Which of the following statements describes a basic solution?
A) [H3O+] > [OH–]
B) [H3O+] < [OH–]
C) [H3O+] [OH–] ≠ 1 10-14
D) [H3O+]/[OH–] = 1 10-14
E) [H3O+]/[OH–] = 1
Answer:
When a gas in a container is squeezed to half its volume at constant temperature, its
density
A) halves.
B) doubles.
C) quadruples.
D) remains the same.
Answer:
In order to produce precipitation, an air mass must rise because rising air
A) allows water droplets more time in the cloud where they can grow in size.
B) produces downdrafts which increases the evaporation of droplets from the cloud.
C) supports the downfall of raindrops.
D) all of the above.
Answer:
A red shift for light indicates that the light source is moving
A) toward you.
B) away from you.
C) both of these
D) none of the above
Answer:
Given that the total number of atoms on our planet remains fairly constant, how is it
ever possible to deplete a natural resource such as a metal?
A) The problem remains that not everyone recycles as they should.
B) Recycling only forestalls the inevitable depletion of metal resources.
C) The atoms don’t leave our planet, which is why naturally occurring materials never
really reach the point of depletion.
D) The problem is with the expense of collecting metal atoms that are uniformly
dispersed.
Answer:
Which would you expect to be more viscous, a polymer made of long molecular strands
or one made of short molecular strands? Why?
A) short molecular strands because of a greater density
B) long molecular strands because they tend to tangle among themselves
C) short molecular strands because their ends are typically polar
D) long molecular strands because of a greater molecular mass
Answer:
What is happening at the molecular level when a polar molecule like water interacts
with a typical sodium ion?
A) The water molecule aligns such that the oxygen interacts with the sodium.
B) The water molecule aligns such that the hydrogens interact with the sodium.
C) The polarity of the water molecule is altered making the oxygen more positively
charged.
D) The polarity of the water molecule is altered making the hydrogens more negatively
charged.
E) none of the above
Answer:
An efficient step-down transformer decreases
A) current.
B) voltage.
C) power.
D) energy.
E) all of the above
Answer:
In naming compounds, the prefix is used to
A) indicate the level of toxicity.
B) categorize the compound.
C) indicate the relative number of atoms.
D) indicate the relative number of molecules.
Answer:
Which molecule is most polar?
A) S=C=S
B) O=C=O
C) O=C=S
D) These all have the same polarity.
Answer:
Water pressure on a submerged object is greatest against its
A) top.
B) bottom.
C) sides.
D) same against all surfaces
E) none of the above
Answer:
Steam burns are much more damaging than boiling-water burns because steam
A) has a higher temperature.
B) releases more thermal energy.
C) is hotter.
D) is gaseous.
Answer:
Why is oxygen usually an oxidizing agent?
A) It is a very electronegative element.
B) It does not undergo reduction.
C) It likes to be oxidized.
D) It is very abundant and so it is easier to react than nitrogen.
E) all of the above
Answer:
On a weather map, an L depicts an area of low pressure. In this region, if the isobars are
closely spaced around the low, the weather forecast calls for
A) cloudy skies and windy conditions.
B) clear skies with light winds.
C) warm temperatures with light winds.
D) snow.
Answer:
For each 1-degree increase in temperature above 0C, the speed of sound in air
A) decreases by 0.6 m/s.
B) increases by 0.6 m/s.
C) as with the speed of light, doesn’t change.
Answer:
As a system becomes more disordered, entropy
A) increases.
B) decreases.
C) remains the same.
Answer:
The relative mass of carbon is 3/8 that of an oxygen molecule. How many grams of
carbon are needed to have the same number of particles as found in 32 grams of oxygen
molecules?
A) 12 g
B) 32 g
C) 3 g
D) 8 g
E) 3/8 g
Answer:
Why wouldn’t you use carbon-14 dating on a piece of shell that was estimated to be 1
million years old?
A) Sea shells do not have radioisotopes.
B) Carbon dating is only useful on plants.
C) Uranium dating is better for items older than 1/2 million years.
D) Carbon dating can only be used on items that were once alive.
E) The amount of radioactive carbon in the sample would probably too small to
measure.
Answer:
Which of the following statements about oxidation and reduction reactions is true?
A) More than one electron can be transferred in an oxidation and reduction reaction.
B) In a half-reaction, only half of an electron is transferred.
C) Only neutral atoms are formed in oxidation and reduction reactions.
D) A half-reaction is only used for reduction reactions.
E) None of the above are true.
Answer:
Which of the following molecules could be a different conformation of the underlined
molecule below?
A) a
B) b
C) c
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer:
In the 19th century the famous physicist Lord Kelvin estimated the age of Earth to be
much much less than its present estimate. What information did Kelvin not have to
account for his error?
A) Lord Kelvin knew only classical physics and had no knowledge of anthropological
dating.
B) Lord Kelvin had no knowledge of radio waves for measuring distance and age of
planets since they have not yet been introduced into science.
C) Lord Kelvin was not aware of radioactive decay, a source of energy to keep Earth
warm for billions of years.
D) Lord Kelvin never gave any estimate of the age of Earth.
Answer:
Two amu equals how many grams?
A) 2 grams
B) 1.661 grams
C) 3.322 grams
D) 1.204 grams
Answer:
The average speed of electrons flowing though the filament of a dc flashlight bulb is
A) about the same speed as sound in metals.
B) dependent on how quickly electrons bumps into one another.
C) the speed of light.
D) 1000 cm/s.
E) a snail’s pace of less than 1 cm/s.
Answer:
A projectile that is fired vertically at 5 km/s from the Earth’s surface will
A) go into a circular orbit about Earth.
B) go into an elliptical orbit about Earth.
C) rise and fall back to Earth’s surface.
D) none of the above
Answer:
Fourier discovered that music can be
A) a series of non-periodic waves.
B) reduced to simple sine waves.
C) a binary code.
D) pulses of the same amplitude.
Answer:
When we breathe we inhale oxygen, , and exhale carbon dioxide, , plus water
vapor, O. Which likely has more mass, the air that we inhale or the same volume of
air we exhale? Does breathing cause you to lose or gain weight?
A) The air we inhale has more mass; Breathing causes you to lose weight.
B) The air we exhale has more mass; Breathing causes you to lose weight.
C) The air we inhale has more mass; Breathing causes you to gain weight.
D) The air we exhale has more mass; Breathing causes you to gain weight.
Answer:
Which of the following intermolecular forces best describes why nonpolar molecules
like gasoline (C8H18) have only limited solubility in water?
A) dipole-dipole
B) induced dipole-induced dipole
C) dipole-induced dipole
D) ion-dipole
E) Both A and B
Answer:
Which of the following solutions is the most dilute?
A) 0.1 liter of water with 1 gram of sugar
B) 0.2 liter of water with 2 grams of sugar
C) 0.5 liter of water with 5 grams of sugar
D) 1 liter of water with 10 grams of sugar
E) They all have the same concentration.
Answer:
A light year is a unit of
A) time.
B) energy.
C) distance.
D) mass.
Answer:
Which of the above substances would have the lowest boiling point?
A) a
B) b
C) c
D) All boil at the same temperature.
E) All are gases.
Answer:
Plutons form from magma
A) at Earth’s surface.
B) below Earth’s surface.
C) ejected from volcanoes.
D) all of these
Answer:
Thermonuclear fusion occurs mainly in the
A) cores of stars.
B) outer layers of stars.
C) both, actually
Answer:
During a very cold winter, water pipes sometimes burst because
A) the ground contracts when colder, pulling pipes apart.
B) water expands when freezing.
C) water contracts when freezing.
D) the thawing process produces pressure on the pipes.
E) none of the above
Answer:
Layered sedimentary rocks and foliated metamorphic rocks share similarities because
A) most foliated metamorphic rocks are derived from layered sedimentary rocks.
B) they both are formed layer upon layer.
C) the minerals in these two types of rocks form in parallel planes.
D) both rock types are subjected to compressive forces.
Answer: