Environmental Chemistry: Sample Exam Questions
Section 1
1. The organic substances containing carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen that are responsible for growth and repair
of tissues are
a. Carbohydrates
b. Lipids
c. Nucleic acids
d. Proteins
2.
Which of the following organic compounds is responsible for heredity?
a. Fats
b. DNA and RNA
c. Proteins
d. Carbohydrates
3.
Which element does not have a direct effect on the development of bones and teeth?
a. Magnesium
b. Calcium
c. Potassium
d. Phosphorus
4.
It is important for the nitrogen in the air to be released in a form that can chemically combine to make other
compounds. This process, usually accomplished by bacteria, is referred to as
a. Uptake
b. Decomposition
c. Fixation
d. Conversion
5.
Magnesium is important for the absorption of calcium and potassium. If a person lacked magnesium, which
of the following would be an effect?
a. Lack of detoxification
b. Less growth and repair of tissues
c. Less DNA synthesis
d. Poor muscle and nerve function
6.
Animals are capable of synthesizing all of the following except:
a. Glycogen
b. Glucose
c. Proteins
d. Lipids
7.
A gardener is concerned with good root development in his plants in early spring. The fertilizer that will
best develop a good root system is:
a. 30-15-4
b. 16-54-12
c. 20-10-20
d. 16-20-40
8.
When the amount of harmful substances increases in every trophic level of the food chain, it is called
a. Biomagnification
b. Biodegradation
c. Concentration
d. Intensification
9.
Animals take nutrients into the body by the process of ingestion. Nutrients are broken down into simpler
substances in the alimentary canal. The process of breaking down complex nutrients into simple substances
is known as hydrolysis. Which of the following reactions represents hydrolysis?
a. 6CO2 + 6H2O  C6H12O6 + 6O2
b. C3H8 + 5O2  3CO2 + 4H2O
c. C12H22O11 + H2O  2C6H12O6
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Environmental Chemistry: Sample Exam Questions
d. C6H12O6 + 6O2  6CO2 + 6H2O
10. Cystic Fibrosis is a disorder characterized by high salt concentrations in perspiration and abnormally thick
mucus in the lungs. The cause of CF is a defective protein involved in the transport of chloride in and out
of cells. The defective protein is not able to transport chloride ions across cell membranes effectively.
Based on the information, chloride is transported via
a. active transport
b. diffusion
c. facilitated diffusion
d. osmosis
11. Roots of plants absorb water from the soil through the process of
a. Active transport
b. Passive transport
c. Osmosis
d. Absorption
Section 2
1. Lichens are organisms that can be found in Antarctica and the highest mountains. The substrate on which
they grow is
a. Snow
b. Rock
c. Water
d. Dead animals
2.
A scientist made a chart of organisms living in a pond before and after it was polluted by toxic waste
dumping.
Before
After
Large and small fish
No fish
Invertebrates (flies and
Few invertebrates
larvae)
Many worms
Worms
Which of the following is a bioindicator for a decrease in water quality?
a. The presence of worms and the absence of fish
b. The presence of invertebrates
c. The presence of fish and the absence of invertebrates
d. The absence of worms
3.
Occasionally, raw sewage is dumped directly into a lake or river. One immediate effect that this has on the
water environment is that
a. The water is poisoned
b. The oxygen content of the water will drop
c. Water plant growth will decrease
d. Fish and other large animals will die
4.
Treated wastewater from a workers’ housing site is discharged into a river. The oxygen concentration for
each sample was determined:
Site Number
Oxygen Concentration (mg/L)
1
12.0
2
12.5
3
8.0
4
3.5
5
2.0
6
5.0
The scientist inferred that immediately downstream from the housing (sites 3, 4, 5), the treated waste water
discharged
a. Had no effect on the quality of rive water
b. Added toxic chemicals to the river water
c. Improved biotic conditions of the river water
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Environmental Chemistry: Sample Exam Questions
d.
Had an effect on the diversity of living organisms
5.
Which of the following is not an effect of acidic water?
a. Spring acidic shock
b. Heavy metals dissolved from pipes enter water ecosystems
c. Decreased dissolved oxygen content
d. Increased water turbulence
6.
A solution was made by dissolving 3 mL of food coloring in 997 mL of water. The concentration of the
food coloring is
a. 300 ppm
b. 3000 ppm
c. 18 ppm
d. 1800 ppm
7.
Frank was testing a sample of liquid in science class. When a piece of blue litmus paper was placed in the
liquid, the litmus paper turned red. The liquid was most likely
a. A base
b. An acid
c. A salt solution
d. A pollutant
8.
A scientist wanted to know which of three cities had the most acidic rain. He collected a 50mL sampleof
rain from each city and counted how many drops of sodium hydroxide (a base) were required to raise the
pH to 7. The reaction that occurs in this experiment is called
a. Oxidation
b. Endothermic
c. Neutralization
d. Equalization
9.
Acid rain is any precipitation that has a pH lower than
a. 5.2
b. 4.9
c. 5.6
d. 7.2
Section 3
1. Water which soaks through the soil and carries dissolved substances into the soil is called
a. Acid rain
b. Leachate
c. Contaminant
d. Filtrate
2.
Which soil will allow the most leaching to occur?
a. Clay
b. Sand
c. Rocky soil
d. Calcium carbonate rich soils
3.
A scientist made observations on the rate of dissolving of 4 different pollutants.
Sample
Time required for 10 g to
dissolve (s)
A
25.0
B
33.5
C
18.5
D
21.0
Which pollutant would be the most likely to settle in a river bed and accumulate there?
a. A
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Environmental Chemistry: Sample Exam Questions
b.
c.
d.
B
C
D
4.
In most sewage treatment systems, there is a point at which the waste is broken down by bacteria. The fact
that the bacteria can break down waste indicates that the waste is
a. Biodegradable
b. Organic
c. Non-toxic
d. Natural
5.
Which of the following rows provides an example of biodegradable and non-biodegradable material?
Biodegradable
Non-biodegradable
A
Paper
Metal
B
Styrofoam
Rock
C
Wood
Plastic
D
Water
Oil
6.
Nicotine has an LD50 of 0.86 mg/kg. From a population sample of 4880 rats tested, how many should
survive this dosage?
a. 488
b. 4880
c. 244
d. 2440
7.
MSDS sheets describe how hazardous materials should be transported, stored and disposed of. Which of
the following is NOT a safety precaution for hazardous materials?
a. Transport hazardous chemicals in sealed glass containers
b. Leave hazardous chemicals in the original container with the label on it
c. Do not pour hazardous chemicals down the drain
d. Do not mix hazardous chemicals together
8.
CFCs in the stratosphere are depleting the ozone layer. Put the following steps describing this process in
order.
a. free chlorine reacts with ozone to produce oxygen
b. lower concentrations of ozone in the upper atmosphere create a hole
c. CFCs move from the lower atmosphere to the upper atmosphere
d. UV light releases the chlorie from CFCs
______ ______ ______ ______
A
B
C
D
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