Deck 2: Science, Matter, Energy and Systems

Question 1

Because scientific theories are tentative explanations, they should not be taken seriously.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Pure water has a pH of 7, exactly neutral.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The Bormann-Likens study in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire can be described as ____.

A) a comparison of a control site with an experimental site in nature
B) a study using computer model simulations of a complex natural system
C) an experiment in which too many factors were varied to draw a conclusion from the results
D) missing a baseline for comparison, making it difficult to draw a conclusion from the results
E) an observational study that attempted not to interfere with a natural system

Answer 3

a comparison of a control site with an experimental site in nature

Question 4

Scientific hypotheses differ from scientific theories in that they are ____.

A) widely accepted descriptions of what we find happening over and over in nature
B) possible, but not yet well-tested, explanations of data
C) not able to be tested
D) arrived at after extensive mathematical modeling
E) facts rather than opinions

Question 5

Logic and critical thinking are more important tools in science than imagination and creativity.

Question 6

The idea that all elements are made up of molecules is called the atomic theory.

Question 7

A(n) ____ is an approximate representation or simulation of a system.

A) model
B) datum
C) projection
D) experiment
E) study

Question 8

When a natural system gets locked into a positive feedback loop, it can reach an ecological tipping point.

Question 9

Recall the Bormann-Likens controlled experiment in the forested valleys of New Hampshire. Which statement best describes the effects of water flowing out of deforested areas into undisturbed areas?

A) The amount of water flowing out of the deforested valley following rain increased by 30-40%, and soil erosion increased.
B) The amount of water flowing out of the deforested valley decreased by 10-20%, and soil erosion decreased.
C) The flow of water did not change, but soil erosion increased.
D) Other types of plants took the place of the trees, preventing deforestation from affecting the flow of water.
E) Eroding soil dammed up the river, preventing the flow of water.

Question 10

Hydrocarbons are organic compounds.

Question 11

Two or more different elements can combine to form isotopes.

Question 12

When matter undergoes physical changes, the chemical composition also changes.

Question 13

Carbon is an element, meaning that it cannot be broken down further by chemical means.

Question 14

Which of the following is the best definition of science?

A) A field in which observations are rarely tested
B) A field that is never investigated using statistical tools and models
C) Study that is best described as a collection of opinions
D) Data supported by small amounts of evidence
E) A broad field of study focused on discovering how nature works

Question 15

A positive feedback loop causes a system to change in the opposite direction from which it is moving.

Question 16

The process of peer review is important to help reduce bias and related problems.

Question 17

Each cell of the human body has different chromosomes in its nucleus.

Question 18

Scientists use data to develop testable hypotheses, which are often written as "If… then" statements.

Question 19

A scientific hypothesis must be testable.

Question 20

A chart showing all known elements arranged by their chemical behavior is called the periodic table.

Question 21

The finding that objects fall to earth at predictable speeds is described by ____.

A) the law of conservation of energy
B) the law of kinetic energy
C) the law of potential energy
D) the law of energy transformations
E) the law of gravity

Question 22

A scientific law ____.

A) is a hypothesis that has been proven
B) is what a theory becomes when it passes experimental tests
C) is called that because there are consequences when it is broken
D) is a well-tested and widely accepted description of what we find happening repeatedly and in the same way in nature
E) determines the series of steps that should be followed when designing an experiment to test a hypothesis

Question 23

Which of the following lists of items contains only ions?

A) CO₂, H₂O, Na⁺, H^-
B) Na^+,H^-, Pb, Hg
C) Pb, Hg, CO₂, NaCl
D) Cl^-, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, NO3^-
E) NaCl, NO, CO, NaOH

Question 24

Narrative: (questions 9 and 10) A tiny, tawny colored butterfly called the Carson Wandering Skipper was always known for its small and very localized populations. Typically, it was found along the western Nevada and eastern California high desert areas. It was always located close to hot springs and other wet areas that supported saltgrass, the host plant it depended on.
Recently, the populations went into a steep decline, and a last hold-out area was threatened by imminent construction of a freeway bypass. Biologists became alarmed and began an intensive search for populations in locations other than the spot designated for the freeway bypass. They began their search by identifying all known locations of hot springs, in hopes of finding small populations of the Carson Wandering Skipper close by.
As biologists searched for previously unknown populations of the Carson Wandering Skipper, biologists wondered if hot springs were absolutely essential to its survival. This phase of the investigation is ____.

A) finding out what is known and asking a question
B) analyzing data and asking a question
C) asking a question and testing predictions
D) accepting their hypothesis and analyzing data
E) accepting their hypothesis and asking a question

Question 25

A classmate tells you that a statement heard on the news about an environmental process noted in a local ecosystem cannot be true because it has not been scientifically proven. Given what you know about the nature of scientific reasoning, you realize that ____.

A) this classmate is misinformed because science cannot prove anything, but it can disprove events conclusively
B) this classmate is misinformed because science cannot prove or disprove anything absolutely
C) this classmate is misinformed because the environmental process in question actually has been proven scientifically
D) this classmate is correct
E) this classmate has confused scientific theories and scientific laws

Question 26

An atom's mass number is equal to the total number of ____.

A) neutrons and isotopes
B) neutrons and electrons
C) neutrons and protons
D) protons, neutrons, and electrons
E) protons only

Question 27

An acidic solution would have ____.

A) more hydroxide ions than hydrogen ions and a pH greater than 7
B) more hydrogen ions than hydroxide ions and a pH greater than 7
C) more hydroxide ions than hydrogen ions and a pH less than 7
D) more hydroxide ions than hydrogen ions and a pH of 7
E) more hydrogen ions than hydroxide ions and a pH less than 7

Question 28

Why do we have pairs of each chromosome type in the cell nucleus?

A) One is a spare in case the other is damaged.
B) One is always redundant.
C) One is inherited from each parent.
D) One contains DNA molecules and one contains genes.
E) One contains nucleotides and the other does not.

Question 29

Protons, neutrons, and electrons are all ____.

A) forms of energy
B) equal in mass
C) subatomic particles
D) negative ions
E) charged particles

Question 30

The atomic number of an element is the number of ____.

A) atoms in a molecule
B) protons in an atom
C) nuclei in a molecule
D) electrons in an atom
E) protons and neutrons in an atom

Question 31

Which list describes the sequence scientists typically follow in the beginning stages of their investigations about how nature works?

A) analyze data → search literature → perform experiment → identify a problem → ask a question
B) ask a question → search literature → perform experiment → analyze data → identify a problem
C) search literature → ask a question → identify a problem → analyze data → perform experiment
D) identify a problem → search literature → ask a question → perform experiment → analyze data
E) ask a question → search literature → identify a problem → perform experiment → analyze data

Question 32

Matter is best described as ____.

A) thermodynamic
B) something that has the capacity to do work
C) positively charged
D) something that can produce change
E) anything that has mass and takes up space

Question 33

Narrative: (questions 9 and 10) A tiny, tawny colored butterfly called the Carson Wandering Skipper was always known for its small and very localized populations. Typically, it was found along the western Nevada and eastern California high desert areas. It was always located close to hot springs and other wet areas that supported saltgrass, the host plant it depended on.
Recently, the populations went into a steep decline, and a last hold-out area was threatened by imminent construction of a freeway bypass. Biologists became alarmed and began an intensive search for populations in locations other than the spot designated for the freeway bypass. They began their search by identifying all known locations of hot springs, in hopes of finding small populations of the Carson Wandering Skipper close by.
The biologists' observations that the Carson Wandering Skipper populations had declined is an example of ____.

A) reporting a conclusion
B) identifying a problem
C) performing an experiment
D) proposing a hypothesis
E) making testable predictions

Question 34

Which of the following is true of matter?

A) It can exist as three physical states.
B) It can exist as two physical states.
C) It can exist as three chemical forms.
D) It can exist as four chemical forms.
E) It can exist as a physical state or as a chemical form.

Question 35

An element ____.

A) can combine with protons to make an atom
B) is made up of compounds
C) can combine with one or more other elements to make a compound
D) is defined by the number of electrons it has
E) can only be organic

Question 36

All organic compounds are primarily characterized by the presence of ____.

A) carbon
B) hydrogen
C) oxygen
D) nitrogen
E) phosphorus

Question 37

Science that is based on thorough testing with appropriate statistics and that has withstood peer review is considered ____.

A) limited but accurate
B) scientific laws
C) scientific theories
D) unreliable science
E) reliable science

Question 38

Ions are atoms or groups of atoms that have ____.

A) gained or lost electrons
B) gained or lost protons
C) gained or lost neutrons
D) gained or lost both protons and electrons
E) different numbers of both protons and neutrons from other atoms of that type

Question 39

You are studying atoms in the lab and realize that you have two atoms with the same atomic number but different numbers of neutrons. These atoms must be ____.

A) molecules
B) compounds
C) ions
D) isotopes
E) organic

Question 40

What is one reason that statistics and mathematical models are so important in science?

A) Scientific data is often biased.
B) Scientific data is often incorrect due to poor experimental design and limitations on data collection, so mathematics can be used to smooth over these inaccuracies.
C) The process of peer review is flawed and insufficient.
D) These help to deal with complex interactions of variables and there is no way to measure every instance of a phenomenon.
E) It allows scientists to prove their results conclusively.

Question 41

What happens when you place a cold pot on a hot stovetop?

A) Energy flows from the air to the stovetop.
B) There is no net movement of energy.
C) Energy flows evenly back and forth between the pot and the stovetop.
D) Energy flows from the base of the pot to the stovetop.
E) Energy flows from the stovetop to the base of the pot.

Question 42

Which term means the molecule produced when simple organic molecules called monomers are linked together by chemical bonds?

A) Chromosomes
B) Lipids
C) Polymers
D) Hydrocarbons
E) Elements

Question 43

A positive feedback loop ____.

A) increases a change to a system
B) always results in a beneficial change to a system
C) decreases a change to a system
D) never results in a beneficial change to a system
E) stabilizes a system

Question 44

Kinetic energy and potential energy differ in that____.

A) heat is a type of potential energy, not kinetic energy
B) kinetic energy is energy of motion and potential energy is stored energy
C) potential energy is energy of motion and kinetic energy is commercial energy
D) only potential energy involves movement
E) only kinetic energy involves energy storage

Question 45

The first law of thermodynamics is also known as____.

A) the law of energy quality
B) the law of conservation of energy
C) the law of potential energy
D) the law of kinetic energy
E) the law of energy consumption

Question 46

A thermostat set to 62°F turns on the furnace when a house cools below that temperature, and shuts the furnace off when a house warms above that temperature. This is an example of a simple ____.

A) positive feedback loop
B) negative feedback loop
C) system loop
D) tipping point
E) thermodynamic loop

Question 47

Genes are composed of sequences of ____.

A) ions
B) chromosomes
C) cells
D) nucleotides
E) proteins

Question 48

____ are the fundamental structural and functional units of life.

A) Ions
B) Atoms
C) Compounds
D) Molecules
E) Cells

Question 49

Which form of electromagnetic radiation has the shortest wavelength?

A) Infrared radiation
B) Radio waves
C) Visible light
D) Ultraviolet (UV) radiation
E) Microwaves

Question 50

The second law of thermodynamics says that whenever energy is converted from one form to another in a physical or chemical change, ____.

A) more energy will be present in the second form
B) heat is absorbed
C) light is produced
D) we end up with lower-quality or less useable energy than we started with
E) the second form of energy will always be kinetic

Question 51

A form of kinetic energy that travels in the form of a wave as a result of changes in electrical and magnetic fields is ____.

A) wind
B) electromagnetic radiation
C) waterfalls
D) chemical energy
E) heat energy

Question 52

Energy that is greatly dispersed and low temperature is considered____.

A) medium-quality energy
B) high-quality energy
C) low-quality energy
D) medium or high-quality energy depending on whether it is from wind or burning
E) kinetic or potential energy depending upon its quality

Question 53

A reaction in which a carbon atom combines with oxygen atoms to form CO₂is ____.

A) a physical change
B) a chemical change
C) both a physical and chemical change
D) first a physical change, but then it becomes a chemical change
E) neither a physical change or a chemical change, but a scientific change

Question 54

____ is a measure of the amount of energy available to do useful work.

A) Energy quality
B) Energy effectiveness
C) Energy conservation
D) Energy efficiency
E) Energy radiation

Question 55

Energy can be formally defined as the ____.

A) velocity of any moving object
B) heat generated by atoms losing electrons
C) capacity to do work
D) displacement of heat from the sun to the earth
E) process of moving objects

Question 56

Most living systems can be described as having inputs, ____, and outputs.

A) Thermodynamics
B) Positive transfers
C) Throughputs
D) Kinetics
E) Creations

Question 57

An example of kinetic energy is ____.

A) water in a reservoir behind a dam
B) water flowing down a waterfall
C) a rock held in your hand several feet above ground
D) the chemical energy in gasoline
E) the chemical energy in food

Question 58

Which of the following energy forms is low quality?

A) The energy released by burning coal
B) The heat dispersed in the ocean
C) Concentrated sunlight
D) High-speed wind
E) The energy released by burning wood

Question 59

The law of conservation of matter states that whenever matter undergoes a physical or chemical change, ____.

A) atoms can be created
B) atoms can be destroyed
C) atoms cannot be created or destroyed
D) atoms can be destroyed if we compost them
E) atoms can be created by reactions between organic compounds

Question 60

The nucleus of a human cell contains ____.

A) genes only
B) DNA molecules only
C) chromosomes only
D) genes on chromosomes, which are made up of DNA molecules
E) chromosomes on genes

Question 61

The pH of a solution is a measure of ____________________ ions and ____________________ ions in that solution.

Question 62

A chemical that is a combination of two or more different elements in fixed proportions is called a(n) ____________________.

Question 64

Why do scientists not talk about "proof" when discussing scientific research?

Question 65

Ions are formed when an atom or group of atoms gains or losses ____________________.

Question 66

A molecule consists of two or more atoms connected by _____________________.

Question 67

The Bormann-Likens scientific investigation of clear-cutting forest watersheds is an example of reliable science. What does that tell you about the work?

Question 68

Well-designed scientific experiments compare something between two groups, an experimental group and a ____________________group. These groups are as similar as possible except for the variable of interest.

Question 69

A scientific hypothesis must be testable. What does this mean?

Question 70

Give an example of a way you can convert potential energy into kinetic energy.

Question 71

DNA molecules are coiled and shaped around proteins to form larger structures called ____________________.

Question 72

Macromolecules formed from a number of monomers are called ____________________.

Question 73

Theories are well supported by evidence and are considered key outcomes of science. However, we can't prove things conclusively in science. Is it possible to find evidence that contradicts a theory? Does your answer affect how you view theories?

Question 74

A well-tested and widely accepted scientific hypothesis or a group of related hypotheses is called a(n) ____________________.

Question 75

One essential nutrient for plant growth studied by Bormann and Likens is ____________________.

Question 76

A(n) ____________________ is a type of matter that has a unique set of properties and that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemical means.

Question 77

Flowing water is an example of ____________________ energy.

Question 78

Describe three limitations of science in general (as well as environmental science).

Question 79

The statement that, "If land is cleared of vegetation and exposed to rain and melting snow, then the land retains less water and loses soil nutrients," is an example of a(n) ____________________.

Question 80

A simple carbohydrate that plants and animals use to obtain energy is ____________________.