Fenwick High School Junior High Science Contest Sample Exam Questions 1. Which International System prefix represents the smallest multiplier? a) G; gigab) k; kiloc) m; millid) c; centi2. __________ has (have) mass and volume. a) weight b) electric fields c) matter 3. What is NOT a property of metals? a) conduct electricity b) have luster d) energy c) conduct heat d) are brittle 4. What is a testable statement created from observations and data? a) hypothesis b) accuracy c) precision d) percent error 5. Which of the following is a unit used to measure the mass of something? a) megameter b) centiliter c) kilogram d) millisecond 6. Which of the following is not a part of an atom with a stable nucleus? a) proton b) neutron c) electron d) positron 7. Numerical pieces of information would be considered which type of data? a) qualitative b) analytical c) quantitative d) indicative 8. What are three main categories of elements? a) metals, nonmetals and metalloids b) metals, nonmetals and compounds c) electrons, protons and neutrons d) nonmetals, conductors, and crystals 9. What are three phases of matter? a) heat, energy and particles b) solid, liquid and gas c) freezing, condensing and melting d) metal, nonmetal and metalloid 10. What is the name of the reference chart that organizes atom types by physical and chemical properties? a) the periodic table b) the handbook of chemistry and physics c) table of nuclides d) table of quarks, leptons, and barions 11. Which state of matter is defined by having a definite volume, but no definite shape? a) solid b) liquid c) gas d) plasma 12. What subatomic particle initiates nuclear fission in a nuclear reactor? a) proton b) electron c) gamma particle d) neutron 13. Blood is an example of a a) solution b) heterogenous mixture 14. Earth’s rotation takes about a) 365 days b) 6 months c) 24 hours c) compound d) 1 month d) element 15. Which measuring device is most accurate? a) graduated cylinder that measures to 0.01 mL b) a bathroom scale that deviates from true weights by 0.0001 % c) an electronic balance that costs $2000 and measures mass to 0.00001 g d) a beaker with marks at 50 ml, 100ml, and 150ml 16. Earth has seasons because a) it rotates on its axis b) the distance between Earth and the sun changes c) its North-South axis is inclined relative to the plane of the Earth’s revolution d) the temperature of the sun changes 17. Tides are caused mainly by a) Earth’s rotation on its axis, which causes water to move b) shifting tectonic plates c) strong wind blowing water onto coasts d) differences in how much the moon pulls on different parts of the Earth. 18. The solar system formed from a) an expanding galaxy b) a giant cloud of gas and dust c) an enormous explosion d) a black hole 19. The force that tends to pull together the matter in stars is a) gravity b) nuclear fusion c) dark energy d) dark matter 20. The asteroid belt is located a) between Earth and Mars b) between Mars and Jupiter c) between Jupiter and Saturn d) between Saturn and Uranus 21. The greenhouse effect is a) the absorption of energy by clouds b) a gradual increase in the temperature of the atmosphere c) the reflection of solar energy into the atmosphere d) the process by which gases maintain warmth in the atmosphere 22. The normal freezing point of pure water on the Celsius scale is ____ degrees. a) 0 b) 32 c) 100 d) 212 23. Cool and dry air tends to a) be less dense and flow over warm air b) be lifted up by more dense warm air c) be more dense and flow under warm air d) only occur at the equator 24. Tornado alley includes the states of a) New York and California b) Florida and North Carolina 25. Hurricanes typically form over a) cold ocean water b) tropical rain forests c) Texas and Kansas c) warm ocean water d) Pennsylvania and Illinois d) very dry land masses Consider the simplified nitrogen cycle shown: 26. In the nitrogen cycle, the organism that is responsible for returning nitrogen back to the air is/are a) nitrogen fixing bacteria b) plants c) animals d) decomposers 27. In a controlled experiment, there should be only one a) observation b) independent variable c) hypothesis d) theory 28. An organic compound always contains a) carbon b) helium c) oxygen d) nitrogen 29. Which of the following chromosome combinations could not produce a human male a) XY b) XXX c) XXY d) XXXY 30. In DNA a) A joins with A b) C joins with T 31. Hermaphrodites produce a) either sperm or eggs b) only sperm c) T joins with A d) G joins with A c) both sperm and eggs d) only eggs 32. Which of the following is not a reptile a) crocodile b) snake c) toad d) lizard 33. A human fetus normally develops in the a) ovary b) uterus c) cervix d) fallopian tube 34. Assume the acceleration due to gravity is 10.0 m/s2. A freely falling object is found to be moving downward at 18 m/s. If it continues to fall, two seconds later the object would be moving with a speed of a) 8.0 m/s b)10 m/s c) 18 m/s d) 38 m/s e)180 m/s 35. How tall is a tree if the sun is at a 45º angle above the horizon and the shadow is 8.0 meters long? a) 4.0 m b) 8.0 m c) 16.0 m d) 33.0 m e) 45.0 m The diagram below represents a toy car starting from rest and uniformly changing speed across the floor. The time and distance traveled from the start are shown in the diagram. 36. The car’s motion can best be described as a) decelerating b) travelling with constant speed c) at rest d) accelerating 37. What was the average speed of the cart between 0.1 seconds and 0.3 seconds? a) 0.6 m/s b)4.8 m/s c)1.9 m/s d) 60 m/s e) 2.4 m/s 38. A six foot person stands two feet away from a plane mirror. What is the height of the image? a) 2.0 ft b) 3.0 ft c) 4.0 ft d) 6.0 ft e) 8.0 ft 39. Two small objects are suspended from threads. When the objects are moved close together, they attract one another. Neglecting any gravitational effects, which of the following could produce this result? a) one object is positively charged and the other is negatively charge b) both objects are positively charged c) both object are negatively charged d) all of the above e) none of the above 40. The tree in your backyard is home to two cardinals, a colony of ants, a wasp’s nest, two squirrels, and a million bacteria. Together all of these organisms represent a(n) a) species b) community c) a population d) ecosystem e) biosphere 41. Select the pair of units for measuring volume: a. milliliter and gram b. kilometer and liter c. cubic centimeter and liter d. liter and millimeter e. none of the above are correct 42. Which of the following does not belong with the others? a) fluorine b) chlorine c) bromine d) iodine e) selenium 43. A phase change from solid to a vapor is called: a) melting b) vaporization c) condensation d) sublimation 44. When a substance is reduced: a) it gains electrons b) it loses electrons c) it gains protons 45. When water freezes, the surroundings a) get colder b) warm up c) undergo no temperature change 46. Which is a false statement about bases? a) solutions with a pH above 7 are basic b) bases taste sour c) a base will turn litmus blue d) bases are slippery e) bases are used in making soap 47. The number of milligrams in 45 decigrams is a) 0.45 b) 4500 c) 4.5 d) 0.0045 d) it loses protons d) melt e) it gains neutrons 48. The vertebrate eye focuses at different distances by: a) squinting b) alternating right and left visual fields c) adjusting the curvature of the lens d) dilation and constriction of the iris e) none of the above answers is correct 49. The amino acids which form protein molecules a) all contain sodium b) are always identical to each other c) all contain zinc d) are all joined by covalent bonds e) a and b are correct 50. The group of animals that have the most members are the: a) fishes b) birds c) insects d) reptiles e) spiders 51. The measurement of volume taken from the graduated cylinder shown above is best represented as a) 1.5 mL b) 1.50 mL c) 1.6 mL d) 1 mL e) 1.500 mL 52. The building blocks of a protein molecule are a) monosaccharides b) fatty acids c) amino acids d) disaccharides e) none of the above 53. According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, from the frame of reference of a stationary observer: a) A moving clock takes longer than one second to record one second. b) A moving meter stick is more than one meter long. c) One kilogram in motion has a mass less than one kilogram. d) Objects can move faster than the speed of light. 54. The chemical symbol for silver is a) Si b) S c) Ag d) Au 55. The solubility of gases in liquids can be increased most by using: a) lower temperature and lower pressure b) lower temperature and higher pressure c) higher temperature and higher pressure d) higher temperature and lower pressure 56. Which of the following would be on the bottom of the food chain? a) mouse b) grass c) hawk d) snake e) cricket 57. Which of the following provides the greatest source of energy per gram for the body? a) protein b) fat c) sugar d) carbohydrates e) none of the above 58. The kidney is connected to the bladder by the a) renal tube b) ureter c) urethra d) vas deferens 59. Which animal is least related to the other three? a) grasshopper b) mosquito c) spider d) ant 60. Growth in the diameter of a woody-plant stem is due to cell division in the a) xylem b) phloem c) bark d) cambium 61. During a study session about evolution, one of your fellow students remarks: “The giraffe stretched its neck while reaching for higher leaves; its offspring, inherited longer necks as a result” Which statement is most likely to be helpful in correcting this student’s misconception? a) Characteristics acquired during an organism’s life are generally not passed on through the genes. b) Spontaneous mutations can result in the appearance of new traits c) Only favorable adaptations have a survival value d) Disuse of an organ my lead to it’s eventual disappearance e) Overproduction of offspring leads to a struggle for survival 62. When a golf club hits a golf ball, the change in momentum of the ball is _________ the change in the momentum of the club. a) equal to b) greater than c) less than 63. Suppose a penny lies at the bottom of a tea cup filled with water. As you look down on the penny, compared to its actual depth, it would appear to be: a) farther away b) closer c) at the same depth d) on its side 64. Which of the following will mostly likely form a cation? a) aluminum b) sulfur c) oxygen d) chlorine 65. The number of electrons that are involved in forming a double bond between two atoms is(are): a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4 e) 8 66. A snowball rolling down a hill doubles its volume every 4 seconds. At this rate, how long will it take the snowball to increase its diameter by a factor of 2? a) 8 seconds b) 4 seconds c) 12 seconds d) 16 seconds e) 32 seconds 67. Which of the following is an agent of erosion? a) gravity b) wind c) ice d) all of these 68. The earth rotates in a direction from a) west to east b) east to west c) southeast to north east d) around the sun 69. September 22 is the date of the _______________ . a) winter solstice b) vernal equinox c) fall equinox d) summer solstice 70. The Great Red Spot is located on the planet _______. a) Neptune b) Mars c) Jupiter d) Uranus e) Saturn 71. Which of the following forms of electromagnetic radiation has the shortest wavelength? a) radio waves b) ultraviolet radiation c) light d) microwaves e) both a and c are correct 72. Thermal energy takes the longest time to travel through a) an iron bar b) an aluminum bar c) a copper bar d) a plastic bar 73. Of the following, the electrolyte is a) sucrose b) glucose c) water d) sodium chloride e) aluminum 74. A bicycle traveling at 30.0 m/s takes 1.00 minutes to come to a stop. The bicycle’s acceleration is a) -30.0 m/s2 b) -29.0 m/s2 c) -31.0 m/s2 d) -0.500 m/s2 75. The isotope of _____ powers the nuclear power plants of the United States. a) uranium b) plutonium c) radium d) radon e) Americium 76. When a reaction comes to a state of chemical equilibrium a) all reactions have ceased. b) only the forward reaction continues. c) only the reverse reaction continues. d) both the forward and reverse reactions continue at the same rate. 77. An atom of potassium has 19 protons and 20 neutrons. What is its mass number? a) 19 b) 20 c) 39 d) 10 The next five questions refer to the above figure. 78. Which enzyme would more likely be found in a bacterium growing in a hot spring? a) y b) x c) both x and y d) neither x nor y 79. At what temperature do the two enzymes have the same amount of activity? a) 30°C b) 40°C c) 47°C d) 50°C 80. Which enzyme has an optimum temperature of 40°C? a) y b) x 81. Which enzyme would have the most activity in humans? a) x b) y c) both x and y d) neither x nor y 82. Which enzyme is active over the largest temperature range? a) x b) y 83. What class of matter may be broken down by chemical but not by physical means? a) an element b) a compound c) a solution d) a mixture e) none of these The next five questions refer to the following diagrams: Figure 1 Figure 84. Which figure represents an animal cell? a) Figure 1 b) Figure 2 c) neither are animal cells 85. The structure labeled H in Figure 2 is a (an) a) nucleus b) endoplasmic reticulum c) ribosome 86. The structure labeled A in Figure 1 is a a) cell wall b) cell membrane c) cytosol d) both are animal cells d) golgi body d) cell capsule 87. The structure labeled F in Figure 2 is a a) centrosomes b) chloroplast c) mitochondria 88. The structure labeled F in Figure 1 is a a) ribosome b) nucleus c) water vacuole 2 d) ribosome d) chloroplast 89. During meiosis: a) the cell cycle proceeds twice b) DNA is synthesized only once per meiotic cycle c) the daughter cells of the first cell division receive identical sets of chromosomes d) the daughter cells of the first cell division have one-fourth the chromosomes of the parent cells e) the distribution of cytoplasm is always equal among the daughter cells 90. The pistil is part of the reproductive system of which type of organism? a) plants b) humans c) bacteria d) virus e) none of the above answers is correct 91. Which of the following is not a component of a DNA molecule? a) phosphate b) adenine c) sugar d) ammonia e)thymine 92. A biologist reported that a sample of ocean water had 5 million diatoms of the species, Coscinodiscus centralis, per cubic meter. What was the biologist measuring? a) population density b) population dispersion c) carrying capacity d) quadrates e) population range 93. Which is a true statement about a satellite in orbit around the earth? a) it experiences zero gravity b) it is in a state of static equilibrium c) it is in a state of dynamic equilibrium d) it must have a period of 28 days e) it is accelerating toward the center of the earth 94. The planets closest to the sun are a) Mercury and Venus b) Earth and Mars c) Jupiter and Saturn d) Uranus, Neptune, and Plato 95. Most organisms cannot survive in salt solutions more concentrated than marine salt water. The reason for this is a) most ponds of extra salty water are too shallow to support life b) water diffuses from the tissue too rapidly and the organism dies of dehydration c) extra high salt solutions make organisms sink d) water enters the organism too rapidly and the organism bursts e) all of the above 96. The lymphatic system is involved in all but which of the following a) absorption of fats from the small intestine b) return of extra cellular fluids to the circulatory system c) removal of foreign particles and dead cells from tissue fluids d) transport of hormones e) development of immune responses 97. Which of the following is NOT part of mitosis? a) anaphase b) prophase c) metaphase d) telophase e) all of the above are part of mitosis 98. The half-life of a radioactive isotope is 12.0 h. What fraction of an original amount of isotope will be left after 1.0 day? a) 0.33 b) 0.50 c) 0.25 d) 0.125 99. In which cycle are bacteria important for processes other than decomposition? a) nitrogen cycle b) hydrologic cycle c) carbon cycle d) phosphorous cycle e) energy cycle 100. The pedigree below is for myopia (nearsightedness). Males are indicated by squares, females by circles. Individuals afflicted with the disease are indicated by dark circles or squares. Individual number 5 -2 1 4 5 3 a) is homozygous for normal vision b) is homozygous for myopia c) is heterozygous normal d) is heterozygous for myopia e) has two dominant genes Answer key Number Correct Answer Number Correct Answer Number Correct Answer Number Correct Answer 1 C 26 D 51 B 76 D 2 C 27 B 52 C 77 C 3 D 28 A 53 A 78 A 4 A 29 B 54 C 79 C 5 C 30 C 55 B 80 B 6 D 31 C 56 B 81 A 7 C 32 C 57 B 82 B 8 A 33 B 58 B 83 B 9 B 34 D 59 C 84 B 10 A 35 B 60 D 85 C 11 B 36 D 61 A 86 A 12 D 37 E 62 A 87 C 13 B 38 D 63 B 88 C 14 C 39 A 64 A 89 B 15 B 40 B 65 D 90 A 16 C 41 C 66 C 91 D 17 D 42 E 67 D 92 A 18 B 43 D 68 A 93 E 19 A 44 A 69 C 94 A 20 B 45 B 70 C 95 B 21 D 46 B 71 B 96 D 22 A 47 B 72 D 97 E 23 C 48 C 73 D 98 C 24 C 49 D 74 D 99 A 25 C 50 C 75 A 100 C