Science Exam

What is a constellation?

A constellation is a group of stars that form a recognizable pattern in the night sky, often named after mythological figures, animals, or objects.

How can you tell the difference between a star and a planet in the night sky?

Stars twinkle because of the Earth's atmosphere, while planets shine steadily and do not twinkle.

• Polaris

  What are the common names of the following constellations and stars:

• The North Star

What are the common names of the following constellations and stars:

• Cassiopeia

• – The Queen

What are the common names of the following constellations and stars:

• The Pleiades

• – The Seven Sisters

• Ursa Major – What are the common names of the following constellations and stars:

• The Great Bear

What are the common names of the following constellations and stars:Pegasus

– The Winged Horse

What are the common names of the following constellations and stars:Cygnus –

The Swan

What are the common names of the following constellations and stars: Leo

The Lion

What are the common names of the following constellations and stars:Canis Major –

The Greater Dog

What are the common names of the following constellations and stars: Orion

The Hunter

What are the common names of the following constellations and stars Taurus

• The Bull

What is special about Polaris?

Polaris, or the North Star, is almost directly above Earth's North Pole, making it a stable point in the sky used for navigation.

Define the following terms and give the corresponding number for Earth:

• Rotation period:

• Orbital period:

• Astronomical unit (AU):

• Rotation period: The time it takes Earth to spin once on its axis — 24 hours

• Orbital period: The time it takes Earth to orbit the Sun — 365.25 days

• Astronomical unit (AU): The average distance from Earth to the Sun — 1 AU

Calculate the distance from Earth to Mars in astronomical units.

1.5AU

Which planets are most like Earth?

Venus and Mars are most similar to Earth in terms of size, composition, and location in the solar system.

What is the order of planets from closest to the Sun to farthest from the Sun?

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

What is a moon? Which moons can you see at night?

A moon is a natural satellite that orbits a planet. At night, you can sometimes see Earth’s Moon, and occasionally Jupiter’s moons or Saturn’s moons with a telescope.

What is an asteroid? Where do they come from?

An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Describe the difference between a meteoroid and a meteorite.

A meteoroid is a small rock in space. When it enters Earth’s atmosphere and burns up, it becomes a meteor. If it survives the atmosphere and lands on Earth, it's a meteorite.

What is a comet? When are their tails visible?

A comet is a ball of ice and dust that orbits the Sun. Its tail becomes visible when it gets close to the Sun and the heat causes the comet to release gas and dust.

What is a light year?

A light year is the distance light travels in one year — about 9.46 trillion kilometers (5.88 trillion miles).

What are the major layers of the sun? How does the sun produce energy?

Major layers: Core, Radiative Zone, Convective Zone, Photosphere, Chromosphere, Corona.
The Sun produces energy through nuclear fusion in its core, where hydrogen atoms fuse to form helium.

What does the colour of a star tell you about its temperature?
A star’s color indicates its temperature:

• Blue

• White

• Yellow

• Red

• Blue = hottest

• White = hot

• Yellow = medium (like the Sun)

• Red = cooler

What is the “big bang”? What is “redshift”?

• The Big Bang is the theory that the universe began from a single point and has been expanding ever since.

• Redshift is the stretching of light to longer (redder) wavelengths, which shows that galaxies are moving away from us — evidence the universe is expanding.

List 4 safety concerns when doing a lab:

• Wear safety goggles and a lab coat

• Tie back long hair

• Never eat or drink in the lab

• Know where safety equipment (eyewash, fire extinguisher) is located

What are the two types of observations?

• Qualitative: observations using the senses (e.g., color, texture)
  Example: the substance is shiny (lustre)

• Quantitative: observations using numbers (e.g., mass, volume)
  Example: the beaker contains 100 mL of water

Define:

• Mass:

• Volume:

• Density:

• Mass: The amount of matter in an object

• Volume: The amount of space an object occupies

• Density: Mass divided by volume (D = M/V)

Define the following physical properties:

• Malleability:

• Ductility:

• Viscosity:

• Boiling point:

• Lustre:

• Taste:

• Texture:

• Hardness:

• Malleability: Ability to be hammered into thin sheets

• Ductility: Ability to be stretched into wires

• Viscosity: Thickness or resistance to flow

• Boiling point: Temperature where a substance turns to gas

• Lustre: How shiny a substance is

• Taste: How a substance tastes (only used in safe situations)

• Texture: How a surface feels (rough, smooth, etc.)

• Hardness: Resistance to being scratched

Calculate density (D = M/V):
D = 24.5 g / 240 mL = 0.102 g/mL

6. Calculate volume (V = M/D):
V = 34 g / 2.2 g/mL = 15.45 mL

Calculate density (D = M/V):
D = 24.5 g / 240 mL = 0.102 g/mL

6. Calculate volume (V = M/D):
V = 34 g / 2.2 g/mL = 15.45 mL

Define:

• Physical change:

• Chemical change:

• Physical change: A change that doesn't form a new substance (e.g., melting)

• Chemical change: A change that forms a new substance (e.g., rusting)

Clues of chemical change:

• Color change

• Temperature change

• Gas or bubbles form

• A new solid (precipitate) forms

• Light or sound is produced

Particle Theory (applies to all states of matter):

• All matter is made of particles

• Particles are always moving

• Particles have space between them

• Particles attract each other

• Temperature affects particle movement
  Solids: tightly packed, vibrate
  Liquids: loosely packed, move past each other
  Gases: far apart, move quickly

Define:

• Atom:

• Element:

• Molecule:

• Compound:

• Atom: Basic unit of matter

• Element: A substance made of only one kind of atom

• Molecule: Two or more atoms bonded together

• Compound: A molecule made of different types of atoms

Gas test example:

• Use a burning splint:

  • Pops

  • Glows brighten

  • Goes out

• • Pops = hydrogen

  • Glows brighter = oxygen

  • Goes out = carbon dioxide

Parts of the atom:

• tons & neutrons: in the nucleus; proton charge is +, neutron is 0

• Electrons: orbit nucleus; charge is −

Bohr-Rutherford & Lewis Dot diagrams:

go on thing

PERIODIC TABLE

Horizontal rows:
Vertical columns:
Elements in the same family:

Horizontal rows: Periods
Vertical columns: Groups or Families
Elements in the same family: Have the same number of valence electrons and similar chemical properties

Magnesium ion diagram:

• Magnesium loses 2 electrons → becomes Mg²⁺

• Called a cation

What is static electricity?

A build-up of electric charge on the surface of an object.

Law of electric charges:

• Opposites attract

• Likes repel

• Neutral objects are attracted to charged objects

Diagram: Atom forms a positive ion:

Loses electrons → becomes positively charged (cation)

Diagram: Atom forms a negative ion:

Gains electrons → becomes negatively charged (anion)

Charging methods and examples

• Friction: Rubbing two different materials (e.g., balloon on hair)

• Contact: Touching a charged object to a neutral one

• Induction: Bringing a charged object near a neutral one without touching (causes rearrangement of charges)

Electrostatic series:

A list that shows how likely materials are to gain or lose electrons

Insulator (example):

Material that does not allow electrons to flow (e.g., rubber, plastic)

Conductor (example):

Material that does allow electrons to flow (e.g., copper, aluminum)

Grounding vs. Discharging:

• Grounding: Connecting to Earth to allow charges to safely flow

• Discharging at a point: Charge leaves quickly through a sharp point (e.g., lightning rod)

Electrical symbols (examples):

• Source: battery

• Load: light bulb, motor

• Control device: switch

• Connectors: wires

Voltage:

The push or force that moves electrons; measured in volts (V)

Current

The flow of electrons; measured in amperes (A)

Draw circuts

practice on paper

Resistance

Opposition to current flow; measured in ohms (Ω)

Why are frogs good indicator species for the health of an ecosystem? Why are they disappearing?

Frogs are sensitive to changes in the environment due to their permeable skin and life in both water and land. They are disappearing due to pollution, habitat loss, disease (like chytrid fungus), and climate change.

What are the levels in the Endangered Species classification system?

Extinct

extripated

endangered

threatend

speical concern

What are biotic and abiotic factors? List 4 biotic and 4 abiotic factors in a lake.

Biotic is alive aboitic is not alive

• Biotic: fish, algae, bacteria, aquatic plants

• Abiotic: water, sunlight, rock, sand

Give an example of a population. Give an example of a community.

• Population: All the trout in a lake

• Community: Fish, frogs, plants, and microorganisms in a lake

What is a food chain? Draw a simple food chain for a meadow community.

Grass → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake → Hawk

What is a food web? Draw a simple food web for a marsh area.

A food web is a complex network of interconnected food chains.
(E.g., Algae → Mosquito larvae → Fish → Heron; Algae → Snail → Fish)

Give an example of:

• a) Producer:

• b) Consumer:

• c) Herbivore:

• d) Carnivore:

• e) Omnivore:

• f) Autotroph:

• g) Heterotroph:

• h) Decomposer:

• i) Scavenger:

• a) Producer: Grass

• b) Consumer: Fox

• c) Herbivore: Rabbit

• d) Carnivore: Hawk

• e) Omnivore: Bear

• f) Autotroph: Phytoplankton

• g) Heterotroph: Deer

• h) Decomposer: Fungi

• i) Scavenger: Vulture

What is the difference between a niche and a habitat?

• Habitat: The physical place an organism lives

• Niche: The role or function of an organism within its ecosystem

What is an exotic or invasive species? What problems do they pose for a local environment?

Species not native to an area that often outcompete native species, disrupt food webs, and cause environmental/economic damage.

What are pesticides? How are they cycled in an environment? What is bioaccumulation? What is bioamplification?

• Pesticides: Chemicals used to kill pests

• Cycled: Enter water, soil, and food chains

• Bioaccumulation: Build-up of toxins in an organism over time

• Bioamplification: Increase in toxin levels higher up the food chain

What is photosynthesis? What is respiration?

• Photosynthesis: Plants use sunlight, CO₂, and water to make glucose and oxygen

• Respiration: Organisms use oxygen and glucose to produce energy, CO₂, and water

What are 4 ways in which populations can change?

• Birth

• Death

• Immigration

• Emigration

What is the carrying capacity? What happens if a population exceeds the carrying capacity?

The maximum population an environment can support. If exceeded, resources run out, and population declines.

How do predators and prey affect each other's populations?

Predators control prey populations; prey availability limits predator numbers — creating a balance.

What are the 4 major biomes and their characteristics?

Tundra Climate

• Cold temperatures

• Dry conditions

• Short summers

• Permafrost (permanently frozen ground)

Grasslands Climate

• Hot summers

• Cold winters

• Moderate rainfall

Boreal Forest Climate (Taiga)

• Long, cold winters

• Short, moist summers

Deciduous Forest Climate

• Four distinct seasons

• Adequate/good rainfall throughout the year