Study Guide

Field 036: Middle School Science
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions

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The following reference material will be available to you during the test:

Objective 0001
The Nature and Processes of Science (Standard 1)

1. A team of scientists is reviewing a research paper that has been submitted to a professional science journal for publication. Which of the following problems with the paper would most likely cause the team of reviewers to decide that the paper is not appropriate for publication in a professional scientific journal?

  1. The paper's conclusions are not supported by the presented evidence.
  2. The research does not explicitly disprove previously accepted hypotheses related to the topic.
  3. The hypothesis underlying the research was shown to be incorrect.
  4. The author of the paper is working in an area outside her traditional area of expertise.
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the role of peer review and critical evaluation of the results of scientific investigations, models, and explanations. The peer-review process that is used to evaluate scientific papers submitted to professional journals is designed to ensure the veracity and accuracy of the research and conclusions described in the paper. A critical component of a conclusion presented in a scientific paper is that it is supported by the evidence presented in the paper.
Objective 0002
Central Concepts and Connections in Science (Standard 2)

2. Which of the following principles of physics would be most useful for a developer of optical lenses?

  1. wave theory of light
  2. law of refraction
  3. diffraction formula
  4. law of reflection
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the interrelationships between science and technology. The law of refraction, also known as Snell's law, concerns the bending of light as it passes from one transparent medium to another. Underlying this phenomenon is the fact that light travels at different speeds in different media. This is the fundamental principle that must be taken into account when designing optical lenses. Light slows as it enters glass and the angle of refraction is determined by the angle at which the light strikes the glass. Unless the light striking a lens is perpendicular to the surface, the light will be bent as it passes from the air into the lens and again as it passes out of the lens.
Objective 0004
Chemistry (Standard 3)

3. Chemical reactions obey the law of conservation of mass. This means that a balanced chemical equation must have which of the following on both sides of the equation?

  1. the same number of the same types of molecules
  2. the same subscripts following the same types of elements
  3. the same number of the same types of atoms
  4. the same coefficients preceding the same types of compounds
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the law of conservation of mass and the principles of stoichiometry and their application in balancing chemical equations. The law of conservation of mass states that matter is neither created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction. This means that the number of a particular type of atom on one side of a balanced chemical equation must be equal to the number of that type of atom on the other side of the chemical equation.
Objective 0004
Chemistry (Standard 3)

4. In which of the following reactions is the entropy of the reaction system increasing?

  1. CaCO3(s) → CaO(s) + CO2(g)
  2. 2SO2(g) + O2(g) → 2SO3(g)
  3. 2Mg(s) + O2(g) → 2MgO(s)
  4. H2O(g) → H2O(l)
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of energy changes associated with physical processes and chemical reactions and principles and applications of the first and second laws of thermodynamics. Entropy is a measure of the dispersal of energy from a system and can be described as the increasing disorder that always occurs in natural systems over time. Chemical reactions that occur on their own are driven by this tendency to greater disorder. In the question one of the reactions moves from a solid to a gas. In the gaseous state the energy is more dispersed; therefore, entropy is increasing as this reaction occurs.
Objective 0004
Chemistry (Standard 3)

5. A period in the periodic table consists of the elements that are in the same horizontal row. Elements that are in the same period of the periodic table share which of the following characteristics?

  1. similar electron configurations for their outermost electrons
  2. the same atomic weight and charge
  3. similar proportions of neutrons, protons, and electrons
  4. the same number of electron shells
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the organization of the periodic table and periodic trends in the chemical and physical properties of matter. Elements that are in the same period or row of the periodic table have the same number of electron shells. Moving from left to right across a period of the periodic table, the number of electrons and protons in each consecutive element increases by one. This means that group 2 elements will have one more electron and proton than group 1 elements.
Objective 0004
Chemistry (Standard 3)

6. Use the chemical equation below to answer the question that follows.

2ZnO(s) + C(s) → 2Zn(s) + CO2(g)

A technician working for a chemical company wants to prepare 2 moles of Zn using the reaction represented in the balanced chemical equation shown. The technician combines 81.4 grams of ZnO and 12.01 grams of C, allows them to react completely at 950°C, and determines the amount of Zn produced. The technician's results show that only 1 mole of Zn has been produced. Which of the following statements best explains this result?

  1. There was not enough C available to react with all of the ZnO.
  2. Half of the mass of ZnO was used to form CO2.
  3. Only 1 mole of ZnO was used in the reaction mixture.
  4. Combining solid reactants reduces the theoretical yield.
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the mole concept and its application in chemical calculations. In the reaction described in the question the technician reacts 12.01 g of carbon with 81.4 g of zinc oxide. Since the molecular weight of zinc oxide is 81.4 g (equivalent to 1 mole of zinc oxide) and 2 moles of zinc oxide are required to produce 2 moles of zinc, the technician would need 162.8 g of zinc oxide to produce 2 moles of zinc.
Objective 0005
Physics (Standard 4)

7. A 20-kilogram wooden sign is hanging from two vertical metal chains. Approximately how much tension is carried by each of the two metal chains?

  1. 100 newtons
  2. 200 newtons
  3. 300 newtons
  4. 400 newtons
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of Newton's laws of motion and universal gravitation and their application. A sign with a mass of 20 kg is held up by two vertical metal chains. The tension produced in the chains is equal to the value of gravitational acceleration (9.8 m/sec2) multiplied by the sign's mass of 20 kg. Because there are two chains this product must then be divided in half. (9.8 m/sec2) (20 kg) ÷ 2 = 98 kg • m/sec2 m, or approximately 100 N.
Objective 0005
Physics (Standard 4)

8. Use the diagram below to answer the question that follows.

An electronic toy car is being used to lift a 5-pound wooden block vertically at a constant velocity, as shown in the diagram. Which of the following parameters must also be known in order to calculate the amount of work done by the car?

  1. the speed of the car
  2. the size of the wheels of the car
  3. the weight of the car
  4. the distance traveled by the car
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the principles of work, energy, and power and the characteristics and uses of simple machines. Work is equal to the product of force and the distance over which that force acts. Because the car is pulling the mass up at a constant velocity, the force acting on the mass is constant. Multiplying the value of the force that is being applied to lift the 5-pound mass by the distance the car travels gives the work that is done by the toy car.
Objective 0006
Earth and Space Science (Standard 5)

9. Use the diagram below to answer the question that follows.

In which position shown in the diagram will the location of the moon produce the greatest range in ocean tides?

  1. position 1
  2. position 2
  3. position 3
  4. position 4
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics of the solar system and planets and the effects of the sun and moon on Earth systems. The diagram in this question shows the moon at four different points in its orbit of Earth. The greatest tidal range, known as a spring tide, occurs when the sun, Earth, and moon are lined up. It does not matter if the moon is on the opposite side of Earth from the sun (a full moon) or on the same side as the sun (a new moon). In these two situations, the tidal force produced by the sun reinforces the tidal force produced by the moon.
Objective 0006
Earth and Space Science (Standard 5)

10. The landforms and unconsolidated sediments of Indiana's surface geology were formed primarily as a result of which of the following major events in Earth's history?

  1. Paleozoic-era uplift and subsequent erosion of ancient mountain ranges to the east
  2. Pleistocene-epoch glaciations that covered large areas of the Northern Hemisphere
  3. Devonian-period sea-level rise that inundated large areas of central North America
  4. Mesozoic-era climate changes that produced arid conditions throughout the region
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the geologic time scale and evidence for the major events in the history and origin of Earth. The Pleistocene epoch was marked by numerous advances and retreats of continental glaciers across the northern hemisphere. These glaciers and the glacial outwash produced as they melted covered all but southernmost Indiana. The last major advance of continental glaciers across Indiana (i.e., the Wisconsin Stage) began approximately 50,000 years ago. When the glacial ice retreated from the region (beginning about 16,000 years ago), a range of glacial deposits were left behind covering all of the northern two-thirds of the state. These deposits include a variety of landforms, including drumlins, eskers, kames, and outwash plains.
Objective 0006
Earth and Space Science (Standard 5)

11. Cement produced from limestone is an important building resource throughout the world. Which of the following is the most serious environmental concern associated with making cement?

  1. the large amount of carbon dioxide produced during its production
  2. the rapid depletion of limestone deposits, which are also important to agriculture
  3. the cost of remediating limestone quarries once mining has ceased
  4. the management and disposal of hazardous chemicals used during its production
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the use and management of geologic resources and the effects of human activities on the environment. To make cement, limestone (calcium carbonate) is heated to produce calcium oxide (quicklime). During the heating process carbon dioxide is released from the calcium carbonate. Because carbon dioxide is also generated as fossil fuels are burned to produce the energy for making cement, it is estimated that global cement production generates approximately 5% of the manmade global carbon dioxide emissions. For this reason, cement production is seen as a major contributor to the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that are causing climate change.
Objective 0007
Life Science (Standard 6)

12. The process of binary fission in bacteria transforms a single bacterial cell into two bacterial cells. This process produces cells that each have:

  1. one-fourth of the original cell's genes.
  2. one-half of the original cell's genes.
  3. one complete copy of the original cell's genes.
  4. two complete copies of the original cell's genes.
Answer
Correct Response: C.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the characteristics of bacteria and protists. The fission of a single bacterial cell into two cells is a form of asexual reproduction in prokaryotes that results in the generation of an identical cell with the same genetic material as the original cell.
Objective 0007
Life Science (Standard 6)

13. Most fungi are made up of tiny filaments called hyphae that come together to form large interwoven underground mats known as mycelium. Which of the following best describes the primary function of mycelium in fungi?

  1. restraining small soil organisms prior to ingestion
  2. providing storage sites for carbohydrates consumed by the fungus
  3. minimizing the impact of predators on any one part of the fungus
  4. providing the large surface area needed for absorptive feeding
Answer
Correct Response: D.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the structure and function of organ systems in plants, animals, and fungi. A fungus obtains nutrients from its environment by absorbing nutrients through mycelium. This is a two-part process. First, the fungal hyphae secrete digestive enzymes that break down food sources into small molecules externally. These molecules are then absorbed into the mycelium through the processes of facilitated diffusion and active transport. The branched and numerous hyphae that make up the mycelium provide a large surface area to maximize absorption of nutrients into the mycelium.
Objective 0007
Life Science (Standard 6)

14. Ten percent of a mature and extensive conifer forest in the western United States is completely burned in a fire. Which of the following statements best describes how the vegetation of the region devastated by the fire is likely to differ from that of the unaffected regions one year later?

  1. Deciduous tree saplings will be more common than evergreen saplings.
  2. Flowering plants and grasses will dominate in the ash-enriched soils.
  3. Mosses and lichens will be the primary species thriving on the burned soils.
  4. Succulents that can tolerate heat and strong sunlight will dominate.
Answer
Correct Response: B.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the impact of human activities and natural phenomena on ecosystems and the effects of such changes on biodiversity. Following a forest fire, the first plant species to repopulate the burned area are typically flowering plants and grasses with seeds that are already present in the soil or are easily transported into the burned area by biotic or abiotic mechanisms. There is more sunlight reaching the forest floor in the burned-over areas and there is an increase in available soil nutrients from the burned vegetation. Both of these factors support a different mix of species that initially is dominated by grasses and flowering plants.
Objective 0008
Middle School Science Instruction and Assessment (Standard 8)

15. According to the Indiana Academic Standards for Science, the science process standards are separated from the content standards to emphasize:

  1. the skills that students are expected to be able to apply in the context of any given science content.
  2. the practical aspects of science education that help citizens in a democracy make informed decisions about science.
  3. the underlying skills that students will need to find careers as scientists in academic or industry settings.
  4. the specific protocols for investigating natural phenomena and carrying out experiments in the different branches of science.
Answer
Correct Response: A.
This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the Indiana Academic Standards for Science. The Indiana Academic Standards for Science separate the science process standards from the content standards because the basic principles and processes involved in the practice of science are the same for all the different scientific fields. Clearly, specific procedures and practices for different scientific fields are different—some are field-based and some laboratory-based for example—but the underlying rules for developing and testing a hypothesis and communicating and reporting scientific results are the same for all fields.