Science for Non-Scientists
Exam Answer Key
Course Introduction
Science for Non-Scientists is an introductory course designed to make key scientific concepts accessible to students from all academic backgrounds. Emphasizing critical thinking and the scientific method, the course covers foundational topics from disciplines such as biology, chemistry, physics, and earth sciences. Students learn about the role of science in society, how scientific discoveries impact daily life, and how to interpret scientific information they encounter in the media. Through engaging discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, the course aims to foster scientific literacy and empower students to make informed decisions about technology, health, and the environment.
Recommended Textbook
The Physical Universe 13th Edition by Konrad Krauskopf
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954 Verified Questions
954 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: The Scientific Method
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Sample Questions
Q1) If the earth were to revolve on its axis slower than it does today, its shape
A)would be closer to a perfect sphere.
B)would be farther from a perfect sphere.
C)and size would be unchanged.
D)would not change but it would expand in size.
Answer: A
Q2) Stars and planets are round because A)a sphere is the most natural shape.
B)they rotate.
C)gravity forces them into this shape.
D)friction in space grinds them into this shape.
Answer: C
Q3) When first proposed, a scientific idea is usually called a A)hypothesis.
B)law.
C)theory.
D)model.
Answer: A
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3
Chapter 2: Motion
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Sample Questions
Q1) A hole is drilled to the center of the earth and a ball is dropped into it.When the ball is at the earth's center, compared with their respective values at the earth's surface,
A)its mass and weight are the same.
B)its mass and weight are both 0.
C)its mass is the same and its weight is 0.
D)its weight is the same and its mass is 0.
Answer: C
Q2) The earth and the moon exert equal and opposite forces on each other.The force the earth exerts on the moon
A)is the action force.
B)is the reaction force.
C)can be considered either as the action or as the reaction force.
D)cannot be considered as part of an action-reaction pair because the forces act in opposite directions.
Answer: C
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4
Chapter 3: Energy
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Sample Questions
Q1) The height above the ground of a child on a swing varies from 0.5 m at the lowest point to 2.0 m at the highest point.The maximum speed of the child is
A)about 5.4 m/s.
B)about 7.7 m/s.
C)about 29.4 m/s.
D)dependent on the child's mass.
Answer: A
Q2) Which of the following quantities is always the same to all observers?
A)time intervals
B)the speed of an object
C)the speed of sound
D)the speed of light
Answer: D
Q3) A 1-N weight has a PE relative to the ground of 1 J when it is at a height of
A)10.2 cm.
B)1 m.
C)9.8 m.
D)98 m.
Answer: B
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Energy and the Future
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Sample Questions
Q1) Despite the harm their burning does to the environment, fossil fuels will remain widely used for which of the following reason(s)?
A)The prices of fossil fuels do not include the cost of the damage their burning does to the environment.
B)The technologies of producing and using fossil fuels are well developed after many years of experience.
C)Fossil fuel production and use are on large enough scales to be relatively economical.
D)The continuing use of fossil fuels avoids the new investment needed for other energy sources.
E)All of the above
Q2) Of the following energy sources, the one most likely to run out of reserves first is A)coal.
B)oil.
C)natural gas.
D)nuclear.
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Chapter 5: Matter and Heat
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Sample Questions
Q1) The work output of every heat engine
A)equals its heat intake.
B)equals the difference between its heat intake and heat exhaust.
C)depends only on its intake temperature.
D)depends only on its exhaust temperature.
Q2) The freezing point of a substance is always lower than its A)melting point.
B)boiling point.
C)heat of fusion.
D)heat of vaporization.
Q3) In order to double the average energy of the molecules in a gas at 200 K, its temperature must be changed to
A)100 K.
B)400 K.
C)800 K.
D)1600 K.
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Chapter 6: Electricity and Magnetism
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Sample Questions
Q1) A current-carrying wire is in a magnetic field with the direction of the current parallel to that of the field.
A)The wire tends to move parallel to the field.
B)The wire tends to move perpendicular to the field.
C)The wire tends to turn until it is parallel to the field.
D)The wire has no tendency to move or to turn.
Q2) Protons and electrons have different masses.When they are the same distance apart, the electric force between two electrons
A)is less than the force between two protons.
B)is the same as the force between two protons.
C)is greater than the force between two protons.
D)Any of these choices could be correct, depending on the distance between each pair of particles.
Q3) Superconductors
A)have no electrical resistance.
B)have very little electrical resistance.
C)are used in making transistors.
D)have no practical applications.
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Chapter 7: Waves
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Sample Questions
Q1) Two waves meet at a time when one has the instantaneous amplitude A and the other has the instantaneous amplitude B. Their combined amplitude at this time is
A) A + B.
B) A - B.
C) between A + B and A - B.
D) indeterminate.
Q2) The image a camera lens forms on the film is
A)always real.
B)always virtual.
C)sometimes real and sometimes virtual.
D)neither real nor virtual.
Q3) A converging lens of focal length f produces a virtual image of a real object when the object is
A)closer than f from the lens.
B)at the distance f from the lens.
C)farther than f from the lens.
D)at any distance from the lens.
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Chapter 8: The Nucleus
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which one or more of the following statements is true in general?
A)Alpha particles are less able to penetrate matter than beta particles.
B)Alpha particles are better able to penetrate matter than beta particles.
C)Alpha particles are less able to penetrate matter than gamma rays.
D)Alpha particles are better able to penetrate matter than gamma rays.
E)Both A and C
Q2) The nucleus of an atom cannot be said to
A)contain most of the atom's mass.
B)be small in size.
C)be electrically neutral.
D)deflect alpha particles that come near it.
Q3) Plutonium
A)is an isotope of uranium.
B)is the result of the alpha decay of uranium.
C)is produced by the fission of uranium.
D)has a larger atomic number than uranium.
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10
Chapter 9: The Atom
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Sample Questions
Q1) Planck's constant is 6.6 * 10<sup>-34</sup> J·s and the electron mass is 9.1 * 10<sup>-31</sup> kg.The de Broglie wavelength of an electron whose speed is 2.0 * 10<sup>7</sup> m/s is
A)2.8 * 10<sup>-10</sup> m.
B)3.6 * 10<sup>-10</sup> m.
C)3.6 * 10<sup>-11</sup> m.
D)2.8 * 10<sup>10</sup> m.
Q2) The number of values the spin magnetic quantum number m<sub>s</sub> of an atomic electron can have is A)1.
B)2.
C)always equal to n, the principal quantum number.
D)always equal to 2n.
Q3) Planck's constant is 6.6 * 10<sup>-34</sup> J·s and the proton mass is 1.7 * 10<sup>-27</sup> kg.The speed of a proton whose de Broglie wavelength is 4.0 * 10<sup>7</sup> m is
A)7.8 * 10<sup>-20</sup> m/s.
B)9.9 * 10<sup>2</sup> m/s.
C)1.9 * 10<sup>6</sup> m/s.
D)3.9 * 10<sup>6</sup> m/s.
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Chapter 10: The Periodic Law
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Sample Questions
Q1) Each electron shell in an atom contains
A)the same number of electrons as all its other shells.
B)electrons whose energies are exactly the same.
C)electrons with the same principal quantum number n.
D)electrons with the same probability clouds.
Q2) Ionic compounds in the solid state
A)always consist of molecules.
B)sometimes consist of molecules.
C)never consist of molecules.
D)never occur as crystals.
Q3) Which one of the following substances is a homogeneous mixture?
A)aluminum
B)seawater
C)salt
D)wood
Q4) The most active of the following nonmetals is A)helium.
B)carbon.
C)chlorine.
D)oxygen.
Page 12
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Chapter 11: Crystals, Ions, and Solutions
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Sample Questions
Q1) The chloride ion Cl<sup>-</sup> is
A)less reactive than the chlorine molecule Cl<sub>2</sub>.
B)more reactive than the chlorine molecule Cl<sub>2</sub>.
C)equal in reactivity to the chlorine molecule Cl<sub>2</sub>.
D)Any of these choices could be correct, depending on the temperature.
Q2) The symbol of the hydronium ion is
A)H<sub>3</sub>O<sup>-</sup>.
B)H<sub>3</sub>O<sup>+</sup>.
C)OH<sup>-</sup>.
D)OH<sup>+</sup>.
Q3) All forms of solid carbon
A)are amorphous.
B)are crystalline.
C)are held together only by covalent bonds.
D)conduct electricity well.
Q4) A saturated solution contains A)only ions.
B)only nonpolar molecules.
C)the maximum concentration of solute.
D)the maximum concentration of solvent.
Page 13
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Chapter 12: Chemical Reactions
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Sample Questions
Q1) A mole of any compound contains Avogadro's number of A)atoms.
B)ions.
C)molecules.
D)formula units.
Q2) According to Aristotle, every flammable material consisted of A)earth and fire.
B)phlogiston.
C)oxygen and earth.
D)air and heat.
Q3) Oxidation-reduction reactions are not involved in A)electrolysis.
B)acid-base neutralization.
C)the operation of a storage battery.
D)the operation of a fuel cell.
Q4) Which of the following statements about ozone is incorrect?
A)The formula of ozone is O<sub>3</sub>.
B)Ozone molecules are more stable than those of ordinary oxygen.
C)At low altitudes ozone contributes to smog.
D)At high altitudes ozone absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation.
14
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Chapter 13: Organic Chemistry
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Sample Questions
Q1) Cellulose is a A)carbohydrate.
B)protein.
C)lipid.
D)nucleic acid.
Q2) An organic acid molecule contains one or more carboxyl groups whose molecular formula is A)CO.
B)OH.
C)COH.
D)COOH.
Q3) The average efficiency of photosynthesis in utilizing solar energy is A)1 percent.
B)20 percent.
C)50 percent.
D)90 percent.
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Page 15
Chapter 14: Atmosphere and Hydrosphere
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Sample Questions
Q1) The most abundant ions in sea water are
A)Na<sup>+</sup> and Cl<sup>-</sup>.
B)H<sup>+</sup> and OH<sup>-</sup>.
C)Mg<sup>2+</sup> and SO<sub>4</sub><sup>2-</sup>.
D)Fe<sup>2+</sup> and Cl<sup>-</sup>.
Q2) Weather phenomena such as clouds and storms are found in the A)thermosphere.
B)stratosphere.
C)troposphere.
D)ionosphere.
Q3) Of the following gases, the least abundant in the atmosphere is A)oxygen.
B)nitrogen.
C)carbon dioxide.
D)argon.
Q4) The cloud streaks left by aircraft at high altitudes consist of A)water droplets.
B)ice crystals.
C)carbon dioxide crystals.
D)unburned fuel.
Page 16
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Chapter 15: The Rock Cycle
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Sample Questions
Q1) Most caves are due to A)gas bubbles in volcanic deposits.
B)rapid cooling of molten rock.
C)the solvent action of groundwater.
D)erosion by running water.
Q2) Of the following rocks, the least resistant to chemical weathering is A)limestone.
B)slate.
C)chert.
D)quartzite.
Q3) The chief source of the energy that powers geological processes today is A)the sun.
B)heat left over from the earth's formation.
C)electric currents in the earth's core.
D)radioactivity in the earth's interior.
Q4) Below a thin sedimentary layer, the ocean floors consist of A)basalt.
B)granite. C)marble. D)chert.
Page 17
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Chapter 16: The Evolving Earth
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Sample Questions
Q1) Relative to the thickness of the earth's crust under the oceans, under the continents the crust is
A)thinner.
B)about the same in thickness.
C)thicker.
D)Any of these choices could be correct, depending on the continent.
Q2) Evidence suggests that large-scale biological extinctions may have been caused by which one or more of the following?
A)immense volcanic eruptions
B)world-wide floods
C)asteroid impacts
D)fluctuations in the sun's energy output
E)Both A and C
Q3) The line of descent of humans broke away from that of the apes roughly
A)15,000 years ago.
B)100,000 years ago.
C)6 million years ago.
D)100 million years ago.
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18
Chapter 17: The Solar System
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Sample Questions
Q1) Of the following planets, the one with the most satellites is A)Venus.
B)Mars.
C)Jupiter.
D)Neptune.
Q2) The maria of the moon are covered with A)water.
B)hard, smooth rock.
C)dark, loose soil.
D)frozen carbon dioxide.
Q3) The Oort Cloud, which lies outside the orbit of Neptune, consists mainly of A)comets.
B)meteoroids.
C)asteroids.
D)various gases.
Q4) The interior of the moon
A)is uniform in structure.
B)has a liquid core.
C)is relatively cool.
D)is active geologically, giving rise to severe moonquakes.
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Chapter 18: The Stars
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Sample Questions
Q1) The interior of the sun consists of A)liquid hydrogen.
B)molecules.
C)neutral atoms.
D)ions.
Q2) Neutron stars are about
A)the size of a large house.
B)20 km in diameter.
C)the size of the moon.
D)the size of Jupiter.
Q3) Relatively few stars become A)members of the main sequence.
B)red giants.
C)white dwarfs.
D)supernovas.
Q4) Streams of protons and electrons from the sun do not affect A)auroras.
B)the airglow of the night sky.
C)comet heads.
D)comet tails.
Page 20
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Chapter 19: Universe
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Sample Questions
Q1) The planets and their satellites
A)were formed in space and captured by the sun.
B)were formed from material ejected by the sun after its formation.
C)were formed inside the sun and later ejected.
D)came into being at the same time as the sun.
Q2) Present evidence suggests that the universe
A)will expand forever.
B)will eventually stop expanding and then remain a fixed size.
C)will eventually stop expanding and then contract.
D)has just begun to contract.
Q3) Considering matter and energy together, the largest component of the universe seems to be
A)electromagnetic radiation of various kinds.
B)ordinary matter.
C)dark matter.
D)dark energy.
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