Competency 1 – Inquiry
1. What type of graph is best for showing a relationship between two variables?
A. bar graph
B. circle graph
C. line graph
D. pie graph
2. According to the scientific method, how would you test a hypothesis?
A. collect data
B. conduct research
C. design and conduct an experiment
D. collect information on the Internet
3. Juan and Shanice took samples from around their classroom to grow bacterial cultures. After the bacterial cells have been growing for three days in the petri dishes, what is the most appropriate tool for them to use to measure the diameters of the colonies?
A. Yard stick
B. Metric ruler
C. Graduated cylinder
D. Triple beam balance
4. What is the best procedure for focusing a compound light microscope?
A.Use a visual inspection of the object to determine which objective lens to use first.
B.Begin to focus using the highest power objective lens in order to detect small objects.
C.Begin to focus using the highest power objective lens and switch to other lenses as necessary.
D.Begin by using the lowest power objective lens and then switching to the next highest power lens.
5. 5. Which is correct lab safety?
A. A. Rodney wafted the fumes produced during the reaction toward his nose.
B. Andrew heated the test tube towards himself in order to better observe the reaction.
C. Kadie was aware of the lab procedures that day so she began the lab before the rest of the class to be sure she would finish.
D. Suzanne did not use all of the sulfuric acid she poured out for the experiment, so she returned the remainder to the stock bottle.
6.
6. Which safety precaution is common to ALL laboratory activities?
A. Wear a lab apron.
B. Follow Instructions.
C. Disinfection of the lab bench.
D. Disposal of materials into hazardous waste containers.
7. When an experiment is repeated and the new results are different from the original results what may likely be inferred?
A. A. Addition test/trials are needed.
B. Both results are wrong due to the discrepancy.
C. The hypothesis is incorrect and must be modified.
D. The first must be inaccurate because you are sure the second results are correct.
Use the following chart for questions 8.
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8. Dr. Trout has noticed that salmon in his fish hatchery seem to enjoy listening to the radio in his lab. The fish in the tank closest to the radio seem to grow larger. Dr. Trout decides that the more music he plays, the larger the fish must grow. To test his idea, he sets up 5 large ponds with 100 salmon in each pond. He places a loudspeaker at the middle of each pond and plays various amounts of music in each one. He plays the same band, feeds the fish the same diet, and keeps water conditions in all tanks exactly the same. After 10 weeks, he ends the trial and finds the average mass of the fish in each pond.
Dr. Trout's data is illustrated in the table. Which statement is most supported?
A. Music has no effect, therefore the hypothesis is supported.
B. Music has no effect, therefore the hypothesis is not supported.
C. Music increases weight, therefore the hypothesis is not supported.
D. Music increases weight, therefore the hypothesis is supported.
9. In the data table, what would the comment column be classified as?
A. Qualitative data
B. Quantitative data
C. Experimental data
D. Independent data
10. Microscopes should be carried by the
A. Base and arm.
B. Binocular and arm.
C. Eyepiece and ocular.
D. Illuminator and precipitator.
11. Which of the following piece of lab equipment is the BEST way to measure liquid volume?
A. Flask
B. Beaker
C. Test tube
D. Graduated cylinder
Use the following chart for question 12.
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12. Coach Wood's class is trying to determine what factor is most important in the growth of earthworms. Each day, they take the METRIC length of four different worms in four different soil samples. Today, it is Moore's turn to measure the earthworms. For the worm above, Moore records a length of 6.0 cm. Explain whether Moore's recording is accurate and why.
A. The earthworm length is shorter than 6.0 cm because the worm is curved.
B. The earthworm length is shorter than 6.0 cm because Moore used the incorrect units.
C. The earthworm length is longer than 6.0 cm because the worm needs to be straightened.
D. The earthworm measurement is accurate because Moore subtracted the beginning and ending points from the ruler.
13. Which question would be MOST appropriate to guide a scientific investigation?
A. Which cup material is the best insulator?
B. Which room deodorizer smells the sweetest?
C. What is the effect of playing video games on memory?
D. In a taste test, which soft drink tasted better, Coke or Pepsi?
14. Mrs. Roberts' class was designing science experiments. Carl and his partner decided to use the outdoor classroom as their laboratory. Since there was a bird feeder in the outdoor classroom, they decided to design an experiment about the feeding habits of birds in their area.
Which question would be MOST appropriate to guide the scientific investigation?
A. What do birds eat?
B. What type of seeds do birds prefer?
C. What time of day do birds prefer to eat?
D. Which types of seeds do our feeder birds eat?
15.What must a scientist always try to avoid in scientific experiments?
A. Bias
B. Lab safety
C. Large data samples
D. Detailed procedures
Use the following chart for question 16.
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16. Mr. Kim's eighth grade science class was trying to maintain a classroom garden. Unfortunately, the weeds were taking over. Mr. Kim saw a weed killer advertised on TV which said that one application would kill the three most common garden weeds and would be effective for at least one month. Mr. Kim bought some and applied it to the classroom garden. His students kept track of the weeds growing in their garden.
What could Mr. Kim's students infer from their data?
A. The weed killer was most effective on lespedeza and dandelion.
B. The weed killer was effective on the plantain for three weeks.
C. The weed killer was not effective on any of the weeds for one month.
D. The weed killer wiped out the dandelions and plantain for over one month.
Use the following chart for question for 17.
Plant Table
Plant / Mass of Plantafter 3 Weeks (kg) / Amount of
Fertilizer (grams)
1 / 0.2 / 0
2 / 0.4 / 2
3 / 1.2 / 3
4 / 1.0 / 4
5 / Died / 5
17. “Plant growth is dependent on the amount of fertilizer applied.” That was the hypothesis Mel and Bill decided on for their science project. They planted identical seeds in the same potting mix, in similar pots. Each pot received the same amount of water and all the pots were placed in the same location in the greenhouse. Mel and Bill’s data was summarized after three weeks.
What would be the MOST appropriate conclusion for this experiment?
A. High applications of fertilizer will kill the plants.
B. Fertilizer application had no real effect on plant growth.
C. Optimal plant growth is attained by applying fertilizer.
D. An application of 3 grams of fertilizer produced the largest plant in three weeks.
Use the following chart for question 18.
Hand Washing Test
Treatment / Bacterial cultures (#/plate)Warm water / 24
Hand sanitizer / 28
Soap A / 12
Soap B / 13
18. Ms. James wanted to buy a product that would kill bacteria on her students' hands before taking them to lunch. The label on the hand sanitizer said that it would kill bacteria better than any soap on the market. Ms. James decided to compare the hand sanitizer to two brands of soap and plain warm water. The results are in the data table.
What should Ms. James infer about the hand cleaning products?
A. Both soap products were more effective than the hand sanitizer.
B. Soap is not necessary to kill bacteria. You should just use water.
C. Although hand sanitizer worked best, Soap A was almost as effective.
D. Hand sanitizer worked the best and warm water was more effective than either soap.
19. Why might a scientist repeat an experiment if she didn't make a mistake in the first one?
A. To make more money.
B. To ensure that the results are consistent and repeatable.
C. To make sure to obtain expected results to match hypothesis.
D. To determine if any portion can be skipped and still get the same results.
20. You have been collecting data to determine the average monthly temperature for a particular year. You have 30 samples recorded in degrees Celsius each month. You want to show temperature trends over the entire year. What would be the BEST way to represent your data to illustrate the average temperature for each month?
A. On a calendar
B. On a bar graph
C. In a data table
D. In a descriptive paragraph
Use the following chart for question 21.
Water Depth (cm) at Monitoring Stations June 10th-14th
Station ID / June 10 / June 11 / June 12 / June 13Station A / 44.5 / 45.3 / 46.4 / 47.0
Station B / 43.5 / 44.0 / 45.2 / 46.5
Station C / 42.7 / 43.4 / 44.5 / 47.2
Station D / 33.2 / 31.3 / 30.7 / 28.4
21. A team of scientists examining the effects of drought conditions on fish populations assembled the data shown. The data are collected from automated stations that monitor water levels in a stream. The scientists suspect that one of the automated stations may be malfunctioning. Based on the data shown, which monitoring station is most likely malfunctioning and reporting erroneous data?
A. Station A
B. Station B
C. Station C
D. Station D
22. After school each day, students head to several locations around town. Data was collected and the number of students visiting 4 different locations was recorded.
Location - Number of Students
McDonald's - 25
Jo's Arcade - 10
The Library - 15
Bill's House - 10
What would be the BEST way to illustrate the percent of students visiting each site?
A. Bar graph
B. Pie chart
C. Histogram
D. Line graph
Use the following chart for question 23.
23. Based on the information provided in the graph, we can see that as the independent variable increases,
A. The dependent variable decreases.
B. The dependent variable also increases.
C. There is no change in the dependent variable.
D. There is not enough information to form a conclusion.
24. In a controlled scientific experiment, the ______variable is manipulated by the researcher.
A. Control
B. Dependent
C. Experimental
D. Independent
25. Jimmy and Jenny have designed an experiment to test how termites react to the chemicals in ink pens. They use one termite in their experiment. Jenny draws four circles, using four different brands of black ink. Jimmy places the termite on each circle of ink and they watch the termite's behavior as it is placed on each circle, one try per circle. In all four cases, the termite veers off the ink circle. Jimmy and Jenny conclude that termites are not attracted to ink at all.
What suggestion would you give Jimmy and Jenny concerning their experimental design?
A. Run repeated trails with the one termite.
B. Use more than one termite and run many trials.
C. Use more than one termite and the same brand of ink pen each time.
D. Compare the termite's behavior on ink circles to the behavior on pencil circles.
Use the following chart for question 26.
26. As resources, such as food and space, become depleted, the bacterial population density will decrease. From the choices offered, during which month would resources be the most limited?
A. March
B. May
C. July
D. September
27. While working on a pH lab, Alex spilled strong acid all over the table. What should Alex's first step be to remedy this problem?
A. Inform his teacher.
B. Wipe it up with a paper towel.
C. Light it on fire to burn it off the table.
D. Mix it with a base and wipe it with a cloth rag.
28. In performing any laboratory experiment, what is the first step performed out of the following choices?
A. Collect data
B. Analyze data
C. Publish results
D. Form hypothesis
29. A farmer wants to know the effects of a new fertilizer on his crop of butter beans. One year, he fertilizes 1/4 of his crop (A) with the new fertilizer, 1/4 of his crop (B) with the fertilizer he has used in the past, 1/4 of his crop (C) with a mixture of the two fertilizers, and 1/4 of his crop (D) with no fertilizer. Assuming all other factors - sunlight, rainfall, soil composition, etc. - are the same as previous years, what is the control group in this experiment?
A. Group A
B. Group B
C. Group C
D. Group D
COMPETENCY 2 PRACTICE QUESTIONS
1. An enzyme known as amylase is found in the saliva of humans. This enzyme helps to begin the process of digesting starch molecules in the foods we eat. Which of these BEST describes how enzymes like amylase help in the process of digestion?
- Amylase acts as a buffer to keep the pH of foods at a consistent level.
- Amylase breaks down the food molecules directly by forming powerful acids.
- Amylase is a catalyst that speeds up the chemical process of breaking down food molecules.
- Amylase contains the DNA molecules necessary to assemble the proteins needed for digestion.
Use the following diagram for question 2.
2. Water’s ______makes it an excellent solvent for salts, like sodium chloride, as well as other substances required by cells to carry out metabolic processes.
- pH
- polarity
- specific heat
- molecular weight
Use the following picture for question 3.
3. Fill a glass with water above the rim. It forms a domed surface. Add a paper clip and watch it float, even though the paper clip is made of a metal that is denser than water. This is due to water’s surface tension. Water has several very unique properties, like surface tension, cohesion, and adhesion because water:
A. is the universal solvent and can hold anything, even paper clips.
B. is polar and every water molecule electrically attracts the neighboring water molecules.
C. bonds like metals so water molecules forms crystal lattice structure when in a container.
D. is polar and tends to attract metallic substances like the material that makes up the paper clip.
4. Reaction velocity of a biological enzyme is highest at body temperature. Which of these models represent this situation?
A.
B.
C.
D.
5. Milk of Magnesia is a base. What happens when you drink milk of magnesia on an upset stomach?
- It raises the pH of your stomach
- It lowers the pH of your stomach
- It cleanses the stomach of harmful, painful bacteria
- It coats the walls of your stomach with a protective layer.
6. One of the monosaccharides is a building block of plant’s cell wall. Which is the monosaccharide?
- Glucose
- Maltose
- Mannose
- Sucrose
Use the following chart for question 7.
A strawberry farmer conducted an experiment to test the optimum pH level of soil to give the greatest production of strawberries. He believed that the optimum pH would be around 5.5. For each pH level, he recorded average grams of strawberries produced per plant and total grams of strawberries produced per acre. His results are shown in the table below.
The Effect of Soil pH on Strawberry Production
pH Level / Grams per Plant / Grams per Acre4.5 / 0.44 / 5982
5.0 / 0.47 / 6390
5.5 / 0.51 / 6934
6.0 / 0.54 / 7342
6.5 / 0.57 / 7750
7.0 / 0.55 / 7478
7.5 / 0.52 / 7070
8.0 / 0.46 / 6254
8.5 / 0.40 / 5439
7. According to the table, what is the best pH level for optimum strawberry production?
A. 5.0
B. 6.5
C. 7.0
D. 8.5
Use the following pH scale for question 8.
8. According to the pH scale which of these substances is the strongest acid?
A. NaOH
B. Blood
C. Bleach
D. Lemon juice
9. In the structure of DNA, which nucleotide always pairs with adenine?
A. Cytosine
B. Guanine
C. Thymine
D. Uracil
10. What type of bonds share valence electrons?
A. Ionic bonds
B. Atomic bonds
C. Covalent bonds
D. Hydrogen bonds
11. PEPSI, VINEGAR, ORANGE JUICE
What property do all three of these common household substances have in common?
A. They are all acidic.
B. They all taste bitter
C. They all have a pH above 7.
D. They all turn litmus paper blue
12. Chemically speaking, enzymes are composed of chains of ______, and they are considered to be a type of______.
A. fatty acids, lipid
B. amino acids, protein
C. nucleotides, nucleic acid
D. monosaccharides, carbohydrates
- The illustration depicts the formation of an ionic chemical bond between sodium and chlorine atoms. Why is the resulting compound more stable than the individual atoms?
A. The shared electron from sodium to chlorine provides each atom with a full outer energy level.
B. The shared electron from sodium to chlorine provides each atom with an empty outer energy level.
C. The transferred electron from sodium to chlorine provides each atom with a full outer energy level
D. The transferred electron from sodium to chlorine provides each atom with an empty outer energy level.
14. The proteins in the cell membrane allow substances to come or go, based on their concentrations. This is an important part of ______, which maintains the immediate conditions necessary for life.
A. osmosis
B. metabolism
C. homeostasis
D. endocytosis
15. The ability of water to hold more heat than land keeps the temperature on Earth:
- moderate
- the same
- very low
- very high
16. ______form the majority of the plasma membrane of cells.
A. Proteins
B. Phospholipids
C. Steroids
D. Triglycerides
17. In the chemical process of photosynthesis, water is a
A. catalyst
B. enzyme
C. product
D. reactant
18. All BUT one of the conditions will increase the reaction rate of an enzyme. Which of the following will decrease the reaction rate of an enzyme?
A. Reaching optimal pH
B. Reaching optimal temperature
C. Decreasing the concentration of the enzyme
D. Decreasing the concentration of the substrate
19. A person starts to eat a hamburger. As she takes a bite and chews, an enzyme called salivary lipase helps to begin the process of digestion. Which of these is the BEST description of the role of enzymes in digestion?