Luminosity is
A) the total amount of light energy that star emits into space.
B) the stars apparent brightness.
C) the stars particular color spectrum output.
D) the stars total infrared output.
Answer:
In science, an educated guess is a
A) hypothesis.
B) theory.
C) both
Answer:
The trade wind belts are regions of generally
A) little rainfall.
B) heavy rainfall.
C) low temperatures.
D) westerly winds.
Answer:
Clorox is a laundry bleaching agent used to remove stains from white clothes. Suggest
why the name begins with Clor- and ends with -ox.
A) Clor~ because it has chlorine, ~ox because it is as strong as an ox.
B) The active ingredient contains chlorine atoms, which behave as strong oxidizing
agents.
C) Chlor~ because it has chlorine ions, ~ox because it is reduced.
D) Chlor~ because it has chlorine ions, ~ox because it uses oxygen.
Answer:
When a star collapses to become a black hole, its mass
A) increases.
B) decreases.
C) remains unchanged.
Answer:
If the masses of two planets doubles and the distance between them reduces by half, the
force between them would be
A) unchanged.
B) half as much.
C) twice as much.
D) four times as much.
E) none of the above
Answer:
Given the following diagram, describe what happens electronically between these two
molecules.
A) Oxygen B becomes slightly positively charged due to the electrons on the water
molecule.
B) Oxygen A becomes slightly positively charged due to the electrons on the water
molecule.
C) Oxygen W becomes slightly negatively charged due to the oxygen molecule.
D) Oxygen W becomes slightly positively charged due to the oxygen molecule.
E) none of the above
Answer:
Increased air pressure on the surface of hot water tends to
A) prevent boiling.
B) promote boiling.
C) neither of these
Answer:
Earth’s earliest atmosphere was lacking in
A) carbon dioxide.
B) hydrogen.
C) free oxygen.
D) photosynthesis.
Answer:
The planet with a mass most like Earth’s is
A) Mercury.
B) Venus.
C) Mars.
D) Saturn.
E) Neptune.
Answer:
The last minerals to crystallize from a cooling magma have the
A) lowest melting point and the highest percentage of silica.
B) lowest melting point and the lowest percentage of silica.
C) highest melting point and the highest percentage of silica.
D) highest melting point and the lowest percentage of silica.
Answer:
Which of the following accurately describes osmosis?
A) The more concentrated solution absorbs water from the less concentrated solution.
B) The less concentrated solution absorbs water from the more concentrated solution.
C) The less concentrated solution gets more dilute.
D) The ions migrate from the more concentrated solution to the less concentrated.
E) none of the above
Answer:
If more terrestrial radiation were able to leave Earth’s atmosphere than at present, we
would experience
A) global cooling.
B) no change in temperature.
C) global warming.
D) more severe weather.
Answer:
An astronaut floating alone in outer space throws a baseball. If the ball moves away at
20 m/s, the astronaut will move in the opposite direction at
A) 20 m/s.
B) a lower speed.
C) a higher speed.
D) more information needed
E) none of the above
Answer:
Suppose the Moon had twice as much mass as it does now and still orbits Earth at the
same distance. In that case, the ocean bulges on Earth would be
A) larger.
B) smaller.
C) unequal in size.
D) not significantly different.
E) none of these
Answer:
There are about
A) 10 different types of atoms.
B) 100 different types of atoms.
C) a thousand different types of atoms.
D) an unlimited number of different types of atoms.
Answer:
What is an advantage of using chlorine gas to disinfect drinking water supplies?
A) It provides residual protection against pathogens.
B) It gives the water a fresh taste.
C) Residual chlorine in water helps to whiten teeth.
D) Excess chlorine is absorbed in our bodies as a mineral supplement.
Answer:
A practical application of the wave nature of electrons is the
A) message chair.
B) electron microscope.
C) hologram.
D) scanning tunneling microscope.
Answer:
As sediment travels in a downstream river, it changes by getting
A) coarser.
B) finer.
C) more poorly sorted.
D) more angular.
Answer:
When holes are drilled through the wall of a water tower, water will spurt out with the
greatest speed from the hole closest to the
A) bottom of the tower.
B) middle of the tower.
C) top of the tower.
D) all the same
Answer:
As a supersonic aircraft gains speed, the angle of its shock wave
A) narrows.
B) widens.
C) remains unchanged.
Answer:
Nanotechnology may play an important role in the development of
A) space elevators.
B) windfarms.
C) bullet proof clothing.
D) a storage medium for hydrogen fuel.
E) all of the above
Answer:
Which law of thermodynamics is a restatement of the conservation of energy as it
applies to thermal systems?
A) First law
B) Second law
C) Third law
D) all of the above
Answer:
A bat chirps to locate a tasty lunch. The chirp travels at 340 m/s and its echo is heard 1 s
after the chirp. Distance to the lunch is
A) 85 m.
B) 170 m.
C) 340 m.
Answer:
Which of the following statements about electrons is true?
A) Electrons have a negative charge.
B) Electrons are particles.
C) Electrons behave like waves.
D) Electrons in atoms can be excited by light energy.
E) all of the above
Answer:
A temperature difference of 10 Celsius degrees is also equal to a temperature difference
of 10 on the
A) Fahrenheit scale.
B) Kelvin scale.
C) both of these
D) neither of these
Answer:
Which of the above illustrations shows an acidic aqueous solution?
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) All of the above are neutral solutions.
E) none of the above
Answer:
Musical tones are characterized by
A) quality.
B) partial tones
C) harmonics.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer:
Which of the following is a major disadvantage of nuclear-fission-based power plants?
A) The reactors can be used to produce their own fuel.
B) The byproducts of the fission process are radioactive and have very long half-lives.
C) The amount of energy per kilogram of fuel is greater than any other fuel source.
D) The power plants are complex and there are many safety requirements to prevent
contamination of the environment.
E) B and D
Answer:
Polaris is always directly overhead at
A) the north pole.
B) any location north of the equator.
C) the equator.
Answer:
A blueberry pie will be a net absorber of energy when its temperature is
A) higher than its surroundings.
B) lower than its surroundings.
C) none of these
Answer:
Which of these are good insulators?
A) feathers
B) wood
C) snow
D) all the above
E) none of the above
Answer:
The order in which solar energy is converted to the kinetic energy of an automobile is
A) photocells, electrolysis, motor, fuel cells, kinetic energy.
B) photocells, electrolysis, fuels cells, motor, kinetic energy.
C) electrolysis, fuel cells, photocells, motor, kinetic energy.
Answer:
Earthquakes are caused by the
A) friction between diverging plates.
B) sudden release of energy that is stored elastically in deforming rocks.
C) expansion of Earth’s crust.
D) combined motion of tectonic plates.
Answer: