Download DO NOT MARK ON THIS TEST 8 th Grade Science

DO NOT MARK ON THIS TEST
8th Grade Science PreTest
Multiple Choice: Identify the choice that best completes the statement of answers the
question.
1. A characteristic of mammals, like thick fur or blubber, that helps them survive in
cold climates is called a(n) __________________________. (8.E.6B.1)
A. adaptation
C. natural selection
B. variation
D. evolution
2. The process of __________________ occurs when a species changes over the course of
time to better survive in its environment. (8.E.6B.1)
A. development
C. adaptation
B. evolution
D. growing
3. What type of fossil is formed when minerals replace all or parts of an organism?
(8.E.6A.4)
A. mold fossil
C. carbonized fossil
B. trace fossil
D. petrified fossil
4. Which part of Geologic Time includes modern humans? (8.E.6A.1)
A. Paleozoic Era
C. Mesozoic Era
B. Precambrian Time
D. Cenozoic Era
5. During which division of Geologic Time did simple plants like ferns, mosses, and
then cone bearing plants first appear? (8.E.6A.1)
A. Precambrian Time
C. Paleozoic Era
B. Mesozoic Era
D. Cenozoic Era
6. The Geologic Time Scale is a record of ___________________________. (8.E.6A.1)
A. the thickness of sedimentary rocks
C. the rate of fossil formation
B. the life forms and geologic events on Earth
D. the time since the dinosaurs
7. The Law of Superposition states that as you dig down in horizontal layers of
sedimentary rock, each layer of rock is ________________________________. (8.E.6A.2)
A. always older than the vertical layers.
B. older than the layer above it
C. younger than the layer above it
D. the same age as the layer above it
8. A type of organism that no longer exists on Earth is _______________. (8.E.6B.2)
A.
fossilized
C. extinct
B.
instinct
D. evolved
9. Use the diagram below to order the rock layers from oldest to youngest using the
Law of Superposition. (8.E.6A.2)
A.
B.
C.
D.
I, B, F, M, H, R
H, R, M, F, B, I
I, B, F, M R, H
R, H, M, F, B, I
10. Why are index fossils useful to geologists? (8.E.6A.2)
A. They tell the absolute age of the rock layer in which they occur.
B. They tell the ages of many different rocks.
C. They tell the absolute age of the rock layer above where it occurs.
D. They tell the relative age of the rock layer in which they occur.
11. Removing natural habitats, over-harvesting, and pollution are 3 types of
_______________ factors that could cause the extinction of some organisms.
(8.E.6B.2)
A.
natural
C. biological
B.
man-made
D. limiting
12. Overall, scientists believe which layer of Earth is the thickest? (8.E.5A3)
A. crust
C. outer core
B. mantle
D. inner core
13. Pressure increases with depth as you move toward the center of Earth. Based on
this principle, which layer would you expect to have the least pressure? (8.E.5A.3)
A. crust
C. outer core
B. mantle
D. inner core
14. A layer of hot rock with the property of plasticity describes Earth’s ____________.
(8.E.5A.3)
A. crust
C. outer core
B. mantle
D. inner core
15. Most geologists think that the movement of Earth’s plates is caused by ___________.
(8.E.5A.4)
A. gravity
C. magnetic field
B. convection currents
D. subduction
16. Using the diagram above, what type of plate boundary occurs at X? (8.E.5A.4)
A. convergent
C. transform
B. divergent
D. strike-slip
17. Using the diagram above, what type of plate boundary occurs at Y? (8.E.5A.4)
A. convergent
C. transform
B. divergent
D. strike-slip
18. What type of fault is characterized by rocks sliding past each other with little up
or down movement? (8.E.5A.4)
A. transform
C. normal
B. reverse
D. strike-slip
19. If an earthquake were to happen at a transform boundary, the force and fault
would be _________________ and ___________________. (8.E.5A.4)
A. compression, reverse
C. tension, normal
B. shear, strike slip
D. compression, normal
20. All of the inner planets have _____________________. (8.E.4B.1)
A. rings
C. moons
B. life
D. rocks
21. What processes create igneous rock? (8.E.5A.2)
A. melting & cooling
C. melting & freezing
B. compaction & cementation
D. heat & pressure
22. What processes create sedimentary rock? (8.E.5A.2)
A. melting & cooling
C. melting & freezing
B. compaction & cementation
D. heat & pressure
23. Based on what evidence does science prove the existence of a historic
supercontinent called Pangaea? (8.E.5A.5)
A. fossil distribution
C. an asteroid impact
B. volcanic eruptions
D. earthquakes
24. Small pieces of rock that enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up are called
___________? (8.E.4B.1)
A. stars
C. meteors
B. meteorites
D. asteroids
25. What are the darker, cooler areas on the surface of the Sun? (8.E.4B.6)
A. sunspots
C. solar flares
B. coronas
D. prominences
26. Huge, arching columns of gas that shoot out of the surface of the sun are called _
____________________. (8.E.4B.6)
A. sunspots
C. solar flares
B. coronas
D. prominences
27. Shortwave radio transmissions can be interrupted by solar wind that is created
by ___________________. (8.E.4B.6)
A. sunspots
C. solar flares
B. coronas
D. prominences
28. In what order should the Earth, sun, and moon be in for a lunar eclipse to
occur? (8.E.4B.4)
A. Earth, moon, and sun.
C. moon, sun, and Earth
B. sun, Earth, and moon
D. Earth, sun, and moon
29. During which phase can a lunar eclipse occur? (8.E.4B.4)
A. full moon
C. new moon
B. 1st quarter moon
D. 3rd quarter moon
30. When the southern end of Earth’s axis is tilted toward the sun, North American
will experience ___________________. (8.E.4B.3)
A. more indirect sunlight and shorter days
B. more indirect sunlight and longer days
C. more direct sunlight and shorter days
D. more direct sunlight and longer days
31. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs when the sun is
directly over what part of Earth. (8.E.4B.3)
A. the equator
C. 23.5 north latitude
B. the north pole
D. 23.5 south latitude
32. An equinox occurs when (8.E.4B.3)
A. neither end of Earth’s axis is tilted toward or away from the sun
B. the north end of Earth’s axis is tilted toward the sun
C. the north end of Earth’s axis is tilted away from the sun
D. Earth’s axis is parallel to the sun’s rays
33. Ocean tides are caused mainly by (8.E.4B.2)
A. Earth’s rotation on its axis, which causes water to move
B. differences in how much the sun pulls on different parts of the Earth
C. strong winds blowing water toward the coasts
D. differences in how much the moon pulls on different parts of the Earth
34. What force keeps objects in the solar system revolving around the sun?
(8.E.4B.2)
A. gravity
C. magnetism
B. friction
D. contact
35. When are tides highest? (8.E.4B.4)
A. during the moon’s 1st quarter phase
B. when the sun, Earth, and moon are nearly aligned
C. during the moon’s 3rd quarter phase
D. when the sun, Earth, and moon form a right angle
36. When do neap tides occur? (8.E.4B.4)
A. during the full moon phase
B. when the sun, Earth, and moon are nearly aligned
C. during the new moon phase
D. when the sun, Earth, and moon form a right angle
37. The Milky Way galaxy is an example of a(n) ___________________ galaxy. (8.E.4A.1)
A. spiral
C. elliptical
B. globular
D. cluster
38. What is a light year? (8.E.4A.1)
A. how fast light travels in a year C. how far light travels in a year
B. the distance from Earth to sun D. the amount of light produced in a year
39. Theories of the origin of the Universe have to take into account that light from
other galaxies is (8.E.4A.2)
A. shifted to the yellow end of the spectrum
B. shifted to the violet end of the spectrum
C. shifted to the green end of the spectrum
D. shifted to the red end of the spectrum
40. Recent research has discovered that the universe is __________________ at a faster
rate than previously believed. (8.E.4A.2)
A. exploding
C. shrinking
B. expanding
D. dying
41. Exploration of space beyond the moon has only been done by ________. (8.E.4B.5)
A. space probes with no crew
C. space probes with a crew
B. astronauts in space shuttles
D. the International Space Station
42. Which instrument is used to determine what a star is made of? (8.E.4B.5)
A. telescope
C. spectroscope
B. satellite
D. space probe
43. A trucker drives at an average speed of 112 km/hr for 4 hours before stopping
for lunch. Calculate how far the trucker has traveled. (8.P.2A.7)
A. 28 km
C. 116 km
B. 448 km
D. 108 km
44. What is the velocity of a train if it can travel 330 miles in 3 hours? (8.P.2A.7)
A. 990 mph
C. 110 mph
B. 11 mph
D. 99 mph
45. According to the graph below, which object is traveling at the slowest speed?
(8.P.2A.6)
A. A
B. B
C. C
D. they are all the same speed
46. There are over 2000 human made satellites orbiting the Earth at speeds over
17,000mph. Once they are launched into space, what force keeps a satellite in
orbit by pulling it back towards Earth and preventing it from continuing to
travel out into space? (8.P.2A.5)
A. friction
C. planetary motion
B. magnetism
D. gravity
47. Which is an example of balanced forces acting on an object? (8.P.2A.2)
A. an acorn falling from a tree
B. a car parked in a driveway
C. a motorcycle changing speed from 50 mph to 70 mph
D. a truck slowing down as it approaches a red light
48. During a game of tug-of-war, a scarf is tied in the center of the rope. According
to the diagram below why would the scarf move toward the right? (8.P.2A.2)
A.
B.
C.
D.
the net force is zero
the forces are balanced
the team on the left is exerting a greater force
the team on the right is exerting a greater force
49. The tendency of an object to resist any change in motion is called ____________.
(8.P.2A.3)
A. mass
C. inertia
B. gravity
D. forcre
50. What states that every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion unless
acted upon by an outside force? (8.P.2A.3)
A. Newton’s 1st Law of Motion
C. Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion
B. Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion
D. Law of Gravity
51. What states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction?
(8.P.2A.4)
A. Newton’s 1st Law of Motion
C. Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion
B. Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion
D. Law of Gravity
52. What states that force is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by the
acceleration of the object (F=ma). (8.P.2A.1)
A. Newton’s 1st Law of Motion
C. Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion
nd
B. Newton’s 2 Law of Motion
D. Law of Gravity
53. Which of the following would not affect the amount of force needed to start or
stop an object? (8.P.2A.1)
A. mass
C. velocity
B. weight
D. volume
54. What do waves carry when they travel from one place to another? (8.P.3A.1)
A. particles
C. matter
B. energy
D. atoms
55. A solid, liquid, or gas through which a wave can travel is called a(n) _________.
(8.P.3A.1)
A. medium
C. vacuum
B. mean
D. empty space
56. What is the number of wavelengths that pass by a point each second? (8.P.3A.2)
A. frequency
C. amplitude
B. wavelength
D. trough
57. If a sound wave has a high frequency, what else will it have? (8.P.3A.2)
A. long wavelength
C. high pitch
B. low energy
D. low pitch
58. Frosted glass and wax paper are both ____________________, scattering light as it
passes through them. (8.P.3A.3)
A. transparent
C. clear
B. translucent
D. opaque
59. When 2 waves intersect and they have the same wave height, ___________________
interference occurs. (8.P.3A.4)
A. constructive
C. standing
B. destructive
D. density
60. The colored ring of muscle that controls the pupil is the _______. (8.P.3A.5)
A. cornea
C. lens
B. iris
D. retina
61. The transparent surface of the eye through which light is first refracted is the
_________. (8.P.3A.5)
A. cornea
C. lens
B. iris
D. retina
62. If a t-shirts absorbs red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo, and violet wavelengths of
light, what color will the eye determine the t-shirt to be? (8.P.3A.5)
A. green
C. blue
B. white
D. black
63. The __________________ the frequency of a radio wave, the more information it can
carry. (8.P.3A.6)
A. lower
C. higher
B. louder
D. softer
64. Cell phones operate with radio frequencies but wifi waves are ___________ and
are found just before microwaves on the electromagnetic spectrum. (8.P.3A.6)
A. shorter
C. longer
B. faster
D. slower
65. What skill is a scientist using when she listens to the sounds that whales makes.
(8.S.1A.3)
A. making a hypothesis
C. interpreting data
B. making observations
D. drawing conclusions
66. What is the correct order of the steps in the scientific method. (8.S.1A.3)
A. Make a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, analyze the results, ask a question,
draw conclusions, communicate results.
B. Ask questions, make a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, analyze results,
draw conclusions, communicate results.
C. Ask a question, analyze results, make a hypothesis, test the hypothesis,
draw conclusions, communicate results.
D. Ask a question, make a hypothesis, test hypothesis, draw conclusions,
analyze results, communicate results.
67. A scientist conducted an experiment to determine how the amount of salt in a
body of water affects the number of plants that can live in the water. In this
experiment the independent variable is (8.S.1A.3)
A. the number of plants in the water
C. the amount of salt in the water
B. the temperature of the water
D. the water
68. If you were measuring the mass of a fly, you should use (8.S.1A.5)
A. kilograms
C. meters
B. grams
D. liters
69. If you wanted to know volume of water in a bottle of soda, you would use
(8.S.1A.5)
A. kiloliters
C. liters
B. grams
D. milliliters
70. ___________________ involves modifying the natural world to fulfill the wants and
needs of humans. (8.S.1B.1)
A. scientific method
C. experiments
B. technology
D. controlled investigation