You are given three radioactive samples (α, β, and γ) and can only dispose of one. The
other two you must keep, one in your hand, the other in your pocket. How would you
minimize your exposure risk?
A) keep α in hand, keep β in pocket, and dispose of γ
B) dispose of α, keep β in hand, and keep γ in pocket
C) dispose of α, keep β in pocket and keep γ in hand
D) keep α in pocket, dispose of β, and keep γ in hand
E) keep α in hand, dispose of β, and keep γ in pocket
Answer:
How would you classify the following material?
milk
A) a suspension
B) a heterogeneous mixture
C) a solution
D) an element
E) a compound
Answer:
The majority of surface rocks are
A) extrusive.
B) sedimentary.
C) intrusive.
D) metamorphic.
Answer:
If molecules in a sample of gas moved so they completely missed each other, with no
other effects, the gas temperature would
A) increase.
B) decrease.
C) remain unchanged.
Answer:
The twinkling of stars is a result of atmospheric
A) reflection.
B) refraction.
C) scattering.
D) dispersion.
E) aberrations.
Answer:
If the mass of a cart is quickly loaded to have twice the mass while a propelling force
remains constant, the cart’s acceleration
A) quadruples.
B) doubles.
C) stays the same.
D) halves.
E) none of these
Answer:
In general, cold days are associated with
A) high surface pressure.
B) low surface pressure.
C) snow.
D) a pressure-gradient force.
Answer:
If a pizza absorbs more energy than it emits, its temperature
A) decreases.
B) is unaffected.
C) increases.
D) none of the above
Answer:
The concept of pressure involves both
A) force and volume.
B) force and area.
C) area and volume.
Answer:
In a gaseous mixture of hydrogen and oxygen, the molecules most contributing to
temperature are
A) hydrogen.
B) oxygen.
C) both the same
D) not enough information
Answer:
What best describes what happens when an acid such as HCl is mixed with water?
A) The proton chemically bonded to the chlorine is transferred to a water molecule and
forms a chloride ion and a hydronium ion.
B) A proton from the chlorine nucleus is ejected and captured by a water molecule to
form a negatively charged HCl and a new hydronium ion.
C) A hydroxide ion from the water is transferred to the HCl molecule to form a proton
and hydronium ion.
D) HCl is not an acid.
E) none of the above
Answer:
Ice has a lower density than water because ice
A) sinks.
B) molecules are more compact in the solid state.
C) molecules vibrate at lower rates than water molecules.
D) is composed of open-structured crystals.
E) density decreases with decreasing temperature.
Answer:
As a large reservoir behind a new dam fills with water, the water table in the vicinity of
the reservoir
A) rises.
B) falls.
C) stays the same.
D) becomes unsaturated.
Answer:
Most of the waves in the electromagnetic spectrum are
A) red light.
B) blue light.
C) green light.
D) invisible.
Answer:
Which of the following species is the reducing agent?
2 CuBr → 2Cu + Br2
A) Cu
B) CuBr
C) Cu+
D) Br–
E) Br2
Answer:
Why do the natural reactions involving ozone not lead to depletion of the ozone layer?
A) Ozone continually rises from the troposphere.
B) Ozone is too diffuse.
C) Ozone breaks into fragments that can reassemble into more ozone.
D) UV radiation generates more ozone.
E) c and d
Answer:
Where does a tsunami usually occur?
A) transformfault boundary
B) underwater reverse fault
C) divergent boundary
D) continentalcontinental convergent boundary
Answer:
If you toss a ball straight upward at 40 m/s with no air resistance, one second before it
reaches the top of its path its speed is
A) zero.
B) 10 m/s.
C) 20 m/s.
D) 30 m/s
E) 40 m/s.
Answer:
Changing the magnetic field intensity in a copper coil induces
A) current.
B) voltage.
C) both of these
D) none of the above
Answer:
A clock on the surface of a shrinking star will run progressively
A) slower.
B) faster.
C) no difference
Answer:
Double the frequency of sound and you also double its
A) wavelength.
B) speed.
C) amplitude.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
Answer:
Which moves faster in a gas at the same temperature?
A) light molecules
B) heavy molecules
C) Both have equal average speeds.
Answer:
If the masses of two planets doubles and the distance between them also doubles, the
force between them would be
A) one-quarter.
B) half as much.
C) twice as much.
D) four times as much.
E) none of the above
Answer:
What is found in between the particles of a gas?
A) air
B) nothing
C) elements
D) temperature
Answer:
When you touch a piece of ice with your finger, energy flows
A) from your finger to the ice.
B) from the ice to your finger.
C) both of these
D) none of the above
Answer:
What is a functional group?
A) a set of atoms bonded together that give molecules containing them similar
properties
B) a group that adds function
C) a group of hydrocarbons that can be used to make new materials
D) a set of molecules that are grouped together to form a functional material
E) none of the above
Answer:
What is the compound that forms if you react potassium and sulfur?
A) K2S
B) KS
C) SP
D) PS2
E) SkP
Answer:
Chemical equations need to be balanced not only in terms of the number of atoms, but
also by the charge. In other words, just as there should be the same number of atoms
before and after the arrow of an equation, there should be the same charge. What set of
coefficients is necessary to balance the following chemical equation?
________ + ________ Cl → ________ ⁻ + ________
A) 1, 2, 1, 1
B) 2, 2, 2, 1
C) 1, 4, 1, 2
D) 3, 4, 3, 2
Answer:
Induced electric and magnetic fields produce
A) stronger electric or magnetic field.
B) higher voltages produced by Faraday induction.
C) both of these
D) none of the above
Answer:
Is chemistry the study of the submicroscopic, the microscopic, or the macroscopic, or
all three?
A) Submicroscopic because it deals with atoms and molecules, which can’t be seen with
a microscope.
B) Microscopic because it pertains to the formation of crystals.
C) Macroscopic because it deals with powders, liquids, and gases that fill beakers and
flasks.
D) All of the above because most everything is made of atoms and molecules.
Answer:
About how many tons of meteorites strike the Earth on a daily basis?
A) 20 tons
B) 200 tons
C) 2000 tons
D) 20,000 tons
Answer:
When a gas in a container expands to twice its volume, with no change in temperature,
its density
A) is half.
B) doubles.
C) quadruples.
D) remains the same.
Answer:
A particle is being accelerated through space by a 10-N force. Suddenly the particle
encounters a second force of 10 N in the opposite direction. The particle with both
forces acting
A) is brought to a rapid halt.
B) decelerates gradually to a halt.
C) continues at the same speed it had before encountering the second force.
D) theoretically tends to accelerate toward the speed of light.
E) none of the above
Answer:
On a weather map we see an H for Highs and an L for Lows. In a high pressure region
we generally can find
A) stormy weather.
B) clear skies.
C) very cold temperatures.
D) cloud cover.
Answer:
The amount of current produced by electromagnetic induction depends on the
A) amount of induced voltage.
B) resistance of the circuit to which it is connected.
C) both of these
D) none of the above
Answer:
When the discharge of a stream increases, what happens to stream speed?
Answer:
Wood from the Lignum vitae tree in South America is denser than water. Could a boat
be made with this wood? A raft? Briefly explain.
Answer:
Why will a struck tuning fork sound louder when it is held against a table?
Answer:
Minerals in volcanic rocks are usually smaller than minerals in plutonic rock. Why is
this?
Answer:
Describe a model for explaining how light is transmitted through glass.
Answer:
Which minerals are the first to crystallize in a cooling magmaminerals with a lower
percentage of silica or minerals with a higher percentage of silica?
Answer:
Discuss how energy conservation applies to a swinging pendulum. Where is potential
energy the most? Where is it the least? Where is kinetic energy the most? Where is it
the least? Where is the pendulum bob moving fastest? Where is it the slowest?
Answer:
From the 1930s to the 1970s, extensive groundwater pumping in the San Joaquin Valley
of California caused the ground to subside by as much as 9 m. How does groundwater
withdrawal contribute to land subsidence?
Answer:
Which will do more damage, plugging a 120-V hair dryer into a 240-V circuit or
plugging a 220-V hair dryer into a 120-V circuit? Explain.
Answer:
Rank the following compounds by solubility in acidic water, from most soluble to least.
1) CH3CH2OH
2) CH3OCH3
3) CH3CH2NH2
A) 1, 3, 2
B) 1, 2, 3
C) 3, 2, 1
D) 3, 1, 2
E) 2, 1, 3
Answer:
What happens to the air pressure of an air parcel as it flows up the side of a mountain?
Answer:
Explain why freezing rain is more commonly associated with warm fronts than with
cold fronts.
Answer:
What is electric resistance? What characteristics of a wire determine its resistance?
How does resistance normally vary with temperature?
Answer:
The variations in the angle at which the Sun’s rays strike Earth’s surface give us the
seasons. Name four physical factors that contribute to the Earth’s seasons. (Hint: Think
of the big picture.)
Answer:
What happens to a star when the fusion cycle gets to the element iron?
Answer: