Modern States Natural Science Questions

The chief site of energy production in the cell

Mitochondrion

The site of protein synthesis in the cell

Ribosome

A sample of gas remains at constant temperature.
Vertical axis: Volume of the sample
Horizontal axis: Pressure on the sample

c (the graph looks like a smile)

An object moves at constant speed.
Vertical axis: Distance traveled since time t=0
Horizontal axis: Time

D. 45 degree line to the right

A constant unbalanced force acts on an object.
Vertical axis: Acceleration of the object
Horizontal axis: Time

looks like a flipped over letter l

As a direct result of photosynthesis, energy is stored in molecules of which of the following?

C6H12O6 (glucose)

A person whose gallbladder has been removed has a decreased ability to store bile and therefore to digest

fats

In fruit flies, "straight wings" (S) is dominant over "curly wings" (s), and gray body color (G) is dominant over black body color (g). A straight-winged female with gray body color was mated with a straight-winged male with black body color and the following ratios of offspring resulted. The experiment was conducted at 25°C.

Ratio Phenotype
3/8 straight-winged; gray body color
3/8 straight-winged; black body color
1/8 curly-winged; gray body color
1/8 curly-winged; black body color
The data above suggest that the genotype of the male parent is

Ssgg

In fruit flies, "straight wings" (S) is dominant over "curly wings" (s), and gray body color (G) is dominant over black body color (g). A straight-winged female with gray body color was mated with a straight-winged male with black body color and the following ratios of offspring resulted. The experiment was conducted at 25°C.

Ratio Phenotype
3/8 straight-winged; gray body color
3/8 straight-winged; black body color
1/8 curly-winged; gray body color
1/8 curly-winged; black body color
The data above suggest that the genotype of the offspring with curly wings and black body color is

ssgg

The classification characteristics that define the genus of an animal or a plant are usually more general than those defining

a species

Which of the following adaptations is more likely to be found in the leaves of desert plants than in those of plants that grow in moist regions?

a thickened epidermis and cuticle

If all the xylem from a section of tree trunk could be removed, which of the following would most likely happen first?

the leaves would be unable to get sufficient water

Whereas the ultimate source of energy for most organisms is sunlight, the immediate source is

a chemical

Whereas the ultimate source of energy for most organisms is sunlight, the immediate source is

species

A student placed a sprig of green water plant under a funnel in a glass vessel full of water and then placed a test tube full of water mouth-downward over the stem of the funnel. After the setup had been exposed to sunlight for several hours, the student tested a gas that had collected in the test tube and concluded that the plant had produced oxygen. The results of this experiment could have been interpreted more satisfactorily if

a similar experiment had been set up without sunlight

Which of the following best completes the statement below?

Among multicellular animals, the insects exhibit the greatest diversity of life-forms; therefore ______.

insects probably occupy the greatest number of niches

The percentage of phosphates in commercial detergents was reduced primarily because phosphates were shown to

increase the growth rates of algae in lakes and rivers

Carbohydrates are most commonly stored in plants in the form of

starch

A father will transmit the genes of his Y chromosome to

all of his sons only

In many cultivated plants (such as oranges, bananas, and potatoes), favorable characteristics often are created by careful genetic crosses. Of the following, which would be the best way to maintain the traits of a new variety with favorable characteristics?

vegetative reproduction of the new variety

In mammals, insulin is produced in which of the following structures?

pancreas

Which of the following occurs during anaphase I of meiosis?

the homologous pairs of chromosomes separate

All living cells have which of the following structures?

plasma membrane

Digestion of proteins in mammals begins in which of the following organs?

stomach

Which of the following terrestrial biomes typically has the greatest species diversity?

Tropical rain forest

A hawk can have which of the following ecological roles?

I. Primary consumer
II. Secondary consumer
III. Tertiary consumer

II and III only

Which of the following animals is most closely related to the cheetah?

Squirrel

A photosynthetic eukaryotic cell typically contains

both chloroplasts and mitochondria

A theory fails to meet the criteria of scientific methodology if

no experiments can be designed to test it.

Scientists estimate the age of the Sun to be about

4.6 billion years

Sunspots on the surface of the Sun are correlated with which of the following?

Relatively low temperatures compared with the surrounding surface

Which of the following best describes the principal way in which Earth's atmosphere is heated?

Earth absorbs short-wave radiation from the Sun and radiates long-wave radiation, which is absorbed by the atmosphere.

Most of Earth's water exists in

the oceans

All of the following geologic time intervals are characterized correctly EXCEPT

Cambrian period...age of birds

CaO + CO2 arrow CaCO3

What mass of CaO is needed to absorb 22 grams of CO2 according to the balanced chemical equation above? (Molar masses: CaO=56 g/mol , CO2 = 44 g/mol)

28 g

The half-life of 14/6 C is 5,600 years. Which of the following statements about a 10-gram sample of 14/6 C is correct?

After 5600 years the sample will contain only 5 grams of 14/6 C

At a fixed pressure, when the temperature of a gas sample increases, its volume increases. This relationship between the temperature and the volume of a gas is best described as which of the following?

Direct proportion

The notation 1s2 2s2 2p4 represents

An element with 8 electrons

In old-fashioned flashbulbs, light was produced by the reaction of magnesium metal, Mg , sealed in the bulb with oxygen gas, O2. After the flash, the mass of the sealed bulb was

essentially the same as it was before use

Which of the following is NOT generally true of metals?

They easily form negative ions.

Within molecules of a compound, atoms are held together by chemical bonds that are primarily

eletrostatic

The balance shown above is in equilibrium at Earth's surface, and the two arms have the same length d. Thus the two objects, X and Y (not necessarily drawn to scale), must have identical

masses

Which of the following correctly identifies the constituents of an atom of the isotope 131/53 I?

53 protons/ 78 Neutrons/ 53 Electron

Which of the following types of electromagnetic radiation has photons of the LEAST energy?

radio waves

The atomic mass of carbon is 12 and the atomic mass of hydrogen is 1. What is the percent by mass of carbon in methane gas, CH4?

75%

The study of which of the following would likely be the most helpful in providing information about the composition of Earth's upper mantle?

xenolith inclusions in igneous rocks

Which of the following are found in greater number in the nuclei of carbon-14 atoms than in the nuclei of carbon-12 atoms?

neutrons

The amount of heat energy released when a certain type of candle is burned is 48,000 joules per gram of wax consumed. Which of the following expressions is equal to the number of grams of wax that need to be burned in order to raise the temperature of 500 grams of water from 20°C to 30°C, assuming all the heat released goes into heating the water? (The specific heat of water is ) 4.19 J/gC

4.19 x 10 x 500/ 48,000

Which characteristic of a star most directly relates to the likelihood of that star's eventually becoming a black hole?

mass

How many joules of energy are absorbed by a 20.0 g sample of water as the temperature of the sample is raised from 273 K to 283 K? (The specific heat capacity of water is .)

840 J

2NO2 = N2 O4

The equation above represents a system that has reached a state of chemical equilibrium. Which of the following is a true statement about the system?

N2O4 molecules are being consumed as fast as they are produced.

Which of the following best describes antibiotic resistance?

It is caused by overuse of antibiotics, which allows for selection of resistant bacteria.

Which of the following is considered necessary for a planet to support life?

Liquid water

Enzymes are organic macromolecules that

function as catalysts in chemical reactions

Water has a higher boiling point than hydrogen sulfide because water has strong

hydrogen bonds

Energy can be transferred from one place to another by which of the following?

I. Conduction
II. Convection
III. Radiation

I, II, and III

Which of the following is true about a sinking parcel of air?

It will compress and warm

Pluto is not categorized as a planet by scientists because

it cannot clear debris from its orbit

Which of the following is true about vitamins?

Vitamins are required for certain chemical reactions

Analogous structures are less useful in determining evolutionary patterns among organisms than homologous structures for which of the following reasons?

Analogous structures reflect adaptation to the environment, and homologous structures reflect evolutionary ancestry.

If the frequency of PTC tasters in a population is 91%, what is the frequency of the allele for non-tasting PTC?

30 %

Two geographically isolated populations of foxes experience genetic drift and mutations over time, and eventually they can no longer interbreed successfully. This is an example of which type of speciation:

allopatric

Which of the following is a type of transport across cell membranes that goes against a concentration gradient and requires an input of energy?

active transport

What role does the enzyme DNA helicase play in DNA replication?

unwinds DNA double helix

What is the correct order of the "central dogma" of biochemistry?

replication, transcription, translation

Most animals have symmetrical anatomy. What type of symmetry do humans have?

bilateral

What type of muscle tissue controls voluntary movements?

skeletal

Testosterone is a _________ hormone, so it goes through a _________ mechanism to elicit changes in cellular DNA.

non-polar, mobile receptor mechanism

The rate of population growth is constant in which of the following scenarios?

natality is equal to mortality

Which of the following types of decay does not change the mass number of the element?

b and c (beta decay and gamma radiation)

Which of the following are the four elements that are the basis of organic chemistry?

C, H, O, N

To measure volume in SI units, you would use:

liters

When you build up static electricity by dragging your feet, what causes the spark when you shock one of your friends?

electrons being transferred

Which of the following is measure of the amount of current?

voltage

Which of the following elements is not naturally magnetic?

He

Which of the following are examples of longitudinal waves?

a and c (earthquakes and sound waves)

The earth tilts on its axis ______ degrees; this, along with rotation, this causes what we call ___________.

23.5, seasons

The moon makes a complete orbit around the earth every _________ days.

29 days

The following reaction is an example of which type of reaction?

2NaN3 -> 3 N2 + 2 Na

decomposition

Which term best describes the bonds between Hydrogen and Oxygen in a molecule of water?

covalent

Which of the following elements does not have a noble gas configuration?

Na

Which of the states of matter is being described? "A substance has a definite volume, but no definite shape."

liquid

All of the following are true about air EXCEPT:

It is mostly oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Which of the following is true about prokaryotic cells?

Their chromosomes are typically circular rather than linear.

Which of the following is the functional unit of the kidney?

Nephron

Which of the following is true about the temperature of liquid water in a lake that has frozen over during the winter?

The warmest water can be found at the lake bottom.

A population of seed-eating birds exhibits variation in the size of their beaks, with a mean beak size of 12 mm. Beak size is a heritable character that affects the size of seeds a bird may consume (e.g., larger beaks can crack larger seeds). After a drought, plants that produce smaller seeds are rare, but plants that produce larger seeds are still common.

Which of the following evolutionary mechanisms will most influence the beak size of the bird population after a drought?

natural selection

A person drops a rock from a height of 12 meters above Earth's surface. The rock starts at rest and falls to the ground. At what height does the rock achieve half of its maximum kinetic energy?

6 meters

Which of the following best describes the moon as it appears from Earth when the moon-Earth-sun angle is about 45 degrees?

a crescent moon

The atomic masses of carbon and oxygen are 12 and 16, respectively. What is the approximate percent by mass of oxygen in carbon dioxide, CO2?

75%