Which of these can be used to measure atmospheric pressure?
A An anemometer
B A barometer
C A thermometer
D A seismometer
Why does a comet’s tail point away from the Sun?
A The solar wind blows the tail away from the Sun.
B It is being pulled by a nearby black hole.
C The Moon’s light only shines on part of the comet.
D The comet’s tail is following the path of Jupiter.
Cloudy nights can be warmer than clear nights because clouds trap heat —
F generated from tropical winds
G produced by the friction of air particles
H released from Earth’s interior
J absorbed by Earth during daylight hours
Which of these is likely to occur after moist air is cooled below its dew point?
A Water condenses.
B Evaporation increases.
C Ice crystals melt.
D Winds are generated.
Dramatic variations in the polar ice caps most likely suggest changes in —
F the Moon’s orbit
G Earth’s climate
H ebb and flow of tides
J global water consumption
Conditions at Time 1
Conditions at Time 2
Temperature
Pressure
Wind direction
Precipitation
Temperature
Pressure
Wind direction
Precipitation
30°C
996 mb
From the south
None
25°C
1010 mb
From the north
None
Based on the changes between the weather conditions, which of these most
likely passed by the weather station between time 1 and time 2?
A Thunderstorm
B Low pressure area
C Cold front
D Warm front
The major disadvantage of using solar panels to generate electricity is that
solar panels —
F release toxic fumes into the air
G cannot convert energy efficiently
H are affected by cloud coverage and day length
J produce energy that cannot be stored
Which of these are caused primarily by the gravitational force between Earth
and the Moon?
F Tides
G Seasons
H Prevailing winds
J Magnetic poles
A student soaked 50 lima bean seeds and 50 green bean seeds in water for
24 hours. Then she planted the seeds in soil at a depth of two centimeters,
using the same amount of water, light, and heat for each kind of seed. She
measured every three days to determine which type of seed grew the fastest.
The paragraph describes —
A an observation
B a hypothesis
C an experiment
D a conclusion
As the seasons change from summer to fall, there are fewer hours of daylight.
Which is a typical response of a dogwood tree to this change?
F Producing flowers
G Increasing its growth rate
H Dropping its leaves
J Shedding bark
Which discovery was essential to the concept that all life forms have cells as
basic units?
F Water is the chemical solvent involved in many cell processes.
G New cells are produced from the division of existing cells.
H Some substances in organisms exist outside of cells.
J Cells are dependent on energy and nutrients from external sources.
Why does sexual reproduction result in greater diversity among offspring
than does asexual reproduction?
A Only mitosis must occur in sexual reproduction.
B New combinations of genes result from sexual reproduction.
C Sexual reproduction may occur at a faster rate.
D Mutations are more likely to occur in asexual reproduction.
A scientist wants to study the behavior of bald eagles. Which of these plans
should be used to study the hunting habits of bald eagles?
F Analyze the eagles at a zoo for several months.
G Observe the eagles along the Potomac River for a year.
H Ask a national park ranger questions about eagles.
J Research hawks and make inferences about eagles.
In 1847, a scientist noted that when physicians washed their hands before
they had contact with their patients, there was a decreased number of
infections. This was one of the first clues that —
F bacteria generate spontaneously on hands
G physicians deliberately infected patients
H bacteria are present in water
J substances such as bacteria may cause diseases
Amino-Acid Differences Compared
with Human Hemoglobin
Species Number of amino-acid
Lamprey
125
Frog
67
Dog
32
Macaque
8
The table indicates the number of amino acids that differ in the amino-acid
sequence of the hemoglobin from selected organisms when compared to
human hemoglobin. On the basis of this information, which organism would
be classified as most closely related to humans?
A Lamprey
B Frog
C Dog
D Macaque
Scientists can use genetic information to identify people because it is unique
to each person. Which specific characteristic is unique to an individual?
F The shape of the DNA molecules in cells
G The number of chromosomes in each cell
H The sequence of DNA nucleotides in cells
J The size of each chromosome in a cell
Cell Structures and Functions
Function
Protein synthesis
Support
Control of cell functions
Storage of water,
wastes, and food
Structure
1
2
3
4
Which is the name of structure 4?
A Nucleus
B Ribosome
C Vacuole
D Cell wall
During meiosis, homologous chromosomes can exchange DNA in a process
known as —
F replication
G internal fertilization
H cytokinesis
J crossing over
In a plant that has red flowers, red flower color, R, is completely dominant to
white flower color, r. If the plant is heterozygous for flower color, which
alleles will be carried by the gametes it produces?
F R and r
G R only
H r only
J Rr only
Timothy has attached earlobes like his maternal grandfather. His mother and
father both have free earlobes, which are dominant. Which statement best
explains how Timothy inherited attached earlobes?
F He received a recessive allele from each parent.
G He received a dominant allele from each parent.
H He received a recessive allele from his mother and a dominant allele from his father.
J He received a dominant allele from his mother and a recessive allele from his father.
Cells of a fungus and an animal were being studied. Which of these would be
found in both of these cells?
A Cell wall
B Chloroplasts
C Mitochondria
D Cilia
All of these can be inherited by people EXCEPT —
F height
G eye color
H blood type
J language
Which of the following is an example of static electricity?
A A dry-cell battery connected to wires lights up a light bulb.
B A balloon sticks to a wall after it is rubbed with a piece of wool.
C A magnet sticks to a refrigerator door made of metal.
D A light switch that is turned on runs a ceiling fan.
Rubber Band Data
Rubber Band Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5
A
3.7 cm 3.9 cm 3.7 cm 3.4 cm 3.6 cm
B
2.5 cm 2.7 cm 2.8 cm 2.7 cm 2.7 cm
A lab group measured how far two rubber bands stretched when attached to
100-gram masses. Five measurements were made for each rubber band. What
is the range of the data collected for rubber band B?
A 0.3 cm
B 0.5 cm
C 2.7 cm
D 2.8 cm
A coal-burning facility is constructed in an area containing several
pond ecosystems. How will this human activity most likely affect the
pond ecosystems?
F More nutrients will be available.
G Organism diversity will increase.
H Disease will become less common.
J Water quality will be reduced
Which is an SI metric unit of measurement that is used to record the heat
transfer of a solution in a classroom investigation?
A Liter
B Newton
C Volt
D Degree Celsius
Black bears roam over large territories. What effect would building shopping
centers in these territories have on the bears?
F Promote an increase in black bear reproduction
G Stabilize the black bear population
H Reduce the black bears’ habitat
J Introduce a new bear population to the area
Which energy transformation occurs first in a coal-burning power plant?
A Chemical energy to thermal energy
B Thermal energy to mechanical energy
C Thermal energy to electrical energy
D Mechanical energy to electrical energy
This picture shows a radiometer. It is designed to be placed in a sunny
window. One side of each thin blade of the radiometer is painted black,
and
the other side is painted white. The Sun’s rays strike the blades, and
the
device begins to spin. The device is powered by which kind of energy?
F Wind
G Solar
H Electrical
J Geothermal
Which of the following is an example of potential energy?
F A glass jar sitting on a shelf
G A flag waving in the wind
H A ball rolling along a sidewalk
J A battery powering a radio
A car manufacturer reduces the mass of a car by 250 kg. If the new design
is otherwise identical to the old design, how will the new car compare to the
old car?
F It will have a greater gravitational attraction to the road.
G It will require more fuel to operate.
H It will need less force to move.
J It will release more gas emissions.
A student predicts that similar ice cubes will melt faster in a microwave than
in a pot on the stove. How should this hypothesis be tested?
A Measure and compare the volume of the pot and the microwave.
B Determine the volume of liquid water made by each ice cube.
C Observe and record the time for each ice cube to completely change to a liquid.
D Identify and record the temperature of each ice cube before each trial.
Which of these best describes the particle motion taking place as CO2 gas is
exposed to freezing temperatures?
F The particles decrease in speed.
G The particles move with more force.
H The motion of the particles becomes random.
J The motion of the particles is unchanged.
It is important to protect air quality because —
A storms worsen as air pollution decreases
B acid rain is caused by air pollution
C wind currents change when the air is polluted
D energy produced by the Sun decreases when air is polluted
Human sweat is the direct result of which life functions?
A Respiration and cellular growth
B Digestion and disease prevention
C Reproduction and cellular transport
D Waste removal and temperature control
The quality of pond water can be determined by identifying the number and
types of organisms found living in the water. Which piece of equipment will
best help students identify some of these organisms?
A Microscope
B pH paper
C Binoculars
D Pan balance
Clouds are formed when millions of drops of water become suspended in the
air. Which of the following is a step in the process of cloud formation?
F Expansion of cold air
G Formation of carbon dioxide
H Condensation of water vapor
J Breakdown of atmospheric ozone
To complete a project, 200,000 Joules of work are needed. The time taken to
complete the project is 20 seconds. How much power is needed? P= W/t
F 0.0001 J/s
G 10,000 J/s
H 200,020 J/s
J 1,000,000 J/s
During a fireworks show, a family sees the spray of sparkles from an
exploding firework high in the sky and, a moment later, hears the pop. Which
of these best explains why the pop and spray do not seem to occur at the
same time?
F Light and sound travel through air.
G Sound travels through a vacuum.
H Sound travels slower than light.
J Light and sound travel at the same speed.
Which gas do animals need to carry out life processes?
A Oxygen
B Carbon monoxide
C Helium
D Carbon dioxide
Energy from the Sun is distributed around Earth by —
F subduction and rift zones
G radiation and convection
H tectonic plates
J solar flares
Chloroplasts are found only in organisms that are able to —
F generate their own energy
G grow to a larger size
H migrate to other ecosystems
J hunt for prey
Which deals with the transmission of inherited traits from one generation to
another?
A anatomy
B genetics
C ecology
D forensics
What will most likely be the result if all of the mitochondria are removed from a
plant cell?
A It will be unable to carry out respiration.
B It will lose water through osmosis.
C It will break down the ribosomes in the cell.
D It will be unable to photosynthesize.
During strenuous exercise, body temperature increases. The body responds to the
increase in temperature by sweating, which helps to reduce the body temperature.
Which is demonstrated in this situation?
A excretion
B metabolism
C homeostasis
D synthesis
Before mitosis begins, which happens before the nucleus starts dividing?
A The cytoplasm separates.
B The DNA replicates.
C The sister chromatids separate.
D The homologous chromosomes cross over.
A strand of DNA has these bases:
AGC CAT GTA TAC
What is the complementary DNA strand?
A ACG GAT CTA TAG
B TCG GTA CAT ATG
C TGC CTA GAT ATC
D UCG CUA CAU AUG
Which process produces the most variation within a species?
A asexual reproduction
B sexual reproduction
C mitosis
D cloning
Which technique would most likely be used by forensic scientists?
A gene cloning
B gene therapy
C DNA fingerprinting
D karyotyping
During which phase of the cell cycle is the cell growing and preparing for cellular
division?
A cytokinesis
B anaphase
C prophase
D interphase
Which type of molecule do whales use for energy storage and insulation?
A DNA
B glucose
C fat
D starch
How are prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells similar?
A Both contain a nucleus.
B Both contain ribosomes.
C Both contain membrane-bound organelles.
D Both contain cell walls.
What is the result when a single cell reproduces by mitosis?
A two cells with genetic material identical to the parent cell
B two cells with half the genetic material of the parent cell
C four cells with half the genetic material of the parent cell
D four cells with genetic material identical to the parent cell
How are sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction different?
A Sexual reproduction produces offspring identical to the parents, but asexual
reproduction produces offspring with traits from both parents.
B Asexual reproduction produces offspring identical to the parents, but sexual
reproduction produces offspring with traits from both parents.
C Sexual reproduction only occurs in multicellular organisms, but asexual
reproduction only occurs in unicellular organisms.
D Asexual reproduction only occurs in multicellular organisms, but sexual
reproduction only occurs in unicellular organisms
Which characteristic is present in offspring produced by sexual reproduction, but is
missing in offspring produced by asexual reproduction?
A an identical copy of parent chromosomes
B twice the number of parent chromosomes
C only half the number of parent chromosomes
D an independent assortment of parent chromosomes
Two people believe they are related. Which would be the best technique to
determine if they are related?
A testing blood types
B comparing DNA
C examining karyotypes
D testing for genetic disorders
Which device is used to determine the volume of a liquid?
A anemometer
B graduated cylinder
C test tube
D thermometer
Four solid balls, each with a different mass, are moving at the same speed. Which
ball would require the most force to stop its motion?
A ball with a mass of 5 kg
B ball with a mass of 10 kg
C ball with a mass of 15 kg
D ball with a mass of 20 k
Physical Science Test
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/testing/releasedforms/physicalsciencerel
eased.pdf
5th Grade
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/accountability/testing/releasedforms/g5scipp.pdf