Quiz about 8th Grade Science FAST Review

Question 1

Janice is learning about compounds.

Which of the following best describes a compound?

Accepted Answer

a substance made up of two or more elements that are chemically combined

Answer

a substance made up purely of one element

Answer

a group of substances that are either acids or bases

Answer

a group of substances that can be separated by a physical change

Question 2

Scientific theories are developed over time in all areas of science. Which statement best describes scientific theories?

Accepted Answer

They are explanations of scientific events that may change based on continuous research.

Answer

They are based on scientific laws that came first.

Answer

They are pieces of scientific evidence that support a hypothesis.

Answer

They are predictions of events that usually remain constant because scientific ideas rarely change.

Question 3

Many interactions occur between the biosphere and the atmosphere. One of these interactions results in changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. The graph below shows these changes over a two-year period.

Which of the following changes in the biosphere most likely caused these changes in the atmospheric CO2 levels?

Accepted Answer

Plants grew leaves in the spring and lost leaves in the fall.

Answer

Streams froze in the winter and melted in the spring.

Answer

Offspring were born in the summer and matured in the fall.

Answer

Soil dried out in the summer and absorbed moisture in the winter.

Question 4

Human body systems interact to keep blood pressure within a normal range. The diagram below represents this interaction.

Which of the following best describes what is occurring in part X of the diagram?

Accepted Answer

Homeostasis is maintained as the other body systems work with the circulatory system.

Answer

Respiration remains high as other body systems work with the circulatory system.

Answer

Blood pressure is regulated as the circulatory system shuts down other body systems.

Answer

Blood pressure remains high as the circulatory system shuts down other body systems.

Question 5

The table below shows the range of frequencies, in Hertz (Hz), for part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Which of the following types of radiation has the longest wavelength?

Accepted Answer

Infrared

Answer

Ultraviolet

Answer

X-rays

Answer

Gamma rays

Question 6

Ricky wants to finish constructing a chart that helps classify two organisms. The chart is shown below.

Accurately answering which question would best help distinguish these organisms as members of the animal kingdom rather than the plant or fungi kingdom?

Accepted Answer

3

Answer

1

Answer

2

Answer

4

Question 7

Atoms are made up of subatomic particles, including neutrons. Which of the following describes a neutron?

Accepted Answer

has no charge

Answer

has a greater volume than the electron cloud

Answer

has more mass than the nucleus

Answer

has no mass

Question 8

North Atlantic right whales live in the ocean near the east coast of the United States and Canada. Fewer than 500 of these whales exist. Which of the following would contribute to the extinction of the North Atlantic right whales?

Accepted Answer

The environment changes faster than right whale populations can adapt.

Answer

Species that compete with right whales move to new habitats.

Answer

Humans develop breeding programs for right whales in aquariums.

Answer

New technologies prevent right whales from being caught in fishing gear.

Question 9

The diagram below identifies three structures found in the human body.

Which level of organization describes each of these three structures?

Accepted Answer

organ

Answer

cell

Answer

organism

Answer

tissue

Question 10

Cells experience similar processes. One of these processes involves controlling cellular wastes. Why do cells undergo processes that control cellular wastes?

Accepted Answer

All cells must release cellular wastes to maintain homeostasis.

Answer

Plant cells eliminate cellular wastes to regulate the rate of cell
reproduction.

Answer

Animal cells extract energy from cellular wastes to perform cellular functions.

Answer

All cells must release cellular wastes to provide a means of maintaining cell size.

Question 11

Brittany is investigating plant growth. She completes the following activities in class.

Which statement best describes why activity 1 is an experiment and activity 2 is an investigation?

Accepted Answer

Only activity 1 has a control and variables

Answer

Only activity 1 requires the adding of fertilizer.

Answer

Activity 1 requires more trials than activity 2 does.

Answer

Activity 1 takes more time to set up than activity 2 does.

Question 12

At a mid-ocean ridge, plates are pulled apart. Fracturing in the sea floor allows magma to move up from the mantle. The diagram below shows two plates that are moving apart

Which process in the rock cycle does this diagram best represent?

Accepted Answer

formation of igneous rock

Answer

chemical weathering of rocks

Answer

erosion of sedimentary rocks

Answer

compaction of melted rock

Question 13

Scientists who investigate microscopic fossils are known as micropaleontologists. Which of the following would these scientists most likely study?

Accepted Answer

the rocks that contain evidence of ancient organisms

Answer

the rocks that identify the location of ancient continents

Answer

the evidence of changes in the climate of ancient Earth

Answer

the different elevations of the surface of ancient Earth

Question 14

The Andromeda Galaxy was previously called the Great Andromeda Nebula because astronomers thought this patch of light was composed of glowing gases. In the 1900s, scientists determined the nebula was actually a spiral galaxy. Which of the following describes the relationship between this galaxy and other astronomical bodies?

Accepted Answer

This galaxy is one of billions of galaxies in the universe and contains billions of stars.

Answer

This galaxy is the largest star and is found in the universe.

Answer

This galaxy is surrounded by thousands of stars in the universe.

Answer

This galaxy includes a universe that is composed of millions of stars.

Question 15

Throughout history, scientific knowledge has changed. Which of the following resulted in an important change in scientific knowledge?

Accepted Answer

the discovery of the function of the DNA molecule

Answer

the observation of phase changes of the Moon

Answer

the development of a hypothesis describing possible life on Mars

Answer

the prediction of when a comet would be most clearly visible from Earth

Question 16

Cassandra flashes a beam of white light toward a prism. The prism separates the white light into different colors. Which of the following causes the separation of the white light?

Accepted Answer

The white light is refracted.

Answer

The white light is concentrated.

Answer

The white light is absorbed.

Answer

The white light is reflected.

Question 17

Nyles used a microscope to observe two different types of cells. Drawings of the two cells are shown below.

Which of the following best contrasts the functions of the cell parts labeled X and Y?

Accepted Answer

Part X regulates substances that enter or exit the cell, whereas part Y provides protection and support to the cell.

Answer

Part X stores water for future use, whereas part Y releases water out of the cell.

Answer

Part X holds the structures in place in the cell, whereas part Y keeps all molecules from leaving the cell.

Answer

Part X provides energy for the cell, whereas part Y helps with photosynthesis in the presence of sunlight.

Question 18

A student claims that studying rock layers on the side of a mountain would show that Earth has changed over geologic time. Which type of evidence from the rock layers best supports this claim?

Accepted Answer

Some rock layers contain fossils of plants, and other rock layers contain fossils of marine animals.

Answer

Some rock layers are solid, and other rock layers have holes that store water.

Answer

Rock layers that are composed of sand and silt are found in different locations.

Answer

Rock layers that are thick and smooth are deeper than rock layers that are thin and rough.

Question 19

In 1980, a scientific journal published an article describing the observations that led to a hypothesis. The hypothesis stated that an asteroid striking Earth brought about the extinction of the dinosaurs. Which of the following would best provide support for a scientific hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

new evidence and additional observations

Answer

opinions and personal beliefs

Answer

new evidence and personal opinions

Answer

additional observations and informed predictions

Question 20

The planet Saturn takes 10,747 Earth days to complete one orbit around the Sun. Why does Saturn take longer to complete one orbit around the Sun than Earth does?

Accepted Answer

Saturn is farther from the Sun.

Answer

Saturn has stronger gravity.

Answer

Saturn has a thicker atmosphere.

Answer

Saturn is the only planet with rings.

Question 21

A group of students slowly poured 100 milliliters (mL) of vegetable
oil, 100 mL of colored water, and 100 mL of corn syrup into a 500-mL beaker. The students observed the beaker after 5 minutes and recorded their observations in their science notebooks. Which of the following are the students most likely trying to compare?

Accepted Answer

the density of the liquids

Answer

the volume of the liquids

Answer

the weight of the liquids

Answer

the color of the liquids

Question 22

A chemist observes a reaction between two substances in a closed container. Which of the following would most likely happen if the temperature is increased inside the container?

Accepted Answer

The rate of the reaction would increase.

Answer

The mass of each of the atoms would increase.

Answer

The two substances would release nuclear energy.

Answer

The two substances would not change into different compounds.

Question 23

Coyotes share their habitats with gray foxes, which are related to coyotes and are active at night. Gray foxes eat plants and animals, including some of the same animals that coyotes eat. Which of the following describes the most likely effect that coyotes have on gray foxes in locations with large human populations?

Accepted Answer

increased competition over prey species

Answer

decreased exposure to parasites and disease

Answer

increased protection from larger predators

Answer

decreased cooperation when finding food

Question 24

Scientists in Poland used radio collars to track the movements of wild boars in each type of habitat during different times of year. The average daily distances wild boars traveled in each habitat, in kilometers (km), are shown in Figure 2.

Which statement describes how humans in an expanding city most likely affect the wild boars that live nearby?

Accepted Answer

Humans remove the plants that wild boars rely on for food and shelter.

Answer

Humans decrease the effect that natural predators have on wild boars.

Answer

Humans create new ponds and lakes that wild boars must travel around.

Answer

Humans increase the area of fields available for wild boars and other wildlife.

Question 25

All plants and animals have threadlike structures in the nucleus of each cell. These structures contain a set of instructions in the form of DNA. Which of the following terms identifies these threadlike structures?

Accepted Answer

chromosomes

Answer

alleles

Answer

cytoplasm

Answer

mitochondria

Question 26

A yeast is a single-celled organism that can reproduce sexually or asexually. Which of the following would confirm that a yeast had reproduced asexually?

Accepted Answer

offspring with the same genetic information as the parent

Answer

offspring with its own unique genetic information unlike that of the parent

Answer

offspring with the same genetic information as each of its two parents

Answer

offspring with half the genetic information from each of two parents

Question 27

Two Olympic cyclists rode their bicycles on an oval track. The graph below represents the number of 500-meter laps they completed.

Based on the graph, which statement best describes the motion of the cyclists as they rode their bicycles?

Accepted Answer

Cyclist 1 rode about twice as fast as Cyclist 2.

Answer

Both cyclists made stops about halfway through their rides.

Answer

Both cyclists rode their bicycles at about the same speed.

Answer

Cyclist 2 made more stops than Cyclist 1.

Question 28

Scientists have collected large amounts of evidence that support the idea shown in the illustration below.

Which of the following is a scientific theory that is best supported by this evidence?

Accepted Answer

plate tectonics

Answer

evolution

Answer

superposition

Answer

universal gravitation

Question 29

A scientist observes six lady beetles of the same species that live in the same location. Each of the lady beetles is a different shade of orange or yellow, and each has a different number of black spots. Which statement most likely explains how these differences relate to the evolution of the lady beetle species?

Accepted Answer

These differences show that there is genetic variation in the population that may allow the species to survive changes to its habitat.

Answer

These differences show that the species may learn to adapt to a warmer and drier climate.

Answer

These differences show that damage to plants in the habitat has caused the species to develop additional spots.

Answer

These differences show that mutations have developed in the population as the species was exposed to pollutants.

Question 30

Ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean affect climate and weather patterns in the United States. The map below shows some of these ocean currents.

A student researches climate data and determines that the eastern United States usually has higher humidity than the western United States does. Based on the ocean currents shown, which statement best explains the difference in humidity?

Accepted Answer

The air mass in the Atlantic Ocean is warmer than the air mass in the Pacific Ocean is, and a warmer air mass holds more water vapor than a colder air mass does.

Answer

The air mass in the Pacific Ocean is colder than the air mass in the Atlantic Ocean is, and a colder air mass causes more evaporation than a warmer air mass causes.

Answer

The cold ocean current in the Pacific Ocean causes stronger winds than the warm ocean current in the Atlantic Ocean causes, and moisture evaporates from the Pacific Ocean air mass.

Answer

The warm ocean current in the Atlantic Ocean produces denser air masses than the cold ocean current in the Pacific Ocean produces, and the dense air mass in the Atlantic Ocean cannot release precipitation.