Which is the best definition of a machine?

A machine makes work easier by changing force, distance, or direction.

A machine is a time-saving device that uses motors and gears.

A machine changes the amount of input force.

A machine can be either simple or compound.

Which of the following is true about mixtures and compounds?

A mixture contains different substances that are not chemically combined with one another.

Mixtures and compounds are both made of two or more different substances.

A compound forms when different substances chemically combine to form a new substance.

Over the next 15 minutes, which changes would most likely occur?

The temperature in Cup A will decrease and the temperature in Cup B will increase.

The temperature in Cup A will decrease and the temperature in Cup B will decrease.

The temperature in Cup A will increase and the temperature in Cup B will increase.

The temperature in Cup A will increase and the temperature in Cup B will decrease.

The diagram shows a food chain that represents populations in an aquatic ecosystem. Based on the food chain, which statement best describes the relationship between the pike and the perch?

The pike is a predator, and the perch is its prey.

The pike is a producer, and the perch is its consumer.

The perch is a predator, and the pike is its prey.

The perch is a producer, and the pike is its consumer.

The eyes of the owl and the rabbit shown in the diagram give each animal a different advantage. The specialized eye types of these animals are examples of

adaptations for survival under certain conditions

disruptions of the natural balance

the interdependence of living things

involuntary responses to stimuli

Identify the reactant(s) and product(s) of the reaction.

Hydrogen and oxygen are the reactants, and water is the product.

All three are reactants and none are products.

Hydrogen and water are the reactants, and oxygen is the product.

Water and oxygen are the reactants, and hydrogen is the product.

Which statement best describes a situation in which scientists would have confidence in a scientific theory?

Many tests have been done, and all of the results support the theory.

Scientists have not yet designed experiments to test the theory.

Only one test has been done, and its results support the theory.

Many tests have been done, and only a few of the results support the theory

A student went on a camping trip in the forest. At midnight he heard a noise. The student turned on his flashlight, and the noise stopped. In the morning, all of the student's candy bars were gone. Based only on this information, which of these is an inference that the student could make about the candy bars?

The candy bars were taken by an animal.

The candy bars were better tasting than other candy bars.

The candy bars had nuts in them.

An automobile company needs to calculate the force that its cars can withstand during crashes. Which of the following fundamental scientific concepts would be the most useful in doing this?

Newton's Laws of Motion, which relate forces acting on objects to the objects' motion

Mendel's Laws of Inheritance, which describe patterns of inheritance from parents to offspring

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation, which describes an attractive force between all objects

Boyle's Law, which relates the volume of a gas to its pressure

Students are observing two families of ducks living in the school pond. They decide to do a scientific investigation that involves the ducks. The students have only one class period to complete the investigation. Which of the following is a valid hypothesis the students could investigate?

Ducks from different families will not feed within 10 feet of one another.

Ducklings will likely move to a new pond when they are fully grown.

Ducklings think humans are funnier than adult ducks do.

Ducks first came to the pond due to its high level of water quality.

Students plan to study the role of pill bugs in their local ecosystem. An equal number of pill bugs will be added to the models shown in the diagrams. Which question would these models most likely help students answer?

Will more leaf litter cause pill bugs to produce more offspring?

Will less water cause a pill bug population to decrease?

Do pill pugs prefer environments with soil or without soil?

Why do certain insects eat pill bugs?

A scientist constructed the device shown above to model how porous areas of the Earth's surface cause water to soak into the ground (infiltration). An assumption of the model is that a greater amount of connected pore space in a sediment sample means water will infiltrate the sample faster. Which of the following is a result that the scientist could predict in order to test her assumption?

A volume of 500 mL of water will pass through sample Z faster than through any of the other samples.

A volume of 500 mL of water will pass through all of the samples at the same rate.

No more than 500 mL of water can pass through any of the samples.

A volume of 500 mL of water will pass through sample W faster than through any of the other samples.

Many fish, such as the perch shown above, have long bodies that are tapered at both ends. What is the function of this streamlined body shape?

It allows the fish to swim quickly and efficiently.

It warns predators that the fish are poisonous.

It enables the fish to blend in with other types of marine life.

It helps keep the fish from getting bacterial infections.

Which event most likely caused the change seen at the beginning of year 2?

More predators of chipmunks were introduced.

The chipmunks' food source became more plentiful.

The chipmunks' offspring became healthier.

A competitor of the chipmunks decreased in number.

The diagram represents a food web of a particular ecosystem. Suppose a farmer brings more free-range chickens into the ecosystem. What change will most likely occur?

The grasshopper population will decrease.

The hawk population will decrease.

The snake population will decrease.

The grass population will decrease.

The image shows leaves that have fallen from trees in a deciduous forest during autumn. Which statement best explains why it is beneficial for a tree to lose its leaves in autumn?

By losing its leaves, the tree is able to conserve water and energy during winter.

By losing its leaves, the tree is shielded from cold, strong winds during winter.

By losing its leaves, the tree is more resistant to fungal diseases.

By losing its leaves, the tree is able to perform photosynthesis more efficiently.

Which of the following statements describes the relationship between the force applied to the object and the object's acceleration?

As the force applied to the object increases, the object's acceleration increases.

As the force applied to the object remains constant, the object's acceleration decreases.

As the force applied to the object increases, the object's acceleration decreases.

As the force applied to the object remains constant, the object's acceleration increases.

Students collected the above items to test the effects of different factors on indoor plant growth. These items include potted plants, water, plant food, and a lamp to provide light. Which procedure will best determine if more food makes plants grow taller?

Water both plants the same amount each day. Expose both plants to the same amount of light each day. Give one plant the larger plant food packet, and give the other plant the smaller one. Measure both plants' heights after one month.

Water both plants the same amount each day. Expose both plants to the same amount of light each day. Split the larger plant food packet evenly between both plants. Measure both plants' heights after one month.

Give one plant the larger plant food packet, and give the other plant the smaller one. Water one plant, but not the other. Expose both plants to the same amount of light each day. Measure both plants' heights after one month.

Divide all of the plant food evenly between both plants. Water both plants the same amount each day. Expose both plants to the same amount of light each day. Measure both plants' heights after one month.

Scientists in San Carlos, California have tracked the amount of water the city needed per month versus how much water was available. The city had to pipe in water from other sources to make up the difference between the two values during months when there was a deficit. Which of these can be concluded based on the table above?

The city had to cope with the greatest water deficit during the summer months.

The city used more water in the winter than it did in the summer.

The city had the least amount of water available during the winter months.

The city received more rain in the fall than it did in the spring.

A father has a dominant gene for brown eyes and a recessive gene for blue eyes. A mother has two recessive genes for blue eyes. Both parents can speak Japanese. The parents have a daughter with brown eyes who can also speak Japanese. Which of the following statements explains their daughter's traits?

The daughter inherited a dominant brown-eye gene from her father but acquired the ability to speak Japanese.

The child inherited a recessive blue-eye gene from her father and the ability to speak Japanese from her mother.

The daughter inherited a dominant brown-eye gene from her father and the ability to speak Japanese from her mother.

The daughter inherited a recessive blue-eye gene from her father but acquired the ability to speak Japanese.

Guinea pigs can have either short or long hair. The gene for short hair in guinea pigs is dominant over the gene for long hair. Two short-haired guinea pigs have a litter of eight offspring. Two of the offspring have long hair, and six of the offspring have short hair. What is true about the parent guinea pigs?

Both of the parents carry the gene for long hair.

The male parent contributed two long hair genes to the offspring.

Only one of the parents carries the gene for long hair.

The female parent contributed two long hair genes to the offspring.

Grassland ecosystems receive very little precipitation. The predominant plants are grasses, and drought and wildfire are common. Temperatures in grasslands are warm in the summer and cold in the winter. Which of the following describes a biotic component of a grassland ecosystem?

Temperatures are warm in the summer.

Which statement best describes one way energy flows through this food web?

Energy flows from water plants to grass carp fish to blue herons to American alligators.

Energy flows from American alligators to mud turtles to water plants.

Energy flows from American alligators to blue herons to grass carp fish.

Energy flows from water plants to mud turtles to American alligators to grass carp fish.

Which statement best describes the model that shows a compound?

Model X shows a compound because two different atoms are chemically bonded together.

Model X shows a compound because there are two different types of atoms.

Model Y shows a compound because there is more than one type of atom.

Model Y shows a compound because each pair of matching atoms can form a chemical bond.

PSSA Science Practice

Authored by John On

Science

8th Grade

NGSS covered

Used 267+ times

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40 questions

Show all answers

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

The picture shows a small, shelled animal. Which tool should be used to measure the MASS of the shelled animal?

ruler

stopwatch

triple beam balance

graduated cylinder

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

2 mins • 1 pt

A student puts water into a graduated cylinder and carefully adds 2 small rocks - in the image shown. What is the volume of the rocks?

2 mL

3 mL

5 mL

12 mL

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

2 mins • 1 pt

Which two types of organisms in this aquatic food web have a producer–consumer relationship?

Microscopic algae and white suckers

Small invertebrates and amphipods

Phytoplankton and mummichogs

Amphipods and channel catfish

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

At which location is the gravitational potential energy of the water the greatest?

Location W

Location X

Location Y

Location Z

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-2

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

2 mins • 1 pt

What lunar phase occurred on June 4, 1776?

Waning gibbous

Waxing gibbous

Waning crescent

Waxing crescent

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

2 mins • 1 pt

Midge sets up an experiment to see how the mass of a ball affects the distance it rolls off a ramp. Identify the independent variable.

distance traveled by the ball

height of the ramp

mass of the ball

weight of the ball

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

2 mins • 1 pt

Butter bean seeds were placed in petri dishes lined with moist paper towel for 5 days at different temperatures & germination was measured. Which of the following is the dependent variable?

Number of seeds

Time it took to germinate

Temperature

Type of seed

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PSSA Science Practice

The picture shows a small, shelled animal. Which tool should be used to measure the MASS of the shelled animal?

A student puts water into a graduated cylinder and carefully adds 2 small rocks - in the image shown. What is the volume of the rocks?

Which two types of organisms in this aquatic food web have a producer–consumer relationship?

At which location is the gravitational potential energy of the water the greatest?

What lunar phase occurred on June 4, 1776?

Midge sets up an experiment to see how the mass of a ball affects the distance it rolls off a ramp. Identify the independent variable.

Butter bean seeds were placed in petri dishes lined with moist paper towel for 5 days at different temperatures & germination was measured. Which of the following is the dependent variable?

Using this scale, which mineral can scratch fluorite?

Which is the best definition of a machine?

What is shadowed, or hidden, during a lunar eclipse?

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