Everyone should have a grasp on the basic processes that make our world tick. Take this quiz to see how good you are at answering some basic science questions.
Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
1.Which direction does the needle of a compass point?
South
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West
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North
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The point is drawn toward the magnetic North Pole.
2.What is every object in our world made of?
Solids
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Mass
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Matter
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Atoms and molecules are made of matter.
3.Newton's first law of motion states that an object in motion tends to what?
Slowly decrease in speed
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Stay in motion
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Cause an equal or opposite reaction
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Objects in motions stay in motion, and objects at rest tend to stay at rest.
4.About what percentage of Earth is covered by water?
70%
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50%
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25&
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Seventy percent of Earth is covered by water, and most of that is ocean.
5.The word habitat refers to what?
A place where an organism lives
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A subset of a specific ecosystem
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A large, open area
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A habitat is a place where an organism lives. Loss of habitat is a reason that many species disappear.
6.How many days does it take Earth to travel around the sun?
100 days
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365 days
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30 days
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This 365-day cycle is the basis for our calendar system.
7.When do the coldest temperatures generally occur?
Shortly after sunrise
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Just before sunrise
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At 2 a.m.
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They occur just after sunrise. It takes a while for the sun to begin warming things up again.
8.How many subatomic particles are in an atom?
5
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3
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2
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The three main subatomic particles in atoms are electrons, protons and neutrons.
9.About how long ago did modern humans first appear?
200,000 years ago
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15 million years ago
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2 million years ago
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Modern humans appeared about 200,000 years ago, and dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago, so of course our ancesters never saw a T-Rex.d the
10.What does the periodic table display?
The evolutionary time periods of life on Earth
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Elements according to their atomic numbers
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The geologic layers that represent different eras of Earth's creation
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Elements with similar properties are in the same column.
11.What term describes a group of organisms and their physical environment?
Ecosystem
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Mutualism
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Niche
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Earth is home to many diverse ecosystems.
12.If the pressure is the same, what kind of air has the greatest density?
Cold
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Hot
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Humid
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Cold air is denser because the molecules move slowly.
13.What are the abiotic factors of an environment?
The nonliving parts of an environment
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The asymmetrical parts of an environment
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The disappearing parts of an environment
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Soil and rain are examples of the nonliving parts of an environment.
14.How are synthetic chemicals different from so-called natural chemicals?
Natural chemicals are healthier.
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Synthetic chemicals tend to be more toxic.
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They aren't different.
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The atoms are the same whether they are naturally-occurring or made by humans.
15.Newton's third law of motion states that every action has what?
An equal and opposite reaction
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Both motion and rest
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A consequence
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The law that every action has an equal and opposite reaction affects all of us, every moment of every day.
16.How old are the oldest fossils found on Earth?
About 3.8 billion years
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About 137 million years
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About 82 million years
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They're about 3.8 billion years old, nearly as old as the solar system.
17.What does the nucleus of a cell contain?
Lysosomes
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Organelles
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DNA
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DNA provides basic instructions for building and maintaining an organism.
18.According to cell theory, what are cells?
The building blocks of dark matter
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The same for all mammals
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The basic unit of life
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Every organism is made from cells, the basic units of life.
19.What is the first step of the scientific method?
State your hypothesis
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Identify the problem
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Test your hypothesis
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You must identify a problem before having an hypothesis.
20.What is all matter made of?
Minerals
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Chemicals
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Solutions
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You can't have matter of any kind without chemicals.
21.In weather, what does the term "front" refer to?
A mass of hot, humid air
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The place where two air masses meet
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The opposite of "back"
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A front, the place where two air masses meet, often brings drastic changes in weather.
22.What is the hottest part of our planet?
Core
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Mantle
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Crust
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Decaying radioactive elements, heat from friction and other factors make the core very hot.
23.What type of galaxy is the Milky Way?
Irregular
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Elliptical
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Spiral
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Earth resides in one of the outer arms of the Milky Way, a spiral galaxy.
24.Which characteristic do all mammals have?
Large brains
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Hair
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Simple teeth
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Mammals are a furry bunch — some more than others.
25.What makes something a poison?
Its presence in snakes
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Its dose
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Its toxicity
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Every chemical can be poisonous to humans if they're exposed to a high enough dose.
26.What mineral is found in a saline solution?
Potassium
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Sodium
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Calcium
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Saline solutions include salt and are great for rinsing your nasal passages.
27.What do mitochondria provide for an organism's body?
Sugars
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Protein
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Energy
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They use oxygen and sugars to provide energy.
28.What happens to iron when it is exposed to oxygen?
Rusts
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It begins to bubble.
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It converts slowly to magnesium.
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Iron readily combines with oxygen to create iron oxide, or rust.
29.What is the basic unit of a chemical element?
Atom
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Mass
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Molecule
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An atom is the smallest component of an element that still retains the properties of that element.