A scientist describes an object in space made of billions of stars. It also contains dust and gas. She says that billions of these objects exist in the universe. What did the scientist describe?

• an asteroid belt

• a galaxy

• a nebula

• a solar system

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

The diagram below shows a cross-section of the lithosphere. Point C represents a boundary between two tectonic plates. The plates shifted in opposite directions.

What occurred at Point A as a result of this movement?

• a release of energy that caused an earthquake

• the formation of a tsunami, or underwater seismic wave

• the formation of a hot spot

• the sinking of one plate under another

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

The following graph shows how far a runner travels over a certain period of time.

What is a reasonable conclusion that can be drawn from the data in the graph?

• The runner ran 40 meters in 10 seconds

• The runner ran 20 meters in 10 seconds

• The runner is slowing down as time passes

• The runner is running faster than other runners in the area

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

Justin's class is studying how the sun, Earth, and the moon interact. He studies the illustration of Earth orbiting the sun shown below.

Which aspect of the Earth/Sun system is shown here?

• eclipses

• day and night

• changes in seasons

• phases of the moon

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Marlee uses a telescope to observe a red star. What does its color tell her about the star?

• the star’s age

• the star’s surface temperature

• the star’s distance from Earth

• he star’s location relative to other stars

Water evaporates from a lake into the air, forming clouds. The clouds eventually form rain and it falls to the ground. In which spheres does this cycle happen?

• geosphere and cryosphere

• cryosphere and hydrosphere

• hydrosphere and atmosphere

• thermosphere and atmosphere

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

Scientists have several ways for evaluating the validity of experimental results. Which of the following is a characteristic shared by all valid scientific investigations?

• The experiments must be long.

• The experiment must produce replicable results.

• The experiment must yield the desired results.

• The experiment must be complex.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-PS1-2

The sun is composed of several layers, each with a different set of characteristics, as illustrated in the drawing to the left. In which layer is the sun’s energy being produced by hydrogen fusion?

• photosphere

• convective zone

• radiative zone

• core

The illustration shows the jet stream over North America.

The jet stream over North America separates cold air masses in the north from warmer air masses to the south. The jet stream tends to move farther south in winter. How might this change in position affect weather in the United States?

• Severe storms such as thunderstorms and tornadoes would only form in the far north during this time.

• Colder air would move farther south, producing colder temperatures in regions that are normally warmer.

• Warmer air would tend to flow north, producing mild winter temperatures in regions that are normally colder.

• Cold fronts forming south of the jet stream would become stationary, producing dry conditions north of the jet stream.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-5

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Which describes the primary cause for the formation of volcanoes and mountains?

• the force of gravity from the Moon

• the movement of the tectonic plates

• the rotation of Earth around the Sun

• the movement of the inner layers of Earth

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3