Physical Science Flashcards
- Which of the following waves on the electromagnetic spectrum has the lowest frequency?
a) Gamma rays
b) X-rays
c) Ultraviolent rays
d) Infrared rays
e) Microwaves
e) Microwaves
Of the electromagnetic waves listed, microwaves have the lowest frequency.
- Which of the following numbers on the pH scale represents a highly acidic solution?
a) 2
b) 5
c) 7
d) 9
e) 12
a) 2
On the pH scale, acids have a pH between 0 and 7. Lower numbers indicate higher acidity.
- The distance between a wave’s crest and trough is known as the
a) Wave height
b) Wavelength
c) Frequency
d) Amplitude
e) Distance
a) Wave height
The distance between the crest and trough of a wave is its wave height. The wavelength is the distance between crests, while the frequency is the number of wave crests that pass a point in one second. The amplitude is the measurement between the wave’s midline and its
crest or trough.
- Which of the following planets is considered a gas giant?
a. Sun
b. Mercury
c. Earth
d. Mars
e. Neptune
e. Neptune
The planets in our solar system that are classified as gas giants include Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
- What term describes what occurs when the earth moves between the sun and the moon?
a) Solar eclipse
b) Lunar eclipse
c) Super moon
d) Harvest moon
e) Black hole
b) Lunar eclipse
During a lunar eclipse, the earth moves between the sun and the moon, placing the moon in the earth’s shadow. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves between the sun and the earth.
- Which of the following are formed when pre-existing rocks are changed due to extreme
temperature or pressure?
a) Metamorphic rock
b) Sedimentary rock
c) Igneous rock
d) Granite
e) Quartz
a) Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rocks are created when a pre-existing rock is exposed to extreme temperature or extreme pressure, usually while the rock is below the earth’s surface. Igneous rocks are formed from magma while sedimentary rocks are formed from compacted rock fragments.
- As altitude increases, which of the following statements is always true?
a) Atmospheric pressure decreases
b) Atmospheric pressure increases
c) Temperature increases
d) Temperature decreases
e) Oxygen levels increase
a) Atmospheric pressure decreases
As altitude increase, atmospheric pressure decreases. Temperature levels fluctuate and may rise or fall depending on the layer of atmosphere. Oxygen levels also decrease as altitude increases.
- How many electrons can be held in the first shell?
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) 4
e) 5
b) 2
The first electron shell can hold just two electrons. The second shell can hold up to eight and
the third shell can hold up to eighteen.
- Which of the following is an example of deposition?
a) An ice cube melting into water
b) Water boiling and turning into steam
c) Water vapor condensing into liquid
d) Liquid water freezing into ice
e) Water vapor crystallizing into frost
e) Water vapor crystallizing into frost
Deposition occurs when gas transforms into a solid without passing through the liquid stage.
Water vapor (a form of gas) crystalizing into solid frost is an example of deposition.
- Which of the following is an example of a chemical change?
a) Ice melting
b) Wood burning
c) Water boiling
d) Molten iron cooling
e) Dissolving sugar in water
b) Wood burning
A chemical change occurs when the original material is changed into a new material with different properties, accompanied by the formation of new substances. Chemical changes cannot be reversed.
- In a chemical reaction, what is correct term for the starting substance?
a) Products
b) Reducing agents
c) Oxidizing agents
d) Coefficients
e) Reactants
e) Reactants
A reactant is the substance present at the start that reaction that undergoes change.
- Which term expresses how quickly an object’s velocity is changing?
a) Acceleration
b) Force
c) Mass
d) Friction
e) Inertia
a) Acceleration
An object’s acceleration is its rate of change in velocity over time. Acceleration describes how
quickly or slowly an object’s velocity is changing.
- Which type of energy is possessed by objects currently in motion?
a) Kinetic energy
b) Gravitational potential energy
c) Electric potential energy
d) Elastic potential energy
e) Chemical potential energy
a) Kinetic energy
Kinetic energy is possessed by an object as a result of its motion. An object in motion maintains
its kinetic energy until its speed is altered.
- Which of the following units is used to measure frequency?
a) Watts
b) Hertz
c) Amperes
d) Volts
e) Currents
b) Hertz
The frequency of a wave is measured in hertz.
- Which of the following forces is created by hanging an object by a rope?
a) Tension
b) Friction
c) Gravity
d) Buoyancy
e) Velocity
a) Tension
In physics, any object that is hung from a rope, cable, or other support is subjected to the force
of tension.
