HOLLENBECK MIDDLE SCHOOL
8TH GRADE SCIENCE, MR. E. MALASSAB
SECONDARY PERIODIC ASSESSMENT 1
1. Which word describes the place where something is located in relation to a reference
point or set of reference directions?
A acceleration
B position
C speed
D velocity
2. What can be used as a reference point to determine a runner’s position on a straight
track?
A the runner’s traveling speed
C the time the runner started the race
B the runner’s distance from the finish line
D the runner’s acceleration over the length of the race
3. What is the position of the lamp in the picture?
A The lamp is in the center of the room, above the couch, and next to the window.
B The lamp is below the picture on the wall, in front of the couch, and next to the coffee table.
C The lamp is in the corner of the room, to the right of the window, and to the left of the picture
on the wall.
D The lamp is in the corner of the room, in front of the window, and below the picture on the
wall.
4. Which set of directions correctly brings a visitor to the California Science Center?
A
B
C
D
Travel north on Vermont Ave., then go east on Exposition Blvd. Turn south on Figueroa
St., and go east on 39th St.
Travel north on Vermont Ave., then go west on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and north on
Figueroa St. Turn west at Exposition Blvd.
Travel north on the Harbor Freeway-110, then go west on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Go north on Figueroa St., and turn left at Exposition Blvd.
Travel north on the Harbor Freeway-110, then go west on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Go east on Figueroa St., and turn left at Exposition Blvd.
5. What is an example of a fixed point of reference that can help you find the position of
an object?
A the speed of an object
B the acceleration of an object
C the distance an object travels
D the location of another nonmoving object, such as a building
6. This graph shows the position of four people in a race over time.
Which person is slowest?
AA
BB
CC
DD
7. The graph shows the motion of a robotic car as it leaves its storage area and travels
along a route.
Which statement describes the motion of the robotic car?
A The car accelerates away from its storage area for 15 seconds. It moves at a constant speed
for 10 seconds. Then it decelerates for 15 seconds.
B The car moves away from its storage area at a constant speed for 15 seconds. It remains still
for 10 seconds. Then it moves towards its storage area at a constant speed for 15 seconds.
C The car does not move for 15 seconds. Then it moves at a constant speed for 10 seconds.
Then it does not move for another 15 seconds.
D The car moves away from its storage area at an increasing speed for 15 seconds. It then
moves at a constant speed for 10 seconds. It moves with a decreasing speed towards its
storage area for 15 seconds.
8. Study the lines in the graph.
Which line represents the motion of an object traveling at a constant speed of 0.75
meters per second?
AA
BB
CC
DD
9. Look at this graph.
What was the acceleration of this object between the 25th and 40th seconds?
A 0.5 m/s2
B 0.75 m/s2
C 1.3 m/s2
D 2.0 m/s2
10. Carmen and Maricela each have a suitcase weighing 33 kilograms. Carmen drags
hers across the tile floor. Maricela pulls on hers across carpet but it does not move.
The girls are using the same amount of force. Why doesn’t Maricela’s suitcase
move?
A Maricela is pulling her suitcase with too much tension.
B Gravity pulls more strongly on Maricela’s suitcase.
C The forces acting on Maricela’s suitcase are not balanced.
D Frictional force from the carpet keeps Maricela’s suitcase from moving.
11. Study the forces that are acting on the books.
Which force balances gravity and keeps the stack of books on the table?
A friction
B magnetism
C elastic force due to compression
D unbalanced forces
12. A coin is dropped from the roof of a building. It accelerates until it reaches a constant
terminal velocity. Which forces are acting on the coin as it falls?
A gravity and friction
C air resistance and friction
B friction and applied force
D gravity and applied force
4. Which picture shows a man using the force of tension to help him move the box?
A
B
C
D
13. When an object is in free fall in a vacuum, what is the only force acting upon it?
A friction
B gravity
C elastic force of compression
14. A box sits at rest on an inclined ramp.
Which two forces balance gravity to keep the box from moving?
A tension and elastic force of compression
B contact force and friction
C contact force and elastic force of compression
D contact force and air resistance
15. Study this drawing and consider the forces acting on the box.
D tension
What is the minimum number of forces acting on an object when it is at rest on Earth?
A0
B1
C2
D4
16. When you push the ends of a spring together to shorten it, you create __________
force. When you pull the ends of a spring apart to stretch it, you create __________
force.
A friction; tension
B tension; magnetic
C friction; magnetic D compression; tension
17. Study the picture.
Describe the motion that this resting object will experience once the forces begin acting
on it.
A It will move with 40 newtons to the south.
C It will move with 60 newtons to the south.
B It will move with 40 newtons to the west.
D It will not move.
18. What is net force?
A The force that moves an object left or right.
B The combination of all the forces acting on an object.
C The combined force of gravity and the normal force.
D The force that allows an object to sit on a table or lean against a wall.
19. Study the forces on the soccer ball.
What is the net force acting on the soccer ball?
A 21 newtons
B 21 newtons to the right
C 29 newtons to the right D 29 newtons to the left
20. Look at this diagram.
Which of the forces acting on the object affect its motion?
A applied force and gravity
C applied force, contact force, gravity, and friction
B applied force and friction
D applied force, contact force, friction
21. A tugboat moves a ship into the harbor with a force of 4000 newtons. Another tugboat
helps out with a force of 2500 newtons in the same direction.
What is the total force acting on the ship?
A 1500 newtons
B 4250 newtons
C 6000 newtons
D 6500 newtons
22. Which diagram indicates an object with a total force of 70 newtons upward?
A
B
C
D
23. Which answer best describes what happens to an object when the forces acting on it
are unbalanced?
A The object will remain as is.
C The object will come to a rest.
B The object will start moving.
D The object’s motion will change.
24. What is the definition of density?
A the amount of matter in an object
B the amount of space occupied by an object
C the ratio of the amount of matter to the amount of space it occupies
D the ratio of the distance an object has traveled to the time it took to travel that distance
25. A king gave a jeweler a bar of pure gold for a new crown. The king measured the new
crown’s mass and found it had the same mass as the original gold bar. He then placed
the crown into a container full of water and another gold bar into a similar container of
water. Twice as much water flowed out of the container with the crown than flowed out of
the container with the gold bar. Was the crown made of pure gold or not? How do you
know?
A Yes, because the mass of the crown was equal to the mass of the gold bar.
B Yes, because the density of the crown was equal to the density of the gold bar.
C No, because the density of the crown was less than the density of the gold bar.
D No, because the volume of crown was less than the volume of the gold bar.
26. A researcher wants to identify which of four clear, colorless liquids is water. Each
liquid is in a different-sized container. The only equipment the researcher has is a
graduated cylinder and a pan balance. Which physical property of water can be
measured to distinguish it from the other liquids?
A mass
B volume
C weight
D density
27. A plumber cuts different lengths from a long plastic pipe to build the plumbing
needed for a new pool. Which statement about the newly cut pipes is true?
A The longest pipe is the densest pipe.
B The density of all the pipes is the same.
C The shorter pipes are denser than the longer pipes.
D The more massive pipes are denser than the less massive pipes.
28. A steel rod with a mass of 78 g and a volume of 10 cm3 is stretched into a thin wire
with a diameter of 0.127 mm. What is the volume of the wire after it has been stretched?
A 0.0127 cm3
B 7.8 cm3
C 10 cm3
29. The table lists some densities for different materials.
D 78.7 g
Which material would have the greatest mass?
A 10 cm3 of aluminum
B 10 cm3 of tin
C 10 cm3 of lead
D 10 cm3 of gold
30. The density of gold is 19.3 g/cm3. A solid gold ring with a mass of 1.7 g is dropped
into a graduated cylinder filled with water.
What is the change in the water level in the graduated cylinder?
A 0.09 mL
B 0.90 mL
C 11.35 mL
D 19.30 mL
31. You have a chocolate bar with a density of 0.65 g/cm3. You give exactly half of the
chocolate bar to your friend. If the original volume of the chocolate bar was 68 cm3, what
is the mass of the chocolate bar that you have left?
A 22 g
B 34 g
C 44 g
D 54 g
32. The density of gasoline is 0.74 g/cm3. The gas tank of your car is empty, so you stop
to fill it up. If it takes 74 grams of gasoline to fill the tank, what is the volume of the tank?
A 74 L
B 74 cm3
C 100 g
D 100 cm3
33. Honey has a density of 1.4 g/mL. It is commonly sold by the pound. There are 453.6
grams in 1 pound. What is the volume in mL of a 1-pound container of honey?
A 0.003 mL
B 0.002 mL
C 324 mL
D 635 mL