The Linda Hall Library STEM Quiz Middle School Edition Question Which of the following diagrams shows what happens during a solar eclipse? 1. (Note: These diagrams are not drawn to scale.) Question In 2006, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet, meaning there are only 8 planets 2. in our Solar System. Of the planets that remain, which is the smallest? A. Mars B. Venus C. Uranus D. Mercury Question 3. The pituitary gland, thyroid, and pancreas are all part of what bodily system? A. Endocrine system B. Nervous system C. Urinary system D. Reproductive system Question Which of the following is released into the atmosphere 4. as a result of photosynthesis? A. Carbon dioxide B. Water C. Oxygen D. Nitrogen gas Question Which of these laboratory techniques can separate the components 5. of a mixture based on differences in their boiling points? A. Filtration B. Distillation C. Chromatography D. Evaporation Question In the diagram below, which of these phase changes corresponds 6. to the arrow labeled A? A. Melting B. Deposition C. Sublimation D. Condensation Question Obsidian, basalt, and granite are all examples of what type of rock, often 7. associated with volcanic activity? A. Sedimentary B. Igneous C. Metamorphic D. None of the above Question A seismograph is a scientific instrument that would allow scientists 8. to measure the strength of what kind of natural disaster? A. Measuring the strength of volcanic eruptions B. Measuring the strength of earthquakes and explosions C. Measuring the velocity of flood waters D. Measuring the depth of snow during snowstorms Question 9. What is the greenhouse effect? A. The process of artificially growing plants indoors B. The result of an accumulation of water vapor and other gases in the atmosphere C. The cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs D. The destruction of the ozone layer Question A cow grazing in a field often disturbs insects that are hiding in the grass. When 10. the insects hop or fly away from the cow, they become more visible to predators. A cattle egret can catch more insects when it looks for food near the grazing cow than when it is further from the cow. This is an example of what kind of ecological relationship? A. Parasitic B. Mutualistic C. Commensal D. Predatory Question This illustration of a heliocentric (sun-centered) solar system comes 11. from a 1543 book written by which Polish astronomer? A. Nicolaus Copernicus B. Tycho Brahe C. Galileo Galilei D. Isaac Newton Question Which of these scientists discovered two new chemical elements 12. in a single year (1898)? A. Grand Duchess Christina of Lorraine and Ferdinando I de’ Medici B. Irène Joliot-Curie and Frederic Joliot C. Marie and Pierre Curie D. William and Caroline Herschel Question You are given a solid, silver cube with sides that are 2 cm long. Using a laboratory 13. balance, you determine its mass is 21.6 grams. Based on the table below, the cube is likely made of what metal? Metal Density Magnesium 1.7 g/cm3 Aluminum 2.7 g/cm3 Tin 7.3 g/cm3 Nickel 8.9 g/cm3 Silver 10.5 g/cm3 A. Magnesium B. Aluminum C. Tin D. Nickel E. Silver Question 14. How many centimeters are in 5 kilometers? A. 500 cm B. 5,000 cm C. 50,000 cm D. 500,000 cm Question 15. Which of the following sentences describes Isaac Newton's First Law of Motion? A. The force acting on an object is equal to the mass of that object times its acceleration. (F=m*a or F=ma). B. Every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force. C. For every action (force) in nature there is an equal and opposite reaction. D. Every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. Question Which of the following is not an example of kinetic energy being turned 16. into potential energy? A. Pulling back the string on a bow and arrow. B. Running to the top of a steep hill. C. Winding up a toy robot. D. Hitting the gas pedal in a race car. Question Last year, NASA announced the establishment of the Artemis Program, 17. a government-funded effort to transport astronauts to which of the following locations by 2024? A. Venus B. Europa C. The Moon D. Mars Question Public health officials often describe efforts to "flatten the curve" during discussions 18. of COVID-19. What does it mean to flatten the curve? A. Slow the rate of new coronavirus infections B. Make the virus disappear C. Schedule the reopening of businesses and schools D. Schedule the closing of businesses and schools Question Which of these energy sources is responsible for producing the most electrical 19. power in the United States? A. Coal B. Solar energy C. Natural gas D. Wind Question The Internet connects computers all over the world. What term might you use to 19. describe a network that is limited to computers in one physical location, such as a home, school, or office building? A. Local Area Network B. Cloud computing C. Broadband D. The World Wide Web Answers! 1. ANSWER: B An eclipse occurs when the shadow of a planet or moon falls upon a second body. Eclipses take place when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are perfectly aligned. Since the moon’s orbit is slightly tilted compared to Earth’s orbit around the sun, they are relatively rare astronomical events. Solar eclipses happen when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, casting a shadow that temporarily blocks out the Sun. In addition, because the Moon’s shadow is much smaller than the Earth, total solar eclipses are only visible within a narrow range on the planet’s surface. Lunar eclipses occur when Earth passes between the Sun and Moon, as shown in Diagram A. In that case, the Earth casts a shadow across the lunar surface. Unlike solar eclipses, which can only be viewed within a small geographic area, lunar eclipses are visible anywhere on the Earth’s surface where it is nighttime. [KC/6-8.ESS1.A.1] 2. ANSWER: D Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system, with a diameter (4,879 km), approximately 38% that of Earth. It is smaller than several natural satellites, including Ganymede and Titan, although it is still larger than Pluto, whose diameter is only 2,302 km. Mercury is also the innermost planet in the solar system. A fun mnemonic to remember the order of the planets, moving outwards from the sun: My - Mercury Very - Venus Excited - Earth Mother - Mars Just - Jupiter Served - Saturn Us - Uranus Nachos - Neptune (Before Pluto’s demotion, Mother used to serve us nine pizzas, but now that Pluto has been demoted, we will just have to settle for nachos…) [KC/6-8.ESS1.B.1] 3. ANSWER: A The organs listed above are part of the endocrine system, which is responsible for synthesizing chemicals called hormones that regulate other bodily functions, including growth, metabolism, and reproduction. The endocrine system consists of 8 major glands: • The pituitary is considered the “master gland,” which controls many of the other glands’ functions. • The thyroid controls the rate at which cells burn fuels from food to make energy. • The parathyroids control blood calcium levels. • The adrenals control salt and water balance in the body. • The pineal gland produces melatonin, which regulates sleep. • The reproductive glands, ovaries and testes, secrete female and male sex hormones. • The pancreas makes two hormones that control blood sugar levels. [KC/6-8.LS1.A.3] 4. ANSWER: C Photosynthesis is the process that allows plants, as well as certain algae and bacteria, to synthesize their own food. The overall reaction can be written out as follows: 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + sunlight C6H12O6 + 6O2 During photosynthesis, plants use energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose, which can be converted into other energy-storing molecules such as sucrose or starch. Oxygen is released as a byproduct of this process. Indeed, most of the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere was produced through photosynthesis. [BG/6-8.LS1.C.1] 5. ANSWER: B There are variety of ways to separate the components of a mixture. Filtration relies on a barrier that is permeable to liquids but blocks the passage of insoluble solids like dirt or sand. For mixtures like salt water, where a solid is dissolved in a liquid, it is often easier to rely on evaporation to remove the solvent and leave the solute behind. Chromatography separates mixtures based on the speed at which each of their components moves through another medium, such as paper or silica gel. Distillation is a useful technique for separating a mixture of multiple liquids that possess distinct boiling points. The mixture is slowly heated until it reaches the boiling point of one of its components. That substance turns into a vapor, which is then allowed to cool and condense in a separate vessel. By repeating this process as the vessel continues heating, it is possible to isolate each of the mixture’s components. Distillation is one of the oldest known laboratory techniques, and it has a wide range of industrial applications. [BG/6-8.PS1.A.4] 6. ANSWER: C Arrow A shows solid ice changing directly into water vapor without becoming a liquid. The process of a solid turning into a gas is known as sublimation and explains why ice cubes that have been left in a freezer for a long time begin to shrink inside the tray.