6th Grade Science Benchmark Exam #1 2010-2011
1. The purpose of an experiment is:
A to test a hypothesis.
B to make a data table.
C to cause an explosion in class.
D to write a report in your lab notebook.
2. What makes a good hypothesis?
A It can be tested.
B It is never disproved.
C It is always correct.
D It is a wild guess.
3. Which of these units is used to show length?
A kilogram
B milliliter
C centimeter
D second
4. In science it is important to be accurate. Which of the following is the most accurate way to time a car rolling down a ramp?
A using a photo-gate timer
B counting seconds out load
C do the experiment only one time
D change the steepness of the ramp each time
5. A timer shows 0.1000 seconds. This is read as:
A one second.
B one thousand seconds.
C one thousandth of a second.
D one tenth of a second.
6. On a map, the height of an object measured from sea level is known as:
A contour.
B topography.
C elevation.
D scale.
7. You make an observation that you hear crickets more often in the summer than you do in the winter. Which of the following hypotheses can you make based on this observation?
A There are more crickets in the summer than in the winter.
B Crickets chirp more often when the temperature is higher.
C Crickets chirp more when the days are longer.
D All of the above
8. Which tools would you need to use to test if crickets chirp more when the temperature is higher?
A a balance and a thermometer
B a clock and a thermometer
C graduated cylinder and a balance
D a clock and a graduated cylinder
Elena notices that when her math teacher gives exams on colored paper, the students all seem to get better grades. Use this information to answer the following questions.
9. Which of the following would be a good hypothesis for the observation Elena made?
A Colored paper makes students smart.
B Students like colored paper better.
C White paper makes students work harder.
D Giving math tests on colored paper improves students’ scores.
10. Elena’s math teacher helped test her hypothesis by giving their next math test to half the class on colored paper and half the class on white paper. The half of the class that took the test on colored paper scored a total of 1500 points on the test. The half of the class that took the test on white paper scored a total of 1750 points.
What type of data did Elena collect?
A qualitative
B chemical
C hypothetical
D quantitative
11. Look at this picture of a desk. Which of the following is an observation of this desk that you can make by looking at the picture?
A The desk is made of wood.
B The desk is heavy.
C The desk has four legs.
D The desk belongs to Rafael.
12. The picture above shows different tools used for measurement. Which tool would you use to measure length?
A thermometer
B beaker
C meter stick
D clock
The Position vs. Time graph above represents the motion of a cart rolling across the floor. Use this graph to answer questions 13 - 15.
13. The graph above is an example of:
A a pie graph.
B a bar graph.
C a line graph.
D an equation.
14. What is the independent variable for the graph above?
A time
B speed
C position
D mass
15. What is the position of the cart at 2 seconds in the graph above?
A 0 m
B 2 m
C 3 m
D 4 m
16. California uses various types of resources to create energy. Below is a data set of the energy resources in California and their percentage of total energy use in the state for 1994.
Energy Resource / Percent UseCoal / 1%
Geothermal / 3%
Hydroelectric / 5%
Nuclear / 6%
Petroleum / 51%
Natural Gas / 34%
What is the most appropriate type of graph to use for this data set?
A line graph
B pie graph
C bar graph
D experimental graph
17. / Pat has two kinds of plant food, "Quickgrow" and "Supergrow." What would be the best way for Pat to find out which plant food helps a particular type of houseplant grow the most?A Put some Quickgrow on a plant in the living room, put some Supergrow on a plant of the same type in the bedroom, and see which one grows the most.
B Find out how much each kind of plant food costs, because the more expensive kind is probably better for growing plants.
C Put some Quickgrow on a few plants, put the same amount of Supergrow on a few other plants of the same type, put all the plants in the same place, and see which group of plants grows the most.
D Look at the advertisements for Quickgrow, look at the advertisements for Supergrow, and see which one says it helps plants grow the most.
The following questions refer to the topographic map below, which shows Willow Hill (elevation 312 feet) and Hobbes Creek. On the map, each contour line represents 20 feet of elevation.
18. Which side of Willow Hill is the LEAST steep?
A North side
B East side
C South side
D West side
19. What is the elevation at point X?
A 240 feet
B 250 feet
C 280 feet
D 300 feet
20. Which way does Hobbes Creek flow?
A North
B South
C East
D West
6th Grade Science Benchmark Exam #1 2010-2011
Answer Key
1. A 7a
2. A 7a
3. C 7b
4. A 7b
5. D 7b
6. C 7f
7. D 7a
8. B 7b
9. D 7g
10. D 7c
11. C 7a
12. C 7b
13. C 7c
14. A 7c
15. C 7c
16. B 7c
17. C 7a
18. B 7f
19. C 7f
20. A 7f
7
2010-2011 Grade 6 Science Benchmark Exam #1