Survey of Physical Science Test Preparation
Course Introduction
Survey of Physical Science is an introductory course designed to provide students with a broad understanding of fundamental concepts in physics, chemistry, earth science, and astronomy. The course emphasizes the development of scientific reasoning and critical thinking skills while exploring topics such as motion, energy, the structure of matter, chemical reactions, the Earth's systems, weather phenomena, and the universe. Through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on experiments, students gain an appreciation for the role of physical science in everyday life and its impact on technology and society. This course is ideal for non-science majors seeking a comprehensive overview of the physical sciences.
Recommended Textbook
The Physical Universe 13th Edition by Konrad Krauskopf
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19 Chapters
954 Verified Questions
954 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/3132 Page 2
Chapter 1: The Scientific Method
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40 Verified Questions
40 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/62071
Sample Questions
Q1) The shortest of the following is
A)10<sup>4</sup> in.
B)10<sup>4</sup> m.
C)10<sup>3</sup> ft.
D)0.1 mi.
Answer: D
Q2) The time needed for a planet to orbit the sun
A)is the same for all planets.
B)depends on the size of the planet.
C)depends on how fast the planet rotates.
D)depends on the average distance of the planet from the sun.
Answer: D
Q3) The scientist who showed that gravity accounts for Kepler's laws of planetary motion was
A)Newton.
B)Brahe.
C)Einstein.
D)Galileo.
Answer: A
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Motion
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60 Verified Questions
60 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A wheel falls off an airplane and takes 8 s to reach the ground.If there were no air resistance, the wheel's final speed would be
A)9.8 m/s.
B)39 m/s.
C)78 m/s.
D)314 m/s.
Answer: C
Q2) A car starts from a speed of 10 m/s with an acceleration of 2 m/s<sup>2</sup>.The time needed for the car to reach 30 m/s is
A)10 s.
B)20 s.
C)30 s.
D)40 s.
Answer: A
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Chapter 3: Energy
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47 Verified Questions
47 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A 1-kg object is moving at 10 m/s.To double its kinetic energy, its speed should be increased to approximately
A)14 m/s.
B)15 m/s.
C)20 m/s.
D)40 m/s.
Answer: A
Q2) A 100-kg astronaut ejects 4 g of gas from her propulsion pistol at a speed of 50 m/s.Her recoil speed is
A)0.2 mm/s.
B)2 mm/s.
C)2 cm/s.
D)20 cm/s.
Answer: A
Q3) What never changes when two or more objects collide is
A)the momentum of each object.
B)the kinetic energy of each object.
C)the total momentum of all the objects.
D)the total kinetic energy of all the objects.
Answer: C
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Chapter 4: Energy and the Future
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41 Verified Questions
41 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Most oil today is used for
A)transportation.
B)electricity.
C)heat.
D)chemical products.
Q2) The earth's atmosphere is mainly heated by
A)visible light radiated by the sun.
B)infrared light radiated by the sun.
C)infrared light radiated by the earth.
D)hot exhaust gases from burning fossil fuels.
Q3) Energy use per person in the United States today occurs at a rate of about
A)1.1 kW.
B)11 kW.
C)110 kW.
D)1.1 MW.
Q4) Fuel cells
A)store energy.
B)need regular recharging with electric current.
C)need continuous supplies of fuel.
D)produce hydrogen from water.
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Matter and Heat
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64 Verified Questions
64 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Heat can be transferred through a liquid by which one or more of the following?
A)conduction
B)convection
C)radiation
D)condensation
E)Both A, B, and C
Q2) The specific heat of ice is 2.1 kJ/kg.<sup>\(\circ\)</sup>C.When 20 kJ of heat is removed from 1.2 kg of ice originally at -5<sup>\(\circ\)</sup>C, its new temperature is A)-18<sup>\(\circ\)</sup>C.
B)-23<sup>\(\circ\)</sup>C.
C)-26<sup>\(\circ\)</sup>C.
D)35<sup>\(\circ\)</sup>C.
Q3) Fifty kJ of heat is added to a 10-kg piece of lead at its melting point of 330<sup>\(\circ\)</sup>C and 2 kg of lead melts.The heat of fusion of lead is
A)2.5 kJ/kg.
B)3.3 kJ/kg.
C)5 kJ/kg.
D)25 kJ/kg.
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Chapter 6: Electricity and Magnetism
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50 Verified Questions
50 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The primary coil of a transformer is connected to a source of alternating current of voltage V.The voltage of the secondary current is A)lower than V.
B)equal to V.
C)higher than V.
D)Any of these choices could be correct, depending on the ratio of turns in the transformer coils.
Q2) A molecule that has lost an electron becomes a A)positive ion.
B)negative ion.
C)nucleus.
D)superconductor.
Q3) The particle easiest to remove from an atom is a(an) A)electron.
B)proton.
C)neutron.
D)nucleus.
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8
Chapter 7: Waves
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56 Verified Questions
56 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The greater the decibel (dB) level of a sound wave, the A)higher its frequency is.
B)longer its wavelength is.
C)louder it is.
D)farther away its source is.
Q2) The Swedish flag is blue and yellow.When viewed with blue light it appears
A)all blue.
B)blue and yellow.
C)blue and black.
D)white and yellow.
Q3) Relative to the focal length of a wide-angle camera lens, the focal length of a telephoto lens is
A)shorter.
B)the same.
C)longer.
D)Any of theses choices could be correct, depending on the camera.
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Chapter 8: The Nucleus
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56 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The interaction responsible for the structure of atoms, molecules, liquids, and solids is the
A)gravitational interaction.
B)strong interaction.
C)weak interaction.
D)electromagnetic interaction.
Q2) The atoms of the isotopes of an element are different in which one or more of the following?
A)number of electrons
B)number of protons
C)number of neutrons
D)atomic mass
E)Both C and D
Q3) A nucleus increases in atomic number when it emits A)a proton.
B)a neutron.
C)an electron.
D)a positron.
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Chapter 9: The Atom
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46 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The idea that light has both wave and particle properties is accepted because
A)theory and experiment agree.
B)it is in accord with common sense.
C)it was revealed to Einstein in a dream.
D)photons have actually been seen.
Q2) The wave character of a moving golf ball is not observed because
A)the ball is uncharged.
B)the matter waves are moving too fast.
C)the frequency of the matter waves is too low.
D)the wavelength of the matter waves is too short.
Q3) The energy difference between adjacent energy levels in an atom
A)is the same for all quantum numbers.
B)is smaller for small quantum numbers.
C)is larger for large quantum numbers.
D)shows no regularity.
Q4) A photon is emitted by an atom when one of the atom's electrons
A)leaves the atom.
B)collides with another of its electrons.
C)shifts to a lower energy level.
D)shifts to a higher energy level.
Page 11
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Chapter 10: The Periodic Law
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53 Verified Questions
53 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Elements with similar properties (other than atomic mass) A)occupy the same period of the periodic table.
B)have similar electron configurations. C)have the same number of neutrons in their nuclei. D)exist in the same physical state (solid, liquid, or gas).
Q2) AgNO<sub>3</sub> reacts with CaCl<sub>2</sub> to form AgCl and Cu(NO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub>.The number of units of AgNO<sub>3</sub> needed to form one unit of Cu(NO<sub>3</sub>)<sub>2</sub> in this reaction is A)1.
B)2.
C)3.
D)4.
Q3) The scientist who first established the relative masses of different elements was A)Mendeleev.
B)Maxwell.
C)Priestley.
D)Dalton.
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Crystals, Ions, and Solutions
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47 Flashcards
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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) An insoluble solid that results from a chemical reaction is called A)a solute.
B)a colloid.
C)an electrolyte.
D)a precipitate.
Q3) A solution of carbon dioxide, CO<sub>2</sub>, in water is A)acidic.
B)basic.
C)neutral.
D)Any of these choices could be correct, depending on the concentration.
Q4) The individual particles in an ionic solid are held together as a result of A)electron transfer between adjacent molecules.
B)electron sharing between adjacent atoms.
C)the attraction of polar molecules.
D)a sea of freely moving electrons.
Page 13
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Chapter 12: Chemical Reactions
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40 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Chemical reactions that give off energy are called A)endothermic.
B)exothermic.
C)activated.
D)oxidation-reduction.
Q2) According to Aristotle, every flammable material consisted of A)earth and fire.
B)phlogiston.
C)oxygen and earth.
D)air and heat.
Q3) The energy liberated in a chemical reaction comes from the A)kinetic energy of atomic electrons.
B)potential energy of atomic electrons.
C)activation energy of atomic electrons.
D)equilibrium energy of atomic electrons.
Q4) When 1 g of a metal is oxidized, the resulting oxide has a mass that is A)less than 1 g.
B)equal to 1 g.
C)more than 1 g.
D)Any of these choices could be correct, depending on the metal.
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Chapter 13: Organic Chemistry
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46 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Of the following acids, the one that dissociates least in water solution is A)nitric.
B)acetic.
C)sulfuric.
D)hydrochloric.
Q2) The number of covalent bonds possible between two carbon atoms in an organic molecule is A)1.
B)1 or 2.
C)1, 2, or 3.
D)1, 2, 3, or 4.
Q3) Which of the following compounds cannot exist?
A)C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>2</sub>
B)C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>3</sub>
C)C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>4</sub>
D)C<sub>4</sub>H<sub>8</sub>
E)Both B and D
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Chapter 14: Atmosphere and Hydrosphere
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52 Verified Questions
52 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A wind in the Southern Hemisphere begins to blow toward the north.Because of the Coriolis effect the wind is deflected
A)toward the south.
B)toward the east.
C)toward the west.
D)downward.
Q2) Which of the following does not describe a jet stream?
A)occurs at high altitudes
B)has relatively high wind speeds
C)is relatively narrow in width
D)may blow in any direction
Q3) An anticyclone is a weather system centered about a
A)region of low pressure.
B)region of high pressure.
C)cold front.
D)warm front.
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16
Chapter 15: The Rock Cycle
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53 Verified Questions
53 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The number of volcanoes active today is about A)50.
B)500.
C)50,000.
D)500,000.
Q2) An earthquake occurs far from an observing station.
A)The last waves to arrive are P waves.
B)The last waves to arrive are S waves.
C)The last waves to arrive are surface waves.
D)All the waves arrive at the same time.
Q3) An example of a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock is A)granite.
B)slate.
C)gneiss.
D)basalt.
Q4) 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.
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Chapter 16: The Evolving Earth
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51 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Birds are descended from A)mammals.
B)dinosaurs.
C)fish.
D)insects.
Q2) The shell of rigid rock that makes up the earth's crust and the outer part of the mantle is called the A)lithosphere.
B)asthenosphere.
C)thermosphere.
D)subduction zone.
Q3) In general, ancient forms of life are A)simpler than those of today.
B)more complex than those of today.
C)about the same in complexity as those of today, although different.
D)similar to those of today.
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Chapter 17: The Solar System
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Sample Questions
Q1) Traces of life are being sought on a satellite of which of the following planets?
A)Mars
B)Jupiter
C)Saturn
D)Uranus
Q2) Polar ice caps are found on A)Mercury.
B)Venus.
C)Mars.
D)Jupiter.
Q3) The largest known meteorite has a mass of
A)5.5 kg.
B)55 kg.
C)550 kg.
D)55,000 kg.
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Page 19
Chapter 18: The Stars
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Sample Questions
Q1) Auroras consist of
A)colored clouds.
B)comet tails.
C)excited gases in the lower atmosphere.
D)excited gases in the upper atmosphere.
Q2) Sunspots
A)are hotter than the rest of the solar surface.
B)are dark clouds floating in the solar atmosphere.
C)occur at random intervals.
D)are correlated with a number of terrestrial effects.
Q3) Stars seem to twinkle because of
A)variations in their brightnesses.
B)variations in their colors.
C)turbulent movements in their atmospheres.
D)turbulent movements in the earth's atmosphere.
Q4) Red giant stars
A)are not very bright.
B)have relatively low surface temperatures.
C)represent the initial stage in a star's cycle.
D)are among the densest objects in the universe.
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Chapter 19: Universe
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49 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Our galaxy is shaped roughly like a A)bunch of grapes.
B)football.
C)fried egg.
D)salami.
Q2) Some, and perhaps all, spiral galaxies have at their centers A)quasars.
B)pulsars.
C)black holes.
D)globular star clusters.
Q3) The "big bang" refers to the origin of A)the sun.
B)the solar system.
C)our galaxy.
D)the universe.
Q4) Nearly all the helium in the universe was formed in A)the first few minutes after the big bang.
B)the interior of stars.
C)supernova explosions.
D)black holes.
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