APES Test: Life on Earth part I (Systems & Cycles)
No Calculators
Part I: Objective Section...60% of the test (3000 pts), each question is weighted equally
a) Linear growth
b) Negative feedback
c) Exponential growth
d) Positive feedback
e) Doubling time
1) Occurs when a quantity changes, indefinitely, by a fixed percentage in a fixed unit of time.
2) Demonstrated by the sequence 2, 4, 8, 16, 32.
3) Characterized by a sequence of events in which the output is a magnification of the input.
4) Demonstrated by the sequence 12, 24, 36, 48, 60.
5) Approximated by dividing the percent growth rate into 70.
a) Transpiration
b) Fixation
c) Respiration
d) Mineralization
e) Erosion
6) A process that occurs during the carbon cycle.
7) A process that occurs during the rock cycle.
8) A process that occurs during the water cycle.
9) A process that occurs during the nitrogen cycle.
10) If the enrollment at Diamond Bar High School was 1600 students in 1988, and is 3200 in 2004, the growth rate of the
student body at Diamond Bar High School is nearest
a) 3.1 %
b) 3.6%
c) 4.3%
d) 5.3%
e) 9.0%11) A strain of
bacteria grows at a rate of 10% each hour. If one hundred bacteria are present in a sealed bottle at 8:00 a.m., the number of
bacteria present at 3:00 p.m. is nearest
a) 200
b) 300
c) 400
d) 800
e) 1,600
12) One millionth of a gram is a _____ gram.
a) microb) milli-
c) kilo-
13) Which of the following is one of the big six macronutrients?
a) sodium
b) iron
c) chlorine
d) mega-
e) giga-
d) hydrogen
e) fluorine
d) grasses.
e) oak trees.
14) Photosynthesis
a) converts glucose into energy and water.
b) requires the combustion of carbon.
c) produces carbon dioxide and oxygen gas.
d) yields glucose and oxygen gas as products.
e) requires carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas.
15) Nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria are found on the roots of
a) pine trees.
b) roses.
c) peas.
16) Consider the following scenario: The population of a city increases, which leads to an increase in air and water pollution.
The health of the people living in the city diminishes making it less desirable to live there. People move out of the city. This is
an example of
a) a positive feedback loop.
b) a negative feedback loop.
c) synergy.
d) a closed system.
e) an open system.
17) The most common gas in the atmosphere is
a) water vapor.
b) carbon dioxide.
c) oxygen.
18) The hydrologic cycle is driven primarily by
a) solar energy and gravity.
b) solar energy and the moon.
c) solar energy and mechanical energy.
d) mechanical and chemical energy.
e) photosynthesis and respiration
19) Which of the following is not a type of electromagnetic radiation?
d) hydrogen.
e) nitrogen.
a) sound waves
b) light waves
c) radio waves
20) Nitrogen is a major component of all of the following except
a) protein.
b) DNA.
c) ammonia.
d) microwaves
e) gamma waves
d) sugar.
e) nitrate.
21) Which of the following is not a significant reservoir of phosphorus on Earth?
a) the ocean
b) animals
c) the atmosphere
d) rocks
e) soil
22) The hydrologic cycle refers to the movement of
a) hydrogen.
b) oxygen.
e) rain.
c) water.
d) hydrocarbons.
23) Consider the following scenario: The temperature of your skin increases, which leads to an increase in perspiration.
Perspiration evaporates from the surface of your skin. The temperature of your skin decreases. This is an example of
a) a positive feedback loop.
b) a negative feedback loop.
c) synergy.
d) a closed system.
e) an open system.
24) Non-point sources of pollution include all of the following except
a) overspill from a stockyard.
b) runoff from croplands.
c) a smokestack from a power plant.
d) fertilizer overflow from lawns.
e) urban runoff from streets.
25) A student is provided with a 1000 ppm stock solution of NaCl, and instructed to make 250 ml of 300 ppm solution. To make
the solution, the student must use
a) 225 mL of stock solution and 25 mL of distilled water.
b) 200 mL of stock solution and 50 mL of distilled water.
c) 100 mL of stock solution and 150 mL of distilled water.
d) 75 mL of stock solution and 175 mL of distilled water.
e) 10 mL of stock solution and 240 mL of distilled water.
Part II: Free Response Question...40% of the test (2000 pts)
There are many elements that are important to life on Earth. All of these elements are recycled through biogeochemical cycles.
Throughout the history of Earth, biogeochemical cycles have evolved and changed, but recent human activities have had a
significant impact on the makeup of biogeochemical cycles.
A) In a complete sentence, report the approximate age of the Earth.
B) Draw and label a simple, box and arrow, diagram that illustrates the nitrogen cycle. In your diagram, label each box,
label each arrow, and clearly identify the largest reservoir (or sink) of nitrogen in the environment.
C) Identify one biotic factor in the environment and describe the role that the biotic factor you selected plays in the
nitrogen cycle, then identify one abiotic factor in the environment and describe the role that the abiotic factor you
selected plays in the nitrogen cycle.
D) Describe and discuss two human activities that have resulted in major changes to the nitrogen cycle.
Part III: Extra Credit (200 pts) Show all work for credit. Only responses written at the end of the FRQ will be considered.
A population of prairie dogs has been growing at a rate of 2% each year for 315 years. If the current population is 768,000 individuals,
determine the initial population.