8.L.3.3

Which process causes water to move from the ocean to the atmosphere during the formation of a hurricane?

• evaporation

• condensation

• precipitation

• runoff

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Actinomycetes are bacteria that live in soil and give soil its moist, earthy smell. Actinomycetes break down cellulose and chitin even after soil conditions have become uninhabitable to many other organisms. Actinomycetes also produce certain antibiotics. Which term BEST classifies Actinomycetes?

• decomposer

• herbivore

• producer

• scavenger

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Energy from the Sun enters ecosystems through the transformation of light to chemical energy. This energy is available to different organisms based on the trophic level in which the organisms exist. Which statement BEST describes the availability of energy for organisms in different trophic levels?

• Available energy decreases as trophic levels increase.

• Available energy increases as trophic levels increase.

• Primary consumers have the least energy available.

• Tertiary consumers have the most energy available.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

In an ecosystem, not all of the energy that is available is used by the organisms. Some energy becomes unavailable before it can be transferred to organisms in the next trophic level. How does the energy MOST likely become unavailable?

• The energy is dissipated as heat.

• The energy is stored as food.

• The energy is trapped in dead organisms.

• The energy is moved to another ecosystem.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which of the following remains constant in Earth’s carbon cycle?

• the total mass of available carbon

• the way organisms use carbon

• the physical state of carbon-containing molecules

• the molecule in which a particular carbon atom is found

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

Which of the following sentences BEST explains what happens when puddles evaporate?

• The water changes from one form to another.

• The water absorbs into the ground.

• The particles of matter move more slowly.

• The particles of matter move closer together.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-4

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

Which mechanism helps carbon to cycle from the atmosphere to living organisms?

• photosynthesis

• tissue decomposition

• cellular respiration

• transpiration

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-6

Phosphorus is required for organisms to synthesize DNA and phospholipids. In an ecosystem, phosphorus is transferred into the soil by the weathering of rocks. Phosphorus is absorbed by plants, which are consumed by herbivores. Carnivores obtain phosphorus through the consumption of herbivores. Which is a process that transfers phosphorus between an abiotic system and a biotic system?

• a plant absorbing phosphorus from the soil

• an herbivore consuming a plant

• a carnivore consuming an herbivore

• weathering of rocks releases phosphorus into the soil

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3

The diagram shows sediments collected over time. Over millions of years, pressure is MOST likely to turn sediments at location A into which material?

• petroleum

• uranium

• lava

• granite

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

Leaves fall from deciduous trees onto the forest floor. These leaves decay slowly and become part of the topsoil. Which change is MOST likely to have a positive impact on the nutrients available in the topsoil?

• an increase in the number of decomposers

• a decrease in temperature

• a decrease in biodiversity

• an increase in the number of predators

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-3