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8th Grade Diagnostic Test
MS 104
Instructions: Do not write on this paper. Please bubble in the correct answer on the scan
card
Unit 1: The Scientific Method & Metric Measurement
1. A student wants to determine the mass and volume of a gold ring. What physical
property of the gold ring can be determined by these two measurements?
1 Melting Point
2 Density
3 Reactivity
4 Expansion Rate
Use the Diagram below to answer questions 2-3
2. Which of the following best explains how density of ice compares with the density of
water?
1 Ice is more dense than water
2 Ice is less dense than water
3 The density of ice and water are the same
4 The density of ice cannot be measured
3. An iceberg floats in water. In terms of balanced and unbalanced forces, which of the
following best explains why this occurs?
1 An iceberg floats because its weight is balanced by the buoyant force
2 An iceberg floats because its smaller than a glacier
3 An iceberg floats because its height is balanced by the buoyant force
4 An iceberg floats because it became detached from a glacier
4. Which question could be answered by undertaking a simple scientific investigation?
1 Does a river in Tasmania require a dam to be built?
2 Did birds evolve from reptiles?
3 What color of light assists the growth of lima beans?
4 Should the money for cancer research be increased?
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5. Which of the following tools is used to measure the mass of an object?
1 Triple Beam Balance
2 Metric Ruler
3 Microscope
4 Computer
6. A graduated cylinder is used to measure:
1 Mass
2 Weight
3 Density
4 Volume
7. Which of the following describes variables that stay the same in an experiment?
1 Dependent variables
2 Independent variables
3 Constants
4 Controls
8. Which of the following is a variable that is being tested in a science experiment?
1 Dependent variable
2 Independent variable
3 Constant
4 Control
9. Which word means an educated guess?
1 Theory
2 Hypothesis
3 Variable
4 Law
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Use the diagram below to answer question 10
10. In the above diagram, what is the length of the paperclip to the nearest 10 th of a
centimeter?
1 2.0 cm
2 3.0 cm
3 2.5 cm
4 2.2 cm
Unit 2: Chemistry
11. Two beakers contain liquid. A student would like to determine which beaker contains
hydrochloric acid and which contains water. What should the student do?
1 Taste the liquid in each beaker
2 Pour a little bit of liquid on his or her arm to see if hair discolors
3 Inhale the aroma from each beaker
4 Use litmus paper to check the pH level of each liquid
12. Which of the following is a chemical property?
1 Mass
2 Density
3 Volume
4 Malleability
13. What is conserved (stays the same) during any change?
1 Color
2 Volume
3 Identity
4 Mass
14. Which of the following is an example of a physical change?
1 Tarnishing
2 Rusting
3 Burning
4 Melting
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Use the diagram below to answer questions 15-16
BOX A
BOX B
BOX C
15. The particles in BOX A represent a:
1 Solid
2 Liquid
3 Gas
16. What box represents a gas:
1 A
2 B
3 C
17. Which is a heterogeneous mixture?
1 Air
2 Brass
3 A salad
4 Apple juice
18. What does an atom consist of?
1 Electrons, protons, and particles
2 Neutrons and protons
3 Electrons, protons, and neutrons
4 Elements, protons, and electrons
19. Which of these describes a catalyst?
1 It is a reactant
2 It speeds up a reaction
3 It appears in the chemical equation
4 It can be used in place of an inhibitor
Unit 3: Cells/Levels of Organization
20. Which of the following entities represents the highest level of organization?
1 Tissue
2 Cell
3 Organism
4 Organ
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21. Structures consisting of two or more tissue types that work together to perform specific
functions are called
1 Organs
2 Organ Systems
3 Organisms
4 Cells
22. Which of the following can be found in typical plant cells and NOT in typical animal cells?
1 Nuclei
2 Chloroplasts
3 Mitochondria
4 Cytoplasm
23. Which structure is usually present only in animal cells?
1 Vacuoles
2 Cell Wall
3 Nucleus
4 Centriole
24. What does DNA do?
1 Makes food
2 Determines traits
3 Converts food to energy
4 Stores substances
25. What organelle provides extra support and protection for plant cells?
1 Nucleus
2 Cell Wall
3 Mitochondria
4 Vacuole
Unit 4: Human Body
26. Which of the following does NOT correctly pair an organ with its organ system?
1 Brain, Nervous System
2 Heart, Lymphatic System
3 Lung, Respiratory System
4 Liver, Digestive System
27. Where in humans does most chemical digestion occur?
1 Small Intestine
2 Stomach
3 Liver
4 Large intestine
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28. What system transports oxygen and nutrients to the cells of your body?
1 Digestive system
2 Circulatory system
3 Respiratory system
4 Nervous system
29. Organs that work together to accomplish specific functions form…
1 Perspiration
2 Systems
3 Tissues
4 Cells
30. In which body system would you find an axon (as seen above)?
1 Nervous
2 Circulatory
3 Respiratory
4 Digestive
31. What is the main purpose of the lungs
1 To digest food
2 To remove waste from the body
3 To exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide
4 To transport blood around the body
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Unit 5: Earth Science
32. The river authority has opened a new branch of the Blanco River. The rocks in the river
bed are large and rough. After many years in the river, they will become…
1 Larger
2 Smoother
3 Harder
4 Darker
33. An Earthquake occurs when the tectonic plates below Earth’s surface suddenly shift.
These shifts of the tectonic plates are caused by…
1 Movements in Earth’s core
2 Movements in Earth’s mantle
3 Deposition of sediments
4 Eruptions of volcanoes
34. When an igneous rock is changed by the actions of heat and pressure it becomes…
1 Sedimentary rock
2 Metamorphic rock
3 Neither A or B
4 Both A and B
35. The most famous line of latitude is the …
1 Prime Meridian
2 International Dateline
3 Equator
36. The only type of rock that can have fossils is…
1 Sedimentary Rock
2 Metamorphic Rock
3 Igneous Rock
Use the diagram below to answer question 37
A
B
C
37. In the above diagram, which rock layer is the oldest?
1 A
2 B
3 C
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Unit 6: Animals & Plants
Use the diagram below to answer question 38
38. In North America, Canadian Lynx prey on snowshoe hare. According to the chart above,
what should happen to the snowshoe hare population if the Canadian Lynx population
increases?
1 Decrease
2 No change
3 Remain the same
39. 8th grade students at 104 want to grow grass in areas of the yard that are shady and dry.
They must choose one of the three kinds of grass seeds that their local nursery is willing
to donate. What question should they ask in order to determine which grass seed will be
best to use.
1 Which grass seed will germinate the fastest?
2 What kind of fertilizer will help the grass grow in shady places?
3 Which grass seed requires more water?
4 Which grass seed will grow best in dry and shady conditions?
Use the diagram below to answer question 40
A: Elephant
B: Crocodile
C: Octopus
40. A vertebrate is an animal with a backbone. Which of the above animals is NOT a
chordate?
1 A
2 B
3 C
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Use the diagram below to answer question 41
Mud Crab
41. What kind of invertebrate (animal without a backbone) is the animal shown above?
1 Mollusk
2 Arthropod
3 Sponge
4 Echinoderm
42. Which of the following animals have fins, scales, and gills?
1 Amphibians
2 Crocodiles
3 Reptiles
4 Fish
43. What are plant structures that anchor the plant called?
1 Stems
2 Leaves
3 Roots
4 Guard Cells
44. Which of the following is a parasite?
1 Sponge
2 Planarian
3 Tapeworm
4 Jellyfish
45. What Kingdom do mushrooms belong to?
1 Plants
2 Fungi
3 Animals
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