GEPA Physical Practice Assessment! :)
Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____1.When you add so much solute that no more dissolves, you have a
a. / saturated solution.b. / unsaturated solution.
c. / neutralization.
d. / suspension.
____2.What is one way to increase the solubility of sugar in water?
a. / Heat the water.b. / Chill the water.
c. / Increase the amount of sugar.
d. / Decrease the amount of water.
____3.In a water solution, how do acids differ from bases?
a. / Acids form hydrogen ions (H+), while bases form hydroxide ions (OH–).b. / Acids turn litmus blue, while bases turn litmus red.
c. / Acids form salts, bust bases do not.
d. / Hydrogen ions (H+) remain dissolved, but hydroxide ions (OH–) do not.
____4.The pH scale measures
a. / the strength of an acid.b. / the strength of hydrogen ions.
c. / the concentration of hydrogen ions.
d. / the concentration of an acid.
____5.Compared to the pH of saliva, the pH of stomach juices is
a. / the same.b. / higher.
c. / lower.
d. / unpredictable.
____6.You can find the pH of a substance by using
a. / plain paper.b. / a thermometer.
c. / litmus indicator.
d. / a conductivity tester.
____7.One example of a physical change is
a. / burning paper.b. / baking cookies.
c. / heating table sugar.
d. / dissolving salt in water.
____8.One example of a chemical change is
a. / filtering.b. / burning wood.
c. / boiling water.
d. / crushing a can.
____9.Radio waves, visible light from the sun, infrared “rays” from heat lamps, the waves that heat food in a microwave oven, ultraviolet rays, and X-rays are all considered types of
a. / electrical energy.b. / electromagnetic energy.
c. / chemical energy.
d. / potential energy.
____10.Substances that CANNOT be broken down chemically into other substances are
a. / elements.b. / compounds.
c. / mixtures.
d. / solutions.
____11.The measurement of the force of gravity on an object is the object’s
a. / mass.b. / volume.
c. / weight.
d. / density.
____12.The measurement of how much matter an object contains is its
a. / volume.b. / weight.
c. / mass.
d. / melting point.
____13.The measurement of how much mass is contained in a given volume is called
a. / weight.b. / melting point.
c. / boiling point.
d. / density.
____14.The density of a block of wood with a volume of 50 cubic centimeters and a mass of 100 grams is
a. / 2 g/cm3b. / 0.5 g/cm3
c. / 500 g/cm3
d. / 5,000 g/cm3
____15.Which of the following is NOT an example of a chemical change?
a. / gas burning on a stoveb. / rust forming on an iron fence
c. / salt dissolving in a glass of water
d. / using electricity to break down water into hydrogen and oxygen
____16.What holds atoms together in a molecule?
a. / densityb. / gravity
c. / physical bonds
d. / chemical bonds
____17.The volume of an irregular object can be measured by
a. / multiplying the object’s length, width, and height.b. / dividing the object’s density by its mass.
c. / submerging the object in water in a graduated cylinder.
d. / placing the object on a triple-beam balance.
____18.Lemonade consists of several substances that are NOT chemically combined, so lemonade is classified as a(n)
a. / element.b. / compound.
c. / mixture.
d. / pure substance.
____19.How do liquid water, ice, and water vapor differ from each other?
a. / They are different states of matter.b. / They are different compounds.
c. / They are made of different kinds of molecules.
d. / They are made of different kinds of atoms.
____20.H2O, CO2, and C12H22O11 are all examples of chemical
a. / properties.b. / changes.
c. / bonds.
d. / formulas.
____21.Each family in the periodic table has its own characteristic properties based on the number of
a. / neutrons.b. / valence electrons.
c. / protons.
d. / ions.
____22.When an atom loses an electron, it becomes a
a. / positive ion.b. / negative ion.
c. / neutral ion.
d. / neutral atom.
____23.Electrons involved in bonding between atoms are
a. / valence electrons.b. / inside the nucleus.
c. / closest to the nucleus.
d. / positively charged.
____24.What is the greatest number of valence electrons an atom can have?
a. / 2b. / 3
c. / 8
d. / 12
____25.If atoms of a halogen nonmetal (Group 17) gain one electron, the atoms then have
a. / no valence electrons.b. / 7 valence electrons.
c. / 8 valence electrons.
d. / 17 valence electrons.
____26.Which form of pure carbon is so hard that it can be used in cutting tools?
a. / diamondb. / graphite
c. / nanotube
d. / fullerene
____27.What can you tell about methane (CH4) from its molecular formula?
a. / It contains four carbon atoms.b. / It contains one hydrogen atom.
c. / It contains four hydrogen atoms.
d. / It forms groups of four molecules.
____28.A carbohydrate is made up of the elements carbon and hydrogen, plus
a. / oxygen.b. / oxygen and nitrogen.
c. / oxygen and sulfur.
d. / oxygen and phosphorus.
____29.A disturbance that transfers energy from place to place is called a
a. / wave.b. / medium.
c. / vibration.
d. / compression.
____30.The highest parts of a transverse wave are called
a. / troughs.b. / crests.
c. / nodes.
d. / wavelengths.
____31.Waves that move the particles of the medium parallel to the direction in which the waves are traveling are called
a. / longitudinal waves.b. / transverse waves.
c. / surface waves.
d. / combination waves.
____32.The distance between two corresponding parts of a wave is the wave’s
a. / amplitude.b. / wavelength.
c. / frequency.
d. / speed.
____33.The bending of waves due to a change in speed is called
a. / reflection.b. / refraction.
c. / diffraction.
d. / interference.
____34.The bending of waves around the edge of a barrier is known as
a. / reflection.b. / refraction.
c. / diffraction.
d. / interference.
____35.Waves produced by earthquakes are called
a. / standing waves.b. / transverse waves.
c. / seismic waves.
d. / longitudinal waves.
____36.Longitudinal seismic waves are known as
a. / primary waves.b. / secondary waves.
c. / surface waves.
d. / transverse waves.
____37.Secondary waves CANNOT travel through
a. / rock.b. / liquids.
c. / Earth’s mantle.
d. / Earth’s crust.
____38.Chemistry is
a. / a characteristic of a substance that can be observed without changing the substance into another substance.b. / the study of matter and how matter changes.
c. / anything that has mass and takes up space.
d. / a rapid reaction between oxygen and a substance called a fuel.
____39.Which of the following is NOT a correct inference that you can make about the burning of gasoline?
a. / Chemical bonds are broken and others are formed.b. / The reaction is a physical change.
c. / New substances are produced.
d. / Energy is released.
____40.A chemical equation that shows the same number of each kind of atom on both sides of the equation is said to be
a. / balanced.b. / unbalanced.
c. / an incomplete reaction.
d. / a replacement reaction.
____41.CaCO3 represents a chemical
a. / symbol.b. / formula.
c. / subscript.
d. / reaction.
____42.The substances listed on the left side of a chemical equation are the
a. / products.b. / coefficients.
c. / precipitates.
d. / reactants.
____43.Which of the following is a balanced chemical equation?
a. / H2O2 H2O + O2b. / 2 Fe2O3 + 3 C 4 Fe + 3 CO2
c. / SO2 + O2 + 2 H2O 4 H2SO4
d. / 2 Mg + HC1 MgCl2 + H2
____44.The number placed below an element’s symbol in a chemical formula is called a
a. / subscript.b. / coefficient.
c. / reactant.
d. / product.
____45.As in the case of unlike magnetic poles, unlike electric charges
a. / attract each other.b. / repel each other.
c. / exist in pairs.
d. / do not interact.
____46.The buildup of charges on an object is called
a. / static discharge.b. / static electricity.
c. / positive charge.
d. / negative charge.
____47.Clothes in a dryer acquire static cling by
a. / friction.b. / conduction.
c. / induction.
d. / static discharge.
____48.The loss of static electricity as electric charges move off an object is called
a. / friction.b. / conduction.
c. / induction.
d. / static discharge.
____49.Suppose you acquire a positive charge from walking across a carpet. You then touch a doorknob and receive a shock. This leaves you
a. / positively charged.b. / negatively charged.
c. / uncharged.
d. / electrically neutral.
____50.According to Ohm’s law, resistance is equal to voltage divided by
a. / time.b. / conduction.
c. / current.
d. / potential.
____51.In a series circuit with three bulbs, adding another bulb will
a. / make the nearest bulb brighter.b. / make some of the bulbs dimmer.
c. / make all the bulbs brighter.
d. / make all the bulbs dimmer.
____52.In a parallel circuit with three bulbs,
a. / the bulbs must all be located on the same branch.b. / there is only one path for the current to take.
c. / current from each bulb has its own path.
d. / the overall resistance increases if a new branch is added.
____53.The charge on a proton is
a. / negative, and the charge on an electron is positive.b. / positive, and the charge on an electron is negative.
c. / the same as the charge on an electron.
d. / can change according to the situation.
____54.Materials that allow the charges of an electric current to move freely through them are called
a. / insulators.b. / conductors.
c. / resistors.
d. / magnets.
____55.How did chemists change Mendeleev’s periodic table in the early 1900s?
a. / They included chemical properties such as bonding power.b. / They included physical properties such as melting point and density.
c. / They used atomic mass instead of atomic number to organize the elements.
d. / They used atomic number instead of atomic mass to organize the elements.
____56.Most metals are NOT
a. / ductile.b. / good conductors of heat and electricity.
c. / liquid at room temperature.
d. / malleable.
____57.In the periodic table, the most reactive metals are found
a. / in Group 1, the first column on the left.b. / in Period 1, the first row across the top.
c. / in Groups 13 through 16 in the center.
d. / in Periods 6 and 7 at the bottom.
____58.Which group contains the most elements?
a. / metalloidsb. / nonmetals
c. / metals
d. / transition elements
____59.The sun is made up mostly of
a. / hydrogen.b. / iron.
c. / carbon.
d. / beryllium.
____60.In an atom, the number of protons equals the number of
a. / nuclei.b. / electrons.
c. / neutrons.
d. / isotopes.
____61.The elements in a column of the periodic table
a. / have similar properties.b. / are in the same period.
c. / have the same atomic mass.
d. / have very similar chemical symbols.
____62.What information in the periodic table indicates the number of protons in an atom?
a. / the position of the element in its columnb. / the element’s chemical symbol
c. / the element’s atomic number
d. / the element’s atomic mass
____63.The elements that do not ordinarily form compounds are
a. / elements in the carbon family.b. / metals.
c. / halogens.
d. / noble gases.
____64.The ability to do work is called
a. / velocity.b. / energy.
c. / conversion.
d. / friction.
____65.The energy associated with motion is called
a. / kinetic energy.b. / elastic potential energy.
c. / gravitational potential energy.
d. / nuclear energy.
____66.The total potential and kinetic energy of the particles in an object is called
a. / mechanical energy.b. / thermal energy.
c. / chemical energy.
d. / electrical energy.
____67.An example of something that stores chemical energy is
a. / lightning.b. / a microwave.
c. / a match.
d. / light.
____68.What type of conversion is taking place when natural gas is used to heat water?
a. / chemical energy into thermal energyb. / thermal energy into mechanical energy
c. / mechanical energy into electromagnetic energy
d. / electromagnetic energy into chemical energy
____69.When you rub your hands together on a cold day, you use friction to convert
a. / mechanical energy into thermal energy.b. / thermal energy into nuclear energy.
c. / nuclear energy into electrical energy.
d. / electrical energy into electromagnetic energy.
____70.Fossil fuels contain energy that originally came from
a. / tidal forces.b. / Earth’s core.
c. / the sun.
d. / dinosaurs.
____71.Which of the following has kinetic energy?
a. / a rock poised for a fallb. / an archer’s bow that is drawn back
c. / a rolling bowling ball
d. / a car waiting at a red light
____72.Niagara Falls is a good example of
a. / kinetic energy being converted into potential energy.b. / potential energy being converted into kinetic energy.
c. / energy being lost.
d. / energy being created.
____73.The law of conservation of energy states that when one form of energy is converted into another,
a. / energy is destroyed in the process.b. / no energy is destroyed in the process.
c. / energy is created in the process.
d. / some amount of energy cannot be accounted for.
____74.Which of the following is an example of exerting a force?
a. / a child running through a fieldb. / a train speeding down a track
c. / a carpenter hammering a nail
d. / an airplane soaring through the sky
____75.What happens when two forces act in the same direction?
a. / They cancel each other out.b. / The stronger one prevails.
c. / They add together.
d. / Their sum divided by two is the total force.
____76.The greater the mass of an object,
a. / the easier the object starts moving.b. / the greater its inertia.
c. / the more balanced it is.
d. / the more space it takes up.
____77.One way to increase acceleration is by
a. / increasing mass.b. / decreasing mass.
c. / decreasing force.
d. / increasing both force and mass proportionally.
____78.The law of universal gravitation states that any two objects in the universe, without exception,
a. / attract each other.b. / repel each other.
c. / combine to provide a balanced force.
d. / create friction.
____79.The product of an object’s mass and velocity is called its
a. / inertia.b. / momentum.
c. / acceleration.
d. / force.
____80.The achievement of lifting a rocket off the ground and into space can be explained by
a. / Newton’s first law.b. / Newton’s second law.
c. / Newton’s third law.
d. / the law of conservation of momentum.
____81.How can you increase the momentum of an object?
a. / by decreasing its velocityb. / by increasing its mass
c. / by increasing its friction
d. / by decreasing its acceleration
____82.Which of the following is an example of increasing friction intentionally?
a. / waxing skisb. / adding grease to gears on a bike
c. / throwing sand on an icy driveway
d. / oiling a squeaky door
____83.According to Newton’s third law of motion, when a hammer strikes and exerts force on a nail, the nail
a. / creates a friction with the hammer.b. / disappears into the wood.
c. / exerts an equal force back on the hammer.
d. / moves at a constant speed.
____84.Given that the air pressure outside your body is so great, why aren’t you crushed?
a. / Human skin is extremely strong.b. / Earth’s gravity cancels out the air pressure.
c. / Pressure inside your body balances the air pressure outside your body.
d. / Inertia changes the pressure before it comes into contact with you.
____85.Water pressure increases as
a. / depth increases.b. / gravity decreases.
c. / force decreases.
d. / acceleration increases.
____86.What scientific rule describes why water squirts from a plastic bottle when it is squeezed?
a. / Bernoulli’s principleb. / Archimedes’ principle
c. / Pascal’s principle
d. / Newton’s first law of motion
____87.Which of the following is true of the buoyant force?
a. / It acts in the downward direction.b. / It acts with the force of gravity.
c. / It acts in the upward direction.
d. / It makes an object feel heavier.
____88.If an object floats, the volume of displaced water is equal to the volume of
a. / the entire object.b. / the portion of the object that is above water.
c. / the portion of the object that is submerged.
d. / exactly half of the object.
____89.What scientific rule states that the buoyant force on an object is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object?
a. / Archimedes’ principleb. / Pascal’s principle
c. / Bernoulli’s principle
d. / Newton’s third law of motion
____90.A ship stays afloat as long as the buoyant force is
a. / less than the ship’s weight.b. / equal to the ship’s weight.
c. / less than the ship’s speed.
d. / greater than the ship’s speed.
____91.Bernoulli’s principle helps to explain
a. / hydraulic brakes.b. / buoyancy.
c. / momentum.
d. / flight.
____92.An object that is more dense than the fluid in which it is immersed will
a. / sink.b. / rise.
c. / neither rise nor sink.
d. / sink at first, than rise slowly.
____93.What scientific rule states that the pressure exerted by a moving stream of fluid is less than the pressure of the surrounding fluid?
a. / Archimedes’ principleb. / Pascal’s principle
c. / Bernoulli’s principle
d. / Newton’s third law of motion
____94.When the surface of a mirror curves inward, like the inside of a bowl, it is called a
a. / plane mirror.b. / convex mirror.
c. / concave mirror.
d. / diffuse mirror.
____95.The bending of light rays as they enter a new medium is called
a. / diffuse reflection.b. / regular reflection.
c. / refraction.
d. / diffraction.
____96.What happens when light passes from air into water?
a. / The light speeds up.b. / The light continues at the same speed.
c. / The light slows down.
d. / The light forms a mirage.
____97.Colored substances that are used to color other materials are called
a. / pigments.b. / lenses.
c. / mirages.
d. / filters.
____98.The transparent front surface of the eye is called the
a. / cornea.b. / iris.
c. / pupil.
d. / retina.
____99.What happens if you break a magnet in half?
a. / One half will have a north pole only and one half will have a south pole only.b. / Neither half will have a pole.
c. / Each half will be a new magnet, with both a north and south pole.
d. / Neither half will be able to attract or repel.
____100.Magnetic poles that are alike
a. / attract each other.b. / repel each other.
c. / do not interact.
d. / have the same shape.
____101.The region around a magnet where the magnetic force is exerted is known as its
a. / magnetic pole.b. / lodestone.
c. / magnetic field.
d. / magnetic domain.
____102.A cluster of billions of atoms that all have magnetic fields lined up in the same way is known as a
a. / magnetic field line.b. / magnetic pole.
c. / magnetic domain.
d. / permanent magnet.
____103.Earth’s magnetic field can make a magnet out of an iron bar by causing the magnetic domainsto
a. / move back and forth between the north and south poles.b. / create magnetic field lines.
c. / change the magnetic declination.
d. / line up in the same direction.
____104.A spinning electron produces a(n)
a. / element.b. / magnetic field.
c. / proton.
d. / piece of iron.
____105.Every magnet, regardless of its shape, has two
a. / magnetic poles.b. / magnetic charges.
c. / magnetic fields.
d. / magnetic domains.
____106.The closer together a magnet’s magnetic field lines are,
a. / the weaker the magnetic field.b. / the stronger the magnetic field.
c. / the closer they are to the magnet’s center.
d. / the closer they are to disappearing.
____107.Speed equals distance divided by
a. / time.b. / velocity.
c. / size.
d. / motion.
____108.Which of these is an example of deceleration?
a. / a bird taking off for flightb. / a roller coaster moving down a steep hill
c. / a car approaching a red light
d. / an airplane following a straight flight path
____109.If you know the distance an object has traveled in a certain amount of time, you can determine
a. / the size of the object.b. / the speed of the object.
c. / the location of the object.
d. / the acceleration of the object.
____110.If a bicyclist travels 30 kilometers in two hours, her average speed is
a. / 30 km/h.b. / 60 km/h.
c. / 15 km/h.
d. / 2 km/h.
____111.A solid is a state of matter that has a(n)
a. / indefinite volume and an indefinite shape.b. / definite volume and a definite shape.
c. / definite volume and an indefinite shape.
d. / indefinite volume and a definite shape.
____112.Particles of a liquid
a. / are tightly packed together and stay in a fixed position.b. / have no viscosity.
c. / decrease in volume with increasing temperature.
d. / are free to move in a container but remain in close contact with one another.
____113.In which state of matter do the particles spread apart and fill all the space available to them?