Download Physical Science Semester Exam Study Guide 1st Semester 1

Physical Science
Semester Exam Study Guide
1st Semester
1. Water waves
a. transport energy and water.
c. transport water but not energy.
b. transport energy but not water.
d. are not mechanical waves.
2. The medium seismic waves travel through is
a. a vacuum.
c. air.
b. rocks and other materials inside earth
d. energy.
3. Sound waves are
a. transverse waves.
c. circular waves.
b. longitudinal waves.
d. polarized waves.
4. The frequency of a sound wave determines
a. the pitch of the sound.
c. how fast the sound travels.
b. how loud the sound is.
d. the magnitude of the compression.
5. Sound waves
a. require a medium.
c. are not mechanical waves.
b. are unrelated to vibrations.
d. can travel in a vacuum.
6. Light waves
a. require a medium.
c. cannot travel through liquids.
b. cannot travel through solids.
d. are electromagnetic waves.
7. Light waves are
a. transverse waves.
c. rotating waves.
b. longitudinal waves.
d. circular waves.
8. The distance traveled by an object divided by the time it takes to travel that distance is called
a. average velocity.
c. average acceleration.
b. average speed
d. activity
9. In order to determine speed, you must know
a. time.
c. Both (a) and (b)
b. distance.
d. None of the above
10. What is the speed of an object at rest?
a. 15 km/h
b. 0 km/h
c. 1 km/h
d. This cannot be determined without further information.
11. On a velocity-time graph, a line with a negative slope indicates that the object is
a. speeding up.
c. not moving.
b. slowing down.
d. traveling at a constant speed.
12. If you divide momentum by velocity, the result is the value of the object’s
a. mass.
c. energy.
b. direction.
d. speed.
13. When the velocity of an object changes, it is acted upon by a(n)
a. force.
c. momentum.
b. inertia.
d. deceleration.
14. If the net force on an object is zero then the object has
a. reaction forces.
c. balanced forces.
b. action forces.
d. unbalanced forces.
15. When objects are moved further apart from each other, the force of
gravity between them
a. increases.
c. decreases.
b. stays the same.
d. decreases at first then increases.
16. The SI unit of force, named for the scientist who described the relationship
between motion and force, is called the
a. newton.
c. curie.
b. einstein.
d. pasteur.
17. According to Newton's third law of motion, when a baseball strikes a swinging bat, the bat
a. and ball both resume the same acceleration as before.
b. creates a balanced force.
c. exerts an equal and opposite force back on the ball.
d. continues on past the bat as the bat is swung.
18. According to Newton's second law of motion, which equation is correct?
a. Force=mass divided by acceleration
b. Force=mass times acceleration
c. Force= acceleration divided by mass
d. Acceleration=mass times force
19. Which of the following statements correctly states Newton's first law of motion?
a. Any object in motion will remain in motion or any object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an
outside force.
b. For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction.
c. The unbalanced force acting on an object equals the object's mass times its acceleration.
d. All forces act in pairs.
20. What are the units of work?
a. J
c. kg^m2/s2
b. N/m
d. all of the above
21. Which of the following is BEST for collecting observed data?
A. Bar Graph
C. Line Graph
B. Pie Chart
D. Table
22. Which term means “the exactness of a measurement?
A. Accuracy
C. Tolerance
B. Significant Figures
D. Precision
23. When large numbers are written as a simple number multiplied by a power of 10 it is called_____.
A. Significant Figures
C. Accurate Notation
B. Scientific Notation
D. Precise Notation
24. Which of the following is a derived unit?
A. Mass
C. meters / second
B. Pressure
D. Volume
25. What is the SI prefix that is 1/1000 of the base?
A. milli
C. micro
B. giga
D. mega
26. What is the SI prefix that is 1000x the base?
A. milli
C. hecta
B. kilo
D. mega
27. In the English system of measurement, time is measured in seconds. What is the SI base unit of time?
A. second
C. minute
B. hour
D. day
28. Which of the following is the “universal language” of science?
A. Latin
C. Mathematics
B. English
D. Greek
29. The SI unit for speed is ____.
a. kilometers per hour
c. miles per hour
b. meters per second
d. feet per second
30. ____ is(are) a quantity describing both speed and direction.
a. Velocity
c. Balanced forces
b. Momentum
d. Friction
31. The SI unit for acceleration is ____.
a. m/s2
c. kg·m/s
b. m/s
d. 9.8 m/s2
32. Which of the following has the MOST consideration when determining air resistance?
a. The shape of the object
c. The distance an object falls
b. The height of an object
d. The object's terminal velocity
33. A machine is a device that
a. requires less work to do a given task.
b. decreases the amount of work done by a given force.
c. increases energy.
d. can multiply and change the direction of an input force.
34. An inclined plane
a. changes the direction of the force only.
b. changes the magnitude of the force only.
c. changes both the magnitude and the direction of the force.
d. decreases the amount of work done.
35. Which of the following is a compound machine?
a. a wheel and axle
c. a pulley
b. a pair of pliers
d. a ramp
36. The primary source of the sun’s energy is
a. solar energy.
c. nuclear fission.
b. nuclear fusion.
d. potential energy.
37. Which of the following processes requires the most work?
a. A 10 kg weight rests on a table.
b. A person holds a 1 kg weight still with outstretched arms.
c. A person lifts a 1 kg weight 1 m off the floor.
d. A 10 kg ball is rolled across the floor at a constant speed for a distance
of 10 m.
38. What are the units of power?
a. watts
c. joules per second
b. horsepower
d. all of the above
39. Gravitational potential energy depends on the
a. the mass of the object.
c. the acceleration due to gravity.
b. the height of the object.
d. All of the above
40. As the kinetic energy of the molecules in a substance increases, the
a. temperature of the substance increases.
b. temperature of the substance decreases.
c. potential energy of the substance changes.
d. temperature remains the same.
41. The transfer of energy as heat caused by the collision of molecules is called
a. convection.
c. contact.
b. conduction.
d. radiation.
42. Energy from the sun reaches Earth by
a. conduction and radiation.
c. conduction and convection.
b. radiation only.
d. conduction only.
43. Convection currents rise in air because
a. hot air rises and cold air remains stagnant.
b. cool air descends and hot air rises.
c. the molecules in hot air move faster.
d. hot air has less friction
44. Temperature is
a. associated with the sensation of hot and cold.
b. proportional to the average kinetic energy of molecules.
c. measured with thermometers.
d. All of the above
45. The transfer of energy by the movement of fluids or gases with different temperatures is called
a. convection.
c. contact.
b. conduction.
d. radiation.
Math Skills: Be sure to show all work! Write the equation before each problem. Make sure to read each
question thoroughly. Partial credit will be awarded to work that is shown.
Equations that will be used:
S=D/T, A=V/T, KE= ½ mv^2, P= W/T, (C x 1.8)+32, C+273=Kelvin
46. During a race, a sprinter increases from 5.0 m/s to 7.5 m/s over a period of 1.25S. What is
the sprinter’s average acceleration during this period?
47. A baseball is pitched with a speed of 35.0 m/s. How long does it take the ball to travel 18.4
m from the pitcher’s mound to home plate?
48. A deer can run briefly with a speed of 26m/s. Suppose a deer with a mass of 36
kg runs at this speed. What is the deer’s kinetic energy?
49. While rowing across the lake during a race, John does 4396 J of work on the oars in 70
seconds. What is his power output in watts?
50. Hot water heaters often have warning labels indicating that injuries can result when the
temperature of the water is above 125°F. What is this temperature in degrees Celsius and in
kelvins?