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Physical Science Course Pre/Post-Assessment
1. Tara and Dave each operate a toy train on parallel tracks. The speed and direction
of each train are shown in the picture. How fast is Tara's train moving relative to
Dave's train?
a. 1.44m/s
b. 1.80m/s
c. 3.00m/s
d. 4.00m/s
2. Mr. Allen's class is watching a video on motion. He pauses the video and asks them
to carefully examine the picture. From whose perspective would the car have the
greatest velocity?
a. Driver of the truck
b. Driver of the motorcycle
c. Pedestrian on the sidewalk
d. Person sitting on the bench
3. A car is traveling on a highway at a constant velocity. Which
statement best describes the forces acting on the car?
a. The forces acting on the car are balanced.
b. The forces acting on the car are in the same direction.
c. The forces acting on the car are continuing to increase.
d. The forces acting on the car are equal to the force of gravity.
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Physical Science Course Pre/Post-Assessment
4. If a ball rolls at a constant rate on a flat surface, the motion is due to
a. Gravitational forces
b. Frictional forces
c. Electromagnetic forces
d. Balanced forces
5. When a ball is thrown at an upward angle, the force pulling down on the ball
a. Opposes the force of friction on the ball
b. Reduces the effect of friction on the ball
c. Is relative to the force causing the ball to move upward and forward.
d. Overcomes the force that propelled the ball upward and forward.
6. A battery-powered toy sailboat heading south on a pond catches a wind blowing
from east to west. The combination of forces will cause the sailboat to move in which
direction?
a. Northeast
b. Northwest
c. Southeast
d. Southwest
7. The diagram shows three forces being applied to a crate on a floor. If the crate is to
remain stationary, what amount of force must be applied for z?
a. 800N
b. 1200N
c. 2000N
d. 2400N
8. If a book sitting on a flat table starts to move horizontally, it is most likely moving
because
a. a balanced force is being applied.
b. a frictional force is being exerted.
c. an unbalanced force is being applied.
d. a gravitational force is being exerted.
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Physical Science Course Pre/Post-Assessment
9. The diagram shows a child swinging on a swing set. As the child moves from left to
right, at which point will the maximum kinetic energy be reached?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
10. When astronauts walked on the Moon, they used weighted boots to help them walk
due to the lower gravitational pull. What difference between Earth and the Moon
accounts for the difference in gravity?
a. Density
b. Diameter
c. Mass
d. Volume
11. Which of the following best describes Thomson’s contribution to the atomic theory?
a. Electrons exhibit both particle and wavelike behavior.
b. Electrons exert repulsive forces on one another.
c. Electrons and equal numbers of positive charges exist.
d. Electrons absorb discrete amounts of energy.
12. The elements from Group 18 on the periodic table are shown. What do the elements
in Group 18 have in common?
a.
b.
c.
d.
all form ions
all are nonreactive
all have two valence electrons
all are solids at room temperature
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Physical Science Course Pre/Post-Assessment
13. The noble gases, helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon, rarely react with
other elements because they
a. are low-density gases
b. are not abundant on Earth.
c. have complete outermost energy levels.
d. have two electrons in their outermost energy level.
14. The alkali metal family of elements includes Li, Na, K, and Rb. These elements tend
to easily form compounds with the halogens F, Cl, Br, and I. Which explains why
they form compounds so easily?
a. They have the same electron configuration as the halogens.
b. They have one electron in their outer orbital which they readily lose.
c. They have seven electrons in their outer orbital which they readily lose.
d. They have one electron in their outer orbital which attracts the protons in the
halogen atoms.
15. How many valence electrons does selenium have?
a. 3
b. 5
c. 6
d. 8
16. Which of the following would have chemical properties similar to the element that
has the electron configuration 1S22S22P4?
a. Silicon
b. Lithium
c. Oxygen
d. Chlorine
17. Which characteristic of an element determines its placement in the Periodic Table of
the Elements?
a. Mass
b. Size
c. Number of neutrons
d. Number of protons
18. Based on the periodic table, how many protons are found in an atom of iron (Fe)?
a. 8
b. 26
c. 30
d. 56
19. The sum of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom is called the
a. Valence
b. mass number
c. chemical property
d. electrical charge
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Physical Science Course Pre/Post-Assessment
20. Based on its electron configuration, which element will most likely gain electrons
from another element when forming an ionic compound?
a. potassium (K)
b. vanadium (V)
c. iodine (I)
d. xenon (Xe)
21. Magnesium chloride has an atomic mass of 94 amu. What is the mass of one mole of
magnesium chloride?
a. 3g
b. 47g
c. 94g
d. 188g
22. The atomic number of an element refers to the number of
a. electrons in the outer shell
b. neutrons in the outer shell
c. electrons in the nucleus
d. protons in the nucleus
23. Which statement best describes the organization of the Periodic Table of the
Elements?
a. All gases are grouped together
b. Gases easily form compounds with other elements
c. Elements within a group have similar properties
d. Elements within a period have the same number of electrons
24. What is the mass number of an atom with 17 protons, 17 electrons, and 18
neutrons?
a. 17
b. 34
c. 35
d. 52
25. The table below shows the properties of calcium metal. Which statement
characterizes the properties of calcium based on the table?
a. The appearance of calcium is a physical property because its color depends on
chemical changes.
b. The melting point of calcium is a physical property because measuring it produces
a chemical reaction.
c. The reactivity of calcium is a chemical property because it involves a change in
the chemical composition.
d. The density of calcium is a chemical property because changing the density
involves making calcium into another element
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Physical Science Course Pre/Post-Assessment
26. Which of the following properties of ethanol is a chemical property?
a. Colorless
b. Flammable
c. boils at 78°C
d. density of 0.79g/cm3
27. Which set of elements has similar bonding properties?
a. Cl, Br, and F
b. K, Ca, and Sc
c. Kr, Cl, and O
d. Be, C, and O
28. What is the main reason metals such as silver and copper are used in making coins?
a. They are malleable
b. They are expensive
c. They are ductile
d. They are heavy
29. Which statement best describes a 50 mL sample of liquid in a 100 mL sealed
container?
a. The liquid has the same shape and volume as the container.
b. The liquid has the same shape as the container.
c. The liquid has the same volume as the container.
d. The liquid has a defined shape and volume regardless of the container.
30. At room temperature, what state of matter is copper?
a. Gas
b. Solid
c. Liquid
d. Plasma
31. A model of an oxygen atom is shown. What is the charge in this oxygen atom?
a. 0
b. 2
c. 6
d. 8
32. Which statement best describes the changes that occur when burning coal and
boiling water?
a. Burning coal and boiling water are both physical changes.
b. Burning coal and boiling water are both chemical changes.
c. Burning coal is a chemical change, and boiling water is a physical change.
d. Burning coal is a physical change, and boiling water is a chemical change.
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Physical Science Course Pre/Post-Assessment
33. If the atomic mass number of an atom is 35, which statement is most accurate?
a. The atom is not an isotope.
b. The atomic number is less than 17.
c. The atom has an odd number of neutrons.
d. The number of protons does not equal the number of neutrons.
34. What would be the result of adding one proton to an atom?
a. one electron would be added
b. the atomic number would change
c. the total mass of the atom would decrease
d. the electrical charge would become neutral
35. What change has taken place in the following? K→ K+
a. loss of a proton
b. gain of a proton
c. loss of an electron
d. gain of an electron
36. A neutral chlorine (Cl) atom contains 17 protons and 18 neutrons. How many
electrons are there in a chlorine ion (
)?
a. 17
b. 18
c. 34
d. 35
37. Melting, boiling, and freezing are examples of
a. physical changes
b. chemical changes
c. magnetic changes
d. electrical changes
38. A change in the number of neutrons in an atom will change the isotope. What will
happen when the number of protons changes in an atom?
a. Energy will be destroyed.
b. Chemical bonding will occur.
c. A new element will form.
d. The atom will gain a charge.
39. Two isotopes of the same element must have the same
a. atomic mass and number of neutrons.
b. atomic mass and number of protons.
c. atomic symbol and number of neutrons.
d. atomic symbol and number of protons.
40. The boiling of water results in a physical change in matter from
a. solid to liquid
b. gas to solid
c. solid to gas
d. liquid to gas
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Physical Science Course Pre/Post-Assessment
41. Two elements in the same group on the Periodic Table of the Elements
are most similar in their
a. atomic mass
b. number of protons
c. atomic size
d. chemical reactivity
42. Certain elements with similar chemical and physical properties are found in the
same column in the Periodic Table of the Elements. These chemicals
a. are in the same period
b. are in the same family
c. have the same number of electrons
d. have the same atomic mass number
43. The formation of an ionic bond involves the
a. transfer of electrons
b. sharing of neutrons
c. transfer of neutrons
d. sharing of protons
44. A student placed an egg in a container of vinegar. Bubbles formed on the shell of the
egg, and after three days, the shell was gone. Which observation made by the
student indicated a chemical change took place?
a. The bubbles were produced as the shell reacted with the acid.
b. The vinegar solution remained clear.
c. The temperature of the vinegar remained the same.
d. The shape of the egg remained oval.
45. The chemical formula for water is
What does the formula show about each
element in the compound?
a. the number of valence electrons
b. the charge of the compound
c. the mass of protons in each atom
d. the number of atoms of each element
46. A bond is formed when an electron is transferred from a sodium atom to a chlorine
atom. What happens to the sodium atom during this process?
a. The mass of the atom increases
b. The atom becomes an isotope
c. The atomic number decreases
d. The atom becomes a positive ion
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Physical Science Course Pre/Post-Assessment
47. The graph shows the motion of a student walking at different speeds. During which
time interval does the student walk with a negative acceleration?
a. 0–2 seconds
b. 2–4 seconds
c. 4–8 seconds
d. 8–12 seconds
48. The electron configuration of an atom determines how much energy is involved in
its reactions. The chart shows how the same amount of some elements reacts with
water. Which reaction would most likely occur when rubidium (Rb) is placed in
water?
a. oxidizes slightly
b. oxidizes, produces more heat than lithium (Li)
c. oxidizes, produces more heat and smoke than sodium (Na)
d. oxidizes, produces more heat, smoke, and flames than potassium (K)
49. Which answer shows a chemical reaction has taken place?
a. A metal strip bends when heated.
b. A solution freezes in the freezer.
c. Two solutions mixed in a beaker produce a solid.
d. A chemical dissolves in water and the temperature remains the same.
50. Melting, boiling, and freezing are examples of
a. physical changes
b. chemical changes
c. magnetic changes
d. electrical changes