living organisms and what the building blocks of life are. Note that the question asks which is FALSE.)
They are equally radioactive.
They have the same atomic mass.
They have the same number of neutrons.
They have the same number of protons.
The have different numbers of protons.
(The questions tests your understanding of basic vocabulary of nuclear physics. What is the meaning of the word "isotope"?)
79Au198 decays to 80Hg198 + -1electron0 + 0neutrino0
84Po212 decays to 82Pb208 + 2He4
27Co60 decays to 26Fe60 + -1electron0 + 0neutrino0
80Hg198 decays to 80Hg198 + 0gamma ray0
6C11 decays to 5B11 + +1positron0 + 0neutrino0
(The purpose of the question is to test whether you recognize important conservation laws that govern radioactive decay. No distinction is made here between neutrinos and antineutrinos. The word "neutrino" stands for either. Note that the question asks which is NOT a legitimate radioactive decay.)
the source of energy in nuclear fusion.
the source of energy in nuclear fission.
Converted to kinetic energy in nuclear fission.
converted to kintetic energy in nuclear fusion.
all of the above.
(The question tests your understanding of the concept of energy conservation as it occurs in nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.)
There are working fission power reactors.
There are working fusion power reactors.
There are working fusion bombs.
There are working fission bombs.
Fusion reactions power the sun.
(The question tests your understanding of the difference between "nuclear fission" and "nuclear fusion" and whether you understand technological applications of each. Note that the question asks which is FALSE.)
(The purpose of the question is to test whether you understand the PRIMARY physical evidence upon which the idea of an expanding universe is based.)
microwave background radiation.
Helium/Hydrogen abundances.
universe is expanding.
expansion rate is slowing.
matter is created continuously and spontaneously.
(The purpose of the question is to test your understanding of similiarities and distinguishing differences between two models of the universe. The question asks for a COMMON feature of the two models.)
protostar, gravity, small, long.
normal (sun), hydrogen, medium, short.
red giant, carbon, large, short.
normal (sun), helium, medium, long.
white dwarf, helium, small, long.
(The question tests your understanding of basic correlated characteristics of different stages in the lifetime of a star.)
equal to that of the sun.
a small fraction that of the sun.
about 90 percent that of the sun.
many times that of the sun.
about twice that of the sun.
(The purpose of the question is to test your understanding of the conditions that lead to the origin of a "black hole.")
trenches, abyssal hills, ocean ridges.
ocean ridges, island arcs, trenches.
abyssal plains, stable platforms, ocean ridges.
island arcs, trenches, linear island chains.
(The question tests your familiarity with the generic features of the oceanic crust. To respond correctly, you must be able to separate these characteristics from the generic features of the continents (continental crust).)
stationary objects begin spinning.
spinning objects always spin faster as time elapses.
spinning objects may either speed up or slow down.
larger objects spin faster than smaller ones.
(The question tests your understanding of the conservation of angular momentum. An Olympic ice skater uses this principle when she draws in her arms while spinning. In this question, "larger" means having a greater diameter or spread.)
granitic rocks.
folded rocks.
stable platforms.
all of the above.
none of the above.
(The question tests your understanding of the generic features of continents (continental crust).)
are rocky in composition.
are larger than the terrestrial planets.
are closer to the sun than the terrestrial planets.
are denser than the terrestrial planets.
(The question tests your understanding of a classification of the solar planets. It may help to know that "Jove" is another name for the god "Jupiter" and that "Terra" is another name for "Earth.")
radioactive isotopes.
principle of superposition.
principle of cross-cutting relations.
principle of inclusion.
(The purpose of the question is to see if you can discriminate among methods used to measure absolute and relative geologic time. Note that the question asks which is NOT used in relative dating.)
is less than 27 million years.
is more than 44 million years.
is the average of 27 and 44 million years, or 35.5 million years.
is between 27 and 44 million years.
(The purpose of the question is to see if you can discriminate among methods used to measure absolute and relative geologic time and whether you can apply the methods in a simple case to draw a reasoned conclusion.)
extremely rare and have long half-lives.
extremely rare and have short half-lives.
fairly common and have long half-lives.
fairly common and have short-half-lives.
(The question tests whether you understand how radioactive isotopes might be used to measure times of geologic interest (many thousands of years). "Short" in this question means less than a year. "Long" means a thousand years or longer.)
younger than that layer.
older than that layer.
either the first or the second choice above, depending on how the absolute dating turns out.
(The questions tests whether you understand a particular method of determing relative geologic time and can apply it in a simple case.)
(This question requires that you know the difference between two different ways that the layers of the earth are designated: by physical characteristics (rigid, mushy, liquid, etc.) and by chemical composition (silicates, dense oxides, iron, etc.). This question asks about chemical composition.)
completely molten peridotite.
partially molten peridotite.
completely solid peridotite.
rock that is either granitic or basalt, depending on location.
(The question tests for basic vocabulary. The nature of the "asthenosphere" is a key to understanding the Theory of Plate Tectonics. For this question it is sufficient to know that peridotite is a kind of rock found in the upper mantle.)
these plants have lived in the southern hemisphere since the Permian Period.
these plants can survive in a wide variety of climates.
the southern landmasses have separated since the Permian Period.
the southern landmasses have become closer since the Permian Period.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand how one important line of evidence associated with the Theory of Plate Tectonics is interpreted.)
Changes in Paleozoic trilobites in North America and Europe.
The presence of Glossopteris on several continents.
Glaciated Permian rocks on several continents.
The geometrical fit of North America and Australia.
(The question tests your familiarity with some principle evidences associated with the Theory of Plate Tectonics. Note that the question asks which is NOT such an evidence. )
subduction zones.
mountain-building events.
creation of new oceanic lithosphere.
deep ocean trenches.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you can differentiate among "convergent", "divergent", and "transform" plate boundaries. Note that the questions asks which does NOT characterize a "convergent" boundary.)
in a young fold mountain belt.
in a continental shield.
at a transform fault.
along the oceanic ridge system.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand features of the earth and/or processes that can be explained using the Theory of Plate Tectonics as a conceptual framework. Note that the question asks for the "LEAST LIKELY" occurrence.)
where diverging convection currents will pull continents apart.
the location of most of the world's active volcanoes.
the origin of fold mountain belts.
the association of deep ocean trenches and island arcs.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand features of the earth and/or processes that can be explained using the Theory of Plate Tectonics as a conceptual framework. Note that the question asks which is NOT explained by the Theory of Plate Tectonics.)
the California coastal area.
the Canadian shield.
Iceland.
Japan.
(The question allows you to demonstrate that you understand features of the earth and/or processes that can be explained using the Theory of Plate Tectonics as a conceptual framework. Note that the question asks for the location of the LEAST amount of plate tectonic activity.)
clam.
bird.
fish.
worm.
(The question tests whether you understand the conditions that promote fossilization. Note that the question asks which is LEAST likely to be fossilized.)
fish.
bird.
worm.
clam.
(The question tests whether you understand the conditions that promote fossilization. Note that the question asks which is SECOND LEAST likely to be fossilized.)
alligator.
whale.
penguin.
camel.
(The question tests whether you understand the environment and time most likely associated with the formation of coal beds. Coal beds themselves are fossilized vegetation.)
The rates of spreading that the tectonic plates have experienced in the past can affect the fossil record.
The direction of plate motion in the past can affect the fossil record.
The ancient organisms that reproduced most slowly had the greatest impact on the fossil record.
Chance modification of the DNA of an individual organism can affect the nature of the fossil record.
(The question tests your understanding of the origins of the fossil record of life. Note that the questions asks which is FALSE.)
running water.
glaciers.
shoreline processes.
wind.
(The question tests whether you understand which of several erosional agents has the greatest overall effect in shaping the earth's surface.)
Wind, ice, running water.
Running water, wind, ice.
Ice, wind, running water.
Ice, running water, wind.
(The question tests your understanding of the mechanisms of three important erosional agents.)
