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Physical Science Final Exam Study Guide
1. ______The horses on a carousel accelerate because
a. the speed of the horses is constantly increasing
b. the speed of the horses is constantly decreasing
c. the direction of the horses’ motion is constantly changing
d. the travel time is different for every ride
2. ______What force keeps the Moon in orbit around Earth?
a. Nuclear
b. Electric
c. Gravitational
d. Magnetic
3. ______Which of the following situations violates the law of conservation of energy?
a. A ball dropped from the top of a building increases in speed until it hits the ground.
b. A block sliding freely on level ice increases in speed until it hits a wall.
c. A child playing on a swing moves fastest at the bottom of the swing’s path.
d. The height a ball bounces decreases with each bounce.
4. ______An inclined plane is used to move a heavy box from the ground into the bed of a truck.
a.
b.
c.
d.
If 100 N of force is required to move the load up the ramp, how much work is done?
Disregard any force of friction.
100 J
300 J
400 J
500 J
5. ______A group of students is playing tug-of-war. The students on both sides of the rope are
pulling with equal force. This is an example of
a. unbalanced forces
b. displacement
c. acceleration
d. balanced forces
6. ______Albert stirs a mug of hot chocolate with a metal spoon. What type of heat transfer is
responsible for the spoon getting hot?
a. Conduction
b. Convection
c. Thermoelectric
d. Radiation
7. ______In order to determine the speed of an object, what measurements must be made?
a. distance and direction
b. distance and mass
c. time, distance, and volume
d. distance and time
8. ______A box of weight W is lifted by a force F using a lever as shown below.
What is the mechanical advantage of the lever?
a. 1/2
b. 2
c. 3
d. 6
9. ______Pat measures a small rubber ball and then makes three other balls of the same diameter
from lead, foam, and wood. Which ball has the greatest inertia?
a. the rubber ball
b. the lead ball
c. the foam ball
d. the wood ball
10. ______Shaina uses a shovel to dig a hole to plant a tree. A shovel is an example of a compound
machine because it is made up of what two simple machines?
a. wheel and axle and lever
b. lever and wedge
c. screw and wedge
d. inclined plane and wedge
11. ______Four people are pulling on a box with the forces shown below. If there are no other
forces on the box, in what direction will it move?
a. directly toward Diane
b. directly toward Bill
c. toward the bottom of the page
d. toward the right side of the page
12. ______A car was sitting in sunlight all day long. The heat that is now contained in the car was
transferred to the car primarily by which of the following processes?
a. Convection
b. Conduction
c. Radiation
d. electrical energy transfer
13. ______A force (F1) is required to pull a 20-kg box across a carpeted floor. What is typically true
about the force (F2) required to pull the box across the ice at a rink?
a. F1 is greater than F2.
b. F1 is less than F2.
c. F1 equals F2 but both are less than 20 kg.
d. F1 equals F2 and both are equal to 20 kg.
14. ______This diagram shows three horizontal forces acting on an object.
Neglecting friction, what is the magnitude of force, F, if the object remains at rest?
a. 6 N
b. 8 N
c. 14 N
d. 22 N
15. ______This graph represents the velocity of an object over time.
What is the average acceleration of the object during the first 4 seconds?
a.
b.
c.
d.
1 m/s2
2 m/s2
4 m/s2
8 m/s2
16. ______This graph represents the motion of a cart.
What is the average speed of the cart?
a. 0.83 m/s
b. 1.17 m/s
c. 5 m/s
d. 65 m/s
17. ______A person places a metal spoon that is at room temperature into a bowl of hot soup. How
will the thermal energies of the spoon and the soup be affected?
a. The spoon will increase in thermal energy, and the soup will decrease in thermal energy.
b. Both the spoon and the soup will increase in thermal energy.
c. The spoon will decrease in thermal energy, and the soup will increase in thermal energy.
d. Both the spoon and the soup will decrease in thermal energy.
18. ______A car is traveling at a constant speed of 12 m/s. When the driver accelerates, the car
reaches a speed of 26 m/s in 6 s. What is the average acceleration of the car?
a. 2 m/s/s
b. 2.3 m/s/s
c. 4.3 m/s/s
d. 84 m/s/s
19. ______A metal spoon is used to stir a pot of boiling water. The person holding the metal spoon
feels the spoon get hot. Which best describes the transfer of heat in the spoon?
a. Radiation
b. Electrical
c. Conduction
d. Convection
20. ______A student moves a box across the floor by exerting 23.3 N of force and doing 47.2 J of
work on the box. How far does the student move the box?
a. 0.49 m
b. 2.03 m
c. 23.9 m
d. 1,099.8 m
21. ______This graph shows the motion of a car.
What distance has the car traveled in 10 seconds?
a. 0 m
b. 8 m
c. 50 m
d. 100 m
22. ______This diagram represents a balloon that is moving in one direction while escaping air is
moving in the opposite direction.
a.
b.
c.
d.
What causes the balloon to move?
Action-reaction forces
Electrical forces
Friction
Gravitational potential energy
23. ______If 15 N of force are applied to a cart to move it a distance of 5 m, how much work is done
on the cart?
a. 0.33 J
b. 3 J
c. 15 J
d. 75 J
24. ______A student applies a force to a box with a mass of 30 kg. If the student applies the same
force to a box with a mass of 15 kg, which best describes the effect on the acceleration of the
15-kg box?
a. It is half the acceleration of the 30-kg box.
b. It is double the acceleration of the 30-kg box.
c. It is the same as the acceleration of the 30-kg box.
d. It is triple the acceleration of the 30-kg box.
25. ______Sometimes, people mistakenly state that velocity and speed are the same thing. People
might make such a mistake because they forget that velocity describes both
a. volume
b. force
c. the time interval
d. direction
26. ______A bicycle is made up of multiple simple machines. Combinations of two or more simple
machines are called
a. third-class levers
b. block and tackles
c. complex devices
d. compound machines
27. ______Electrical wires sometimes have a plastic coating wrapped around them. How does this
make the wires safer to handle?
a. plastic will melt if the wires overheat
b. plastic is a good insulator
c. plastic is smooth and not easily frayed
d. plastic does not react chemically with air
28. ______Which simple machine is most similar to the wheelbarrow when it is used to lift rocks
and soil?
a. wedge
b. lever
c. pulley
d. inclined plane
29. ______A car is parked on the side of a hill. Which of the following most likely prevents the car
from moving down the hill?
a. the car has too much mass to move easily
b. there is friction in the door hinges of the car
c. there is friction between the tires and the road
d. the weight of the car is mostly on the front wheels
30. ______When one end of a short metal bar is heated, the opposite end will eventually become
hot. Which of the following processes transfers the heat through the bar?
a. condensation
b. conduction
c. convection
d. radiation
31. ______Which of the following will definitely cause a change in the velocity of a parked car?
a. the car experiences an unbalanced force
b. all forces acting on the car increase by 1N
c. all forces acting on the car decrease by 1N
d. the forces acting on the car are equal and balanced
e. the weight of the car is mostly on the front wheels
32. ______ How many atoms of carbon are in a single molecule of sugar (C12H22O11)?
a. 12
b. 22
c. 11
d. 45
33. _____ Which of the following is an example of a situation in which exothermic chemical
reactions occur?
a. Ice cubes melt into water
b. Boiling pots of water turn to steam
c. Fireworks explode during a holiday
d. Pieces of KCl dissolve in water
34. _____ What number should be in front of H2 in the chemical equation below in order for the
equation to be balanced?
H2 + N2 → 2NH3
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
35. _____ As you move from left to right across a row of elements in the periodic table, what
happens to the number of neutrons in a typical atom?
a. It stays the same
b. It increases
c. It decreases
d. It decreases until you reach the middle and then it increases
36. _____ Which of the following is the BEST representation of molecules of water vapor?
37. _____ Aluminum oxide, Al2O3, is produced by combining Al3+ and O2- particles. What type of
compound has been formed?
a. Covalent
b. Ionic
c. Metallic
d. Molecular
38. _____Which of the following is a chemical property of iodine?
a. violet as a gas
b. silver-black as a solid
c. reacts with starch to give a dark blue color
d. a solid at room temperature
39. _____ An ionic bond typically forms between certain types of elements. Which pair of elements
will form an ionic compound?
a. Na and Cu
b. K and Cl
c. Ne and O
d. Li and Mg
40. _____ The number of protons in a neutral atom is equal to the number of
a. Electrons
b. Neutrons
c. Ions
d. Isotopes
41. _____ The melting of wax is a physical change, yet the burning of wax is a chemical change.
What is the essential difference between the physical change and chemical change of wax in a
burning candle?
a. The burning of wax forms new compounds, while the melting of wax does not
b. A higher temperature is needed to burn wax than to melt wax.
c. Melted wax can be separated into other substances, while solid wax cannot.
d. Melted wax is a different phase of matter than solid wax.
42. _____What is the correct formula for the compound formed when lithium and oxygen combine?
a. LiO
b. Li2O
c. LiO2
d. Li2O2
43. _____ Which equation below is correctly balanced?
a. 2Na + O2 → 2Na2O
b. Sn + 2KOH → K2SnO2
c. AsCl3 + H2O → 3HCl + As(OH)3
d. H2 + O2 → H2O
44. _____ Which pair of elements is MOST similar?
a. Ca and F
b. Na and Cl
c. Ne and Ar
d. Li and H
45. _____ Which of the following contains the MOST atoms?
a. K2MnO7
b. Al2(SO4)3
c. C4H4F4Cl2
d. Hg2(NO3)2
46. _____ The compound formed from the elements calcium and chlorine is known as
a. chlorine calcide
b. calcite
c. calcium chloride
d. calcium chlorate
47. _____ In the periodic table, the rows are called
a. Period
b. Groups
c. Classes
d. Families
48. _____ On Monday, the custodian places an air freshener in the gym. It is a shiny, pink disk.
Over the next several days, the disk gradually shrinks. Which of the following statements is a
valid inference?
a. The disk is undergoing a chemical change
b. The disk is undergoing a physical change
c. The disk is undergoing both chemical and physical changes
d. The disk is undergoing neither physical nor chemical changes
49. _____ Which group in the periodic table forms ions that have a cation of 1+?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 16
d. 17
50. _____ An atom has 29 protons, 29 electrons, and 35 neutrons. What is the mass number of the
atom
a. 29
b. 35
c. 64
d. 93
51. _____ Which one of these scientists described a model of the atom that included energy levels?
a. Dalton
b. Bohr
c. Newton
d. Thomson
52. _____ This chart represents the melting points and boiling points of some substances.
Which substance is a gas at 45⁰C?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Ethanol
Hexane
Methane
Methanol
53. _____ Which pair of elements has the most physical and chemical properties in common?
a. Ge and Se
b. K and Kr
c. Al and Ga
d. Ba and Bi
54. _____ Which chemical formula represents magnesium phosphate?
a. MgPO4
b. Mg2PO4
c. Mg3(PO4)2
d. Mg2(PO4)3
55. _____ Which accounts for most of the mass of an atom?
a. Electrons
b. Protons
c. Neutrons and Protons
d. Electrons and Neutrons
56. _____ Which is the correctly balanced equation?
a. Cl2 + 2NaI → 2NaCl + I2
b. Cl2 + 2NaI → NaCl + I2
c. Cl2 + NaI → NaCl + I2
d. 2Cl2 + NaI → 2NaCl + I2
57. _____ Which situation provides the best evidence that a chemical reaction is taking place?
a. A metal strip bends when heated
b. A solution freezes in the freezer
c. Two solutions mixed in a beaker and produce a solid
d. A chemical completely dissolves in water and the temperature of the solution remains
constant
58. _____ Which conclusion can be drawn from Rutherford’s gold foil experiment?
a. The atom has a small positive center
b. The atom has a small negative center
c. The atom has a large positive center
d. the atom has a large negative center
59. _____ Which element is an alkaline earth metal?
a. Li
b. O
c. Ne
d. Ca
60. _____ Which element has the same number of valence electrons as krypton?
a. Neon
b. Fluorine
c. Chlorine
d. Selenium
61. _____ A teacher wants to demonstrate a chemical reaction to her students. Which activity
would best demonstrate a chemical reaction?
a. Placing a metal in an acid to create a gas
b. Measuring the densities of liquid water and ice
c. Melting a solid piece of aluminum
d. Filling a balloon with helium gas
62. _____ This is an unbalanced equation representing a chemical reaction.
HgO → Hg + O2
Which equation is the correctly balanced chemical equation for this reaction?
a. HgO → Hg + 2O2
b. 2HgO → Hg + O2
c. 2HgO → 2Hg + O2
d. 2HgO → Hg + 2O2
63. _____ Which best displays how particles are arranged in a solid?
64. _____ Which of the following is most likely a pure substance?
a. A smooth cake batter
b. A glass of water that tastes salty
c. A dark gray solid that attracts iron filings
d. A sample of air captured from the atmosphere
65. _____ Below is the outline of the periodic table of the elements with four areas identified as
numbers.
In which numbered area would an element classified as a nonmetal most likely be found
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
66. _____ Which subatomic particle has no net charge and is found within the nucleus?
a. Electron
b. Neutron
c. Proton
d. Cation
67. _____ The equation below shows a simplified reaction that occurs in cells.
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP + heat
Which best describes the underlined parts of the reaction?
a. Carbon dioxide plus oxygen produces water and glucose
b. Oxygen plus water produces carbon dioxide and glucose
c. Glucose plus oxygen produces carbon dioxide and water
d. Water plus carbon dioxide produces glucose and oxygen
68. _____ How many neutrons are most likely found in an atom of radon?
a. 86
b. 136
c. 222
d. 308
69. _____ Which process involves a chemical change?
a. Exposed iron in a moist environment rusts
b. Candle wax changes from solid to liquid
c. Water evaporates from a heated test tube
d. Sugar dissolves in hot water
70. _____ A chemical synthesis reaction is shown below.
2Na + Cl2 → 2NaCl + Energy
What compound is produced in this reaction?
a. Calcium chloride
b. Sodium Chloride
c. Potassium Chloride
d. Magnesium Chloride
71. _____ The chemical equation for the production of aluminum oxide is shown below.
Al + 3O2 → 2Al2O3
Which coefficient in front of Al would correctly balance the equation?
a. 2
b. 4
c. 6
d. 8
72. _____ Which chemical equation is balanced?
73. _____ A student hypothesizes that the reaction between an antacid tablet and water will be
endothermic. If the hypothesis is correct, which of the following should occur when the tablet is
placed in water?
a. The temperature of the mixture should drop
b. The temperature of the container should increase
c. The water should cool as the tablet warms
d. The tablet should cool as the water warms
74. _____ Who used a gold foil experiment to determine the nuclear model of the atom?
a. Proust
b. Rutherford
c. Democritus
d. Thomson
75. _____ Who discovered electrons by using a cathode ray tube?
a. Proust
b. Rutherford
c. Dalton
d. Thomson
76. _____ Who proposed that the world is made up of mostly empty space and tiny particles called
atoms?
a. Dalton
b. Democritus
c. Lavosier
d. Thomson
77. _____ What is the vocabulary term for the negatively-charged subatomic particles?
a. Neutrons
b. Protons
c. Electrons
d. Negatrons
78. _____ What is the vocabulary term for atoms of the same element that differ in mass because
they have a different number of neutrons?
a. Electron clouds
b. Isotopes
c. Valence Electrons
d. Molecules
79. _____ What is the vocabulary term for the space around the nucleus of an atom where an
electron can be found?
a. Molecule
b. Electron cloud
c. Electron Circle
d. Neutron
80. _____ How many electrons does and atom of Chlorine-37 have?
a. 15
b. 17
c. 18
d. 20
81. _____ How many neutrons does an atom of Chlorine-37 have?
a. 15
b. 17
c. 18
d. 20
82. _____ If an atom has an atomic mass of 118 and 63 neutrons, how many protons does the atom
have?
a. 55
b. 63
c. 118
d. 181
83. _____ How many valence electrons does Silicon have?
a. 3
b. 4
c. 8
d. 14
84. _____ Which of the following elements has 2 valence electrons?
a. Lithium
b. Oxygen
c. Fluorine
d. Calcium
85. _____What is the name for NaNO3?
a. Sodium nitride
b. Sodium nitrate
c. Monosodium Mononitrate
d. Sodium Nitrogen Oxide
86. _____ What is the formula for magnesium phosphide?
a. MgP
b. Mg3(PO4)2
c. Mg2P3
d. Mg3P2
87. _____ What is the name for CF4?
a. Carbon fluoride
b. Monocarbon tetrafluoride
c. Carbon tetrafluoride
d. Carbon pentafluoride
88. _____ What is the formula for pentaphosphorus decoxide?
a. P5O10
b. PO
c. P4O10
d. P10O4
89. _____ What is the correct unbalanced equation for the following reaction: Calcium cyanide
reacts with aluminum hydroxide to form calcium hydroxide and aluminum cyanide?
90. _____ What is the vocabulary term for new substances formed in a chemical reaction?
a. Reactants
b. Products
c. Inhibitors
d. Molecules
91. _____ What are the correct coefficients for the following equation to be balanced?
92. _____ What are the correct coefficients for the following equation to be balanced?
1. Compare and contrast the three types of thermal energy transfers. Be sure to give an example
of each type.
2. Compare and contrast conductors and insulators. Be sure to give an example of a good
conductor and a good insulator.
3. What is meant by an ideal machine? Why can’t an ideal machine exist?
4. What is the acceleration of a cyclist who starts from rest and achieves a final velocity of 6m/s
after 10 seconds?
5. Compare and contrast chemical properties, physical properties, chemical changes, and physical
changes.
6. Compare and contrast a compound and a mixture.
7. Discuss the changes of state and the energy changes involved.
8. Describe Dalton’s atomic theory.
9. Draw Bohr models of the following – Li, S, N, and Ne