Praxis II General Science (Version 1)

Which of the following would not necessarily contribute to the reduction of uncertainty when investigating a scientific phenomenon?

A new hypothesis.

Which of the following is a theory?

plate tectonics

A student sorts a pile of different rocks based on their appearances and then uses a nail to scratch the surface of each rock to test its hardness. Which of the following process skills is the student not directly using?

predicting

A scientist suspects that a random error may have occurred in the data he is collecting from an experiment. Which of the following would likely be the best means of determining if this was the case?

Attempt to identify any factors that could have caused the random result and perform the experiment a large number of additional times to check if the data remains consistent.

A science student wishes to prepare a slide to view onion cells under a microscope. Which of the following would not be a typical step in preparing the slide?

Place a slip cover straight down atop the specimen, then press the cover down as firmly as possible against the slide using the thumb and forefinger.

Which of the following best describes the appropriate way to store most pH probes?

Probes should be stored in an appropriate acidic buffer solution

While working in the lab, a science student accidentally splashes a small amount of a chemical into his eyes. Which of the following is not part of the appropriate emergency procedure?

Wait to determine if the student is feeling any burning or discomfort before flushing his eyes with water.

Which of the following scientists is best known for pioneering the field of atomic theory?

John Dalton

When a metal atom bonds with a non-metal atom, they become a

Compound

Which of the following is not a chemical change?

Mixing water and sugar

If Compound A is denser than Compound B, which of the following must be true

Compound A has more mass per unit volume than Compound B.

Two substances have two completely different sets of physical properties. What does this mean?

They have different chemical compositions.

A scientist is investigating the characteristics of an unknown sample of matter and makes the following notes: its shape and volume are undefined and it is highly conductive of electrical energy. What physical state is it most likely in?

Plasma

Atoms in their neutral state will have

The same number of protons and electrons

Isotopes are elements with a different

Number of neutrons

A 2 gram block of hot metal is dropped into a beaker containing 50 grams of cool water. When the metal is submerged in the water, it releases 100 J of heat. Which of the following accurately describes what happens to the water?

The water absorbs 100 J of heat.

Why is change in temperature alone not an accurate way of measuring heat flow in a system?

Temperature is dependent on the type and amount of matter.

If energy is not created or destroyed, then why is heat created when you put a match to gasoline?

The formation of the products of gasoline combustion releases a large amount of energy.

An experimenter measures two samples of the same substance. She finds that the molecules in sample A are moving faster than molecules in sample B. Which of the following must be true?

Sample A has a higher temperature than sample B.

A pot of water is placed atop a hot plate. Heat is transferred through the metal of the pot by means of

Conduction

If Element A is in the same horizontal row of the Periodic Table of Elements as Element B, which of the following is most likely to be true?

They have the same number of electron shells.

An unknown element can be hammered into a flat shape without fracturing and conducts electricity well. In which of the following locations on the Periodic Table of Elements is this element most likely to be found?

Toward the left side

If a liquid material is in an enclosed area and the temperature does not change, but the pressure is decreased, what state would it tend to change into?

Gas

Which of the following statements best characterizes a reduction reaction?

The charge or oxidation state of a substance is changed.

In which of the following scenarios would the distance the object traveled most closely resemble the object's displacement?

A marble is rolled across a flat floor.

Acceleration can best be described as:

A change in the change of position over time

If an object has a starting velocity of 70 kilometers per hour east and is accelerating at 10 kilometers per hour per second in the westerly direction, what velocity will it have in 3 seconds?

40 kilometers per hour east

What is true of an object at rest according to Newton's First Law of Motion?

It will be at rest until a net force acts upon it.

In the equation of Newton's Second Law of Motion, F=MA, which parameters are vectors?

F and A

One of the skaters illustrated below pushes against the other, causing herself to glide backward. This is an example of which of Newton's three Laws of Motion?

3rd Law

A child goes down a playground slide. Which of the following forces is exerted in the direction opposite the child's path of motion?

Frictional force

. Which of these is the best example of gravitational force at work?

The earth revolving around the sun

Which of these is directly proportional to the strength of the gravitational force between two objects?

The mass of one of the objects

A cube of a given compound weighing 25 kg and having the dimensions of 3x3x3 meters is placed in a container of liquid. The liquid has dimensions 5x5x5 meters and a weight of 100kg. The cube will do which of the following?

Sink

Pressure can best be described as

Force over unit area

Which of these factors causes an object to lose mechanical energy as it slides down an inclined plane?

Friction

What is the moment created by a lever proportional to?

The force applied

What can a pulley be used to do?

Change the direction of force

Which of these best describes the cause of electrostatic phenomena?

Stationary or slow moving electrical charges

If you place Magnetic Bar A and Magnetic Bar B together and upon release they repel each other, which of the follow is the best explanation?

The positive end of Bar B was next to the positive end of Bar A.

What is the purpose of a transformer?

To change the amount of voltage

Which of the following could be the parameters of a simple circuit if the voltage between two points in the circuit is 5,000 volts?

The resistance is 250 ohms and the current is 20 amperes.

. If a medium is deformed, and does not return to its original form, this is known as

Plastic deformation

Which of the below correctly lists a series of electromagnetic waves in order of decreasing wavelength?

visible light, UV, X-ray

Which of the following aspects does the Law of Reflection describe?

Angle

What property allows light to be transmitted through an object?

The frequency of the light's waves do not match the natural frequencies of the object.

Which of the following best describes what happens when sunlight hits a white object?

All light is reflected.

Carbon is an essential component in the makeup of all of the following compounds except:

Acids

All of the following organelles are typically found in higher level plants except

centrioles

Which of the following is considered a tissue?

the epithelium

Which of the following is not true of ATP?

Two AMP molecules are combined to form ATP.

Near deep-sea hydrothermal vents, autotrophic bacteria use heat energy and hydrogen sulfide to generate biological macromolecules. This process is called chemosynthesis. Other organisms, such as tubeworms, feed on the bacteria to survive. In this ecosystem, chemosynthesis is analogous to:

Photosynthesis, because heat energy is stored as chemical energy.

tRNA can best be described as:

An RNA molecule that transfers an amino acid during translation, which contributes to the process of creating a protein

A normal DNA molecule within the nucleus of a cell contains:

One old strand and one new strand of DNA

In a DNA sequence, how many base pairs are needed to code for an amino acid?

3

Hemophilia, a blood disorder, is much more common in males than in females because

It is caused by an X chromosome linked gene.

A botanist allows a white-flowered azalea to pollinate a red-flowered azalea. The flowers of the offspring have patches of red and patches of white. Which of the following can be inferred

The red-flower and the white-flower genes are codominant

What is the best description of a mutation?

Random change in the genetic coding

Which phenomenon provides the strongest evidence for evolution

Similar structure of a human hand and a whale flipper

A particular group of animals within a species is geographically separated from the rest of the group and now lives in a colder climate. The increased amount of fur in subsequent generations and the inability for these new organisms to reproduce with those having less fur is an example of

Speciation

Which of the following best describes a major difference between vascular and non-vascular plants?

Non-vascular plants grow to a larger size than vascular plants.

The Red Queen Hypothesis provides a possible explanation for why most animals undergo sexual reproduction instead of asexual reproduction. Which is the best statement of the Red Queen Hypothesis?

Sexual reproduction creates genetic diversity that allows a species to more easily adapt.

A certain species of frog exists in two geographically isolated populations within a rainforest. The population to the north is at carrying capacity, while the population to the south is significantly below carrying capacity due to a contagious fungal infection. Which of the following would adversely affect the northern population more than the southern population?

A decrease in the population of frog prey.

Which of the following general statements is most often true of the relationships between ecosystems?

Ecosystems that have a higher elevation can have a serious effect on local ecosystems of a lower elevation.

Which of these is not an example of igneous rock?

Marble

Which of these is most prevalent in the Earth's lithosphere?

Silicates

Which of the below most directly contributes to the forces causing the motion of the plates that comprise the Earth's lithosphere?

The motion of the hot material in the mantle.

Which of the following best describes a transform plate boundary?

Two plates slide laterally alongside each other

Which of the following best describes the cause of earthquakes?

Sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust causes seismic waves

Earthquake damage to buildings is most likely to occur near which of these areas?

The epicenter

Which of the following is evidence for catastrophism?

A sudden flood washes away the land connecting two regions

If geographers measure that the land mass of Florida is increasing, this would most likely be evidence for which of these phenomena?

Deposition

Which of these events is most likely to cause sulfur emission

A volcanic eruption

Radiometric dating relies most directly on which of the following?

Isotopes

In addition to the development of terrestrial volcanoes, what major evolutionary event contributed to the modern levels of atmospheric oxygen?

The development of photosynthesis

Which of these best describes the primary cause of weather?

The uneven heat distributed on the Earth's surface and in its atmosphere

Which of the following describes how a volcanic eruption is most likely to contribute to climate change lasting for a period of several years or more?

Sulfur compounds released into the stratosphere mix with water to form sulfuric acid haze, leading to a cooling trend.

Which of these elements was the most abundant immediately after the Big Bang?

Hydrogen

Which of these best describes the Solar System?

A massive star in the middle with planets rotating and revolving around in elliptical patterns

Which of these is a difference between planets and stars?

Stars produce energy through fusion, planets do not.

Fusion can best be described as

The process in which multiple atomic nulcei merge together to become a heavier nucleus.

Approximately how long ago did the first anatomically modern humans appear on the Earth?

200,000 years ago

What is the moon's position relative to Earth during a lunar eclipse?

The moon and sun are on opposite sides of the Earth.

Which of the below do most astronomical instruments measure directly?

Electromagnetic spectrum

How are biomass and fossil fuels related?

Over time biomass becomes fossil fuels.

Which of these is the best example of a process that creates a current renewable resource?

The Sun heating the Earth's atmosphere

Which of these is an example of a nonrenewable resource?

Coal

There has been an increase in recycling globally. Which of these best explains the reason for this?

The increased demand for recycled material

Which of these is the best example of a sustainable resource?

Solar power

Which of these best describes strip mining?

A form of mining in which all the soil and rock above the resource are removed.

Which of these most accurately describes biodegradable materials?

Materials that can be chemically dissolved by bacteria or other biological means.

A car's GPS system relies on which of the following to pinpoint its location?

Radio waves sent from a network of satellites.

On a per-calorie basis, which of the following foods requires the most land to produce?

Steak

Which of the following is most true of forensic DNA analysis?

Accurate matches can often be achieved, despite the fact that 99.9% of human DNA sequences are the same in every person.

Which of the following is not considered a greenhouse gas?

nitrogen

Which of the following is not considered a major class of nutrient?

Fibers