Science STAAR

Which action represents a conversion of chemical energy into mechanical energy?

• Pancakes reheated in a microwave oven 

• Soup beginning to boil on a stove 

• A grasshopper jumping from a predator 

• Sunlight melting an icicle 

Drag and drop the correct answer choice to each answer blank. Label the characteristics of stars in each area of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram.

d

c

b

a

Hot, dim

Cool, bright

Cool, dim

Hot, bright

Gregor Mendel studied the genetics of pea plants. He found that some pea plants produce smooth, round seeds while other pea plants produce rough, wrinkled seeds. Which cellular feature determines whether a pea plant produces smooth or wrinkled seeds?

• Information located in the plasma membrane 

• Information present in chromosomes in the nucleus 

• Instructions found in proteins of the cytoplasm 

• Chemical signals released by mitochondria 

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-2

Students push a cart along a smooth floor and collect data to produce the graph shown. The students use this data to determine and graph the velocity of the cart. 

 

Which graph accurately represents the velocity of the cart? 

• 
• 
• 
• 

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

At what point on a roller coaster does the train have the highest kinetic energy?

• at the bottom of the first drop
  

• at the top of the second hill
  

• when the train first leaves the loading station 

• at the top of the first drop 

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

What energy transformations are occurring in this scenario?

• electrical energy --> mechanical energy --> light energy 

• solar energy --> electrical energy --> light energy
  

• solar energy --> mechanical energy --> light energy 

• solar energy --> electrical energy --> mechanical energy 

In the case of a car crash, the body’s inertia will continue to carry it to the right. However, if the person is wearing a seatbelt, in which direction will this force act?

• to the right

• to the left

• upward

• downward

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-1

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Suppose you pull Nick, who is standing on a skateboard, using a rope at a constant acceleration. What happens when you double the mass and add a friend?

• There will be no change to the required amount of force.

• The amount of force required is slightly increased.

• The amount of force required is doubled.

• The amount of force required is four-times as great.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

Once in orbit, the space shuttle used very little, if any, rocket power to maintain its speed despite traveling over 15,000 mph! How were NASA engineers able to do this?

• More mass equals more acceleration

• The space shuttle was able to use a special coating in order to achieve its fast speed in space.

• Gravity provides the necessary force to keep the space shuttle traveling at a high rate of speed.

• More force at liftoff equals more acceleration

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS2-2

NGSS.HS-PS2-4

Samuel kicks a soccer ball across a grassy field and it eventually comes to a stop. If Newton’s law of inertia is true, why did the ball stop?

• Newton’s law only applies to objects at rest. 

• The mass of the ball is not great enough to have inertia. 

• Friction with the grass applies a net force on the ball causing it to decrease its speed. 

• Gravity slowed the ball until it came to a stop. 

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2