Think-Pair-Share
FCAT Practice
During this activity, students will have
individual time to think about a question
related to FCAT 2.0. They will then pair up
with a partner to share their thoughts.
Finally, the pairs will select one major
explanation to share with the entire class.
Think
Think about the answer options. Decide which answer
you believe is correct and explain why the other
options might be possible but incorrect. Write your
explanations in your science journal:
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___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Pair
Start a discussion with your partner(s) by asking
him/her to explain their response to the “Think” part
of this sheet (above). Combine your ideas and
summarize your discussion in your science journal:
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Share
Share with the whole class the most important points
from your "Paired" discussion. To prepare for sharing,
list below the most important point you would like to
share with the entire class in your science journal:
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
__________________________________
Practice Problems
SC.7.P.10.1
Illustrate that the sun ’s energy arrives as
radiation with a wide range of wavelengths,
including infrared, visible, and ultraviolet,
and that white light is made up of a
spectrum of many different colors.
Felipe was enjoying the sunny day at the beach. He
told his friend Carl that he was really enjoying the
warm feeling that he was getting as he sat in the
Sun. Carl explained that the electromagnetic
radiation was responsible for this warm feeling.
Which part of the electromagnetic
spectrum was responsible for making
Felipe feel warm?
A. gamma rays
B. microwaves
C. visible light
D. infrared waves
√heck the answer
ANS: D
A. is incorrect because gamma rays can
penetrate most objects very easily and are not
absorbed by the skin.
B. is incorrect because the skin does not absorb
microwaves.
C. is incorrect because the skin reflects visible
light.
D. is correct because the skin can absorb
infrared waves, which makes the skin feel
warmer.
The graphs below show the wavelengths of four types of
electromagnetic waves.
Which graph
most likely
illustrates
radio waves?
A. A
B. B
C. C
D.D
√heck the answer
ANS: A
A. is correct because Graph A shows waves with
the longest wavelength, which is a
characteristic of radio waves.
B. is incorrect because Graph B shows waves that
are shorter than Graph A. Radio waves have the
longest wavelength.
C. is incorrect because Graph C shows the
shortest wavelengths whereas radio waves have
the longest wavelength.
D. is incorrect because Graph D shows the same
wavelength as Graph B. Neither wavelength is
the longest, which is the case for radio waves.
Both radio and television signals are
carried by radio waves.
What other type of electromagnetic
radiation is used to send information
over long distances?
A. X-rays
B. microwaves
C. gamma rays
D. ultraviolet light
√heck the answer
ANS: B
A. is incorrect because X-rays are used to
produce internal images of the body.
B. is correct because cell phones use microwaves
to send signals.
C. is incorrect because gamma rays are used to
treat some forms of cancer.
D. is incorrect because ultraviolet light is used to
kill germs on surgical instruments.
These graphs show two different types of
electromagnetic radiation.
If Graph I shows ultraviolet
radiation, what type of
electromagnetic radiation would
Graph II show?
A. infrared light
B. microwaves
C. violet light
D. X-rays
√heck the answer
ANS: D
A. is incorrect because the wavelengths of
infrared light are longer than those of
ultraviolet light.
B. is incorrect because microwaves have a
longer wavelength than ultraviolet radiation.
C. is incorrect because ultraviolet light has
shorter wavelength than violet light.
D. is correct because X-rays have shorter
wavelengths than ultraviolet light.
All electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed
in a vacuum. However, different kinds of
electromagnetic waves have different wavelengths.
For example, microwaves have longer wavelengths
than visible light.
How is it possible for both microwaves and
visible light to travel at the same speed in a
vacuum if they have different wavelengths?
A. Microwaves and visible light have the same
energy.
B. Microwaves and visible light have different
frequencies
C. The waves of visible light have less energy than
microwaves
D. The distance between a point on one wave to
the identical point on the next wave is the same
for both microwaves and visible light
√heck the answer
ANS: B
A. is incorrect because microwaves have less
energy as a result of their longer
wavelength.
B. is correct because the speed of a wave is
found by multiplying its wavelength by its
frequency.
C. is incorrect because visible light has more
energy than microwaves.
D. is incorrect because the microwaves and
visible light are not the same wavelength.
As you work through the Tour the Electromagnetic
Spectrum interactive activity, discuss the various regions
of the spectrum and common objects that utilize
radiation at each frequency/wavelength.
.
Practice Problems
SC.7.P.10.3
Recognize that light waves, sound waves, and
other waves move at different speeds in
different materials.
Waves can pass through a solid, liquid, or a
gas. What is the name for any substance
through which a wave can pass?
A. a crest
B. a trough
C. a medium
D. a frequency
√heck the answer
ANS: C
A. is incorrect because a crest is the highest
point of certain types of waves.
B. is incorrect because a trough is the lowest
point between each crest.
C. is correct because a medium is any substance
through which a wave can travel.
D. is incorrect because frequency refers to the
number of waves generated in a given
amount of time.
The pitch of a sound wave depends on its frequency. A
high frequency results in a high pitch, while a low
frequency results in a low pitch. The diagram below shows
the frequency of a sound wave.
How should this diagram be changed to show that
the wave has a higher pitch?
A. Eliminate half the dots in the diagram.
B. Move the areas labeled N and M closer to each
other.
C. Make the entire diagram look like the areas
labeled N and M.
D. Move the areas labeled N and M farther apart
from each other.
√heck the answer
ANS: B
A. is incorrect because reducing the number of
dots would not indicate a change in frequency.
B. is correct because moving them closer together
would illustrate a higher frequency and
therefore a higher pitch.
C. is incorrect because this would indicate a lower
frequency and therefore a lower pitch.
D. is incorrect because the frequency would be
shown as having decreased, resulting in a
lower pitch.
In 1947, pilot Chuck Yeager became the first person in an
airplane to fly faster than the speed of sound. He flew
his plane about 12,000 meters above sea level. At that
altitude, the speed of sound travels at 290
meters/second. At sea level, the speed of sound is about
340 meters/second.
What conclusion can you make from this
information?
A. The speed of sound does not depend on
altitude.
B. The speed of sound depends on the type of
plane flown.
C. As the altitude increases, the speed of
sound increases.
D.As the altitude increases, the speed of
sound decreases.
√heck the answer
ANS: D
A. is incorrect because the passage states that sound
waves travel at different speeds, depending on
altitude.
B. is incorrect because the speed at which sound
travels depends on the medium through which it
travels.
C. is incorrect because the passage states that sound
travels faster at sea level.
D. is correct because the passage states that the speed
of sound at sea level is faster than at 12,000 meters
above sea level.
The speed of a sound wave through a substance depends
on the vibrations caused by collisions of the particles
that make up that substance. The more collisions there
are, the faster the sound wave travels. The particles in a
liquid are more closely packed together than the
particles in a gas.
What would you predict to happen to a sound
wave as it travels from a liquid into a gas?
A. The speed of the sound wave would increase.
B. The speed of the sound wave would decrease.
C. The amplitude of the sound wave would
increase.
D. The amplitude of the sound wave would
decrease.
√heck the answer
ANS: B
A. is incorrect because fewer particles in a given
volume of gas will result in fewer collisions and
therefore a slower speed.
B. is correct because there will be fewer collisions
between particles in a gas, resulting in a decreased
speed.
C. is incorrect because the speed and not the
amplitude of the sound wave is affected.
D. is incorrect because the speed will change as the
sound wave moves into a different medium.
Kalinda hates the sound of her alarm clock in the
morning.
What would be the best way for Kalinda not to
hear the sound even if the alarm clock is
ringing?
A. Put the alarm clock in a jar, and put it in
her closet.
B. Put the alarm clock in a jar, fill it with
cotton, and seal it.
C. Put the alarm clock in a jar, remove all the
air from it, and seal it.
D. Put the alarm clock in a sealed jar and
cover it with a hand towel.
√heck the answer
ANS: C
A. is incorrect because although the alarm might
sound muffled, the sound will still travel through
the jar and the door of the closet.
B. is incorrect because the alarm could still travel
through the cotton and jar.
C. is correct because sound waves cannot travel
through a vacuum.
D. is incorrect because sound waves can still travel
through the jar and towel.
In this interactive activity, learn about waves and
explore how a wave moves through different
mediums with a tool that allows you to adjust the
density of the material and manipulate the
direction of a wave disturbance. Also, investigate
why a boat on the ocean bobs up and down and is
not carried to shore by the water waves. Click on the
title bar to get started.
Observe an Animation of
Wave Motion
When wave energy passes through water, the water
moves in a circular motion. Energy is passing from left
to right in this animation, but the water itself stays in
the same general location.