Here are some science questions to help you test your general science knowledge. They will also show you which of the Florida, Utah, and NGSS science standards each question is testing.
The questions are chosen randomly, so this quest will be different each time.
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This magnet attracts the compass and the magnetized needle without having to come in contact with them. This is an example of a force acting at a distance.
Which of the following is another example of a force that acts at a distance without actual contact?
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Wind turning a windmill.
No. The moving air is pushing against the blades of the windmill. Because a physical object (moving air) is pushing on the windmill, this is a contact force. -
Sound causing you to hear something.
No. For you to hear a sound, the vibrations of the object make the air vibrate. That is a contact force because there is direct contact between the vibrating object and the air. The vibrating air is in contact with your ear drum, causing it to vibrate too. That lets you hear the sound. Because a physical object (vibrating air) is moving your ear drum, this is a contact force. -
Gravity causing a rock to fall.
Yes. The gravitational attraction between the Earth and the rock does not need physical contact. The rock would fall, even if it was in a total vacuum, with no physical object to push or pull on it. This is a force acting at a distance. -
Throwing a ball to knock over a target
No. To throw the ball, your arm pushes against it. Your arm moving the ball is a contact force. The moving ball hits the target to knock it over. The ball is touching the target to knock it over, so this is also a contact force.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.P.10.3 Investigate and explain that an electrically-charged object can attract an uncharged object and can either attract or repel another charged object without any contact between the objects.
>>> Teacher Page: Electrostatic Charges
| Electricity | video, free, Updated |
| Making Water Wiggle | video |
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 1 | video |
| Electrostatic Charges | video |
| The Leyden Jar | video, checked |
| Versorium | video, checked |
| Electrostatics and Water | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 2 | video |
| Sorting Salt and Pepper | video, checked |
| Review Energy-6 | quest |
| Review Energy-7 | quest |
| Review Energy-8 | quest |
SC.6.P.13.1 Investigate and describe types of forces including contact forces and forces acting at a distance, such as electrical, magnetic, and gravitational.
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 2 | video |
| Light a Bulb with a Balloon | video, checked |
| Crushed Can | video, checked |
| Electricity | video, free, Updated |
| The Compass and Magnetic Fields | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 1 | video |
| Making a Compass | video, checked |
| Torque | video |
| Versorium | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Review Energy-6 | quest |
| Review Energy-7 | quest |
| Review Energy-8 | quest |
Utah
UT.3.IV.2.c Pose questions about gravity and forces.
| Force, Pressure, and Shoes | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Balancing a Meter Stick | text page |
| Review Energy-8 | quest |
| Review Space-13 | quest |
NGSS
MS-PS3-2 Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Electrostatics and Water | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 2 | video |
| Sorting Salt and Pepper | video, checked |
| Making Water Wiggle | video |
| Measuring Kinetic and Potential Energy | video, checked |
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 1 | video |
| The Leyden Jar | video, checked |
| Versorium | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Review Energy-6 | quest |
| Review Energy-7 | quest |
| Review Energy-8 | quest |
This is the mineral galena. What type of luster does it have?
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Vitreous
No. A vitreous luster means that the mineral looks glassy. Galena does not look like it is made of glass. -
Shiny
No. Shiny is not a type of luster. -
Metallic
Yes! A metallic luster means that the mineral looks like it is made of metal. Galena reflects light in the same way that a piece of metal does. If a mineral looks like it is made of metal, it has a metallic luster. -
Silver
No. Silver is a color, not a type of luster. Luster is the way that a mineral reflects light, not is color.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.4.E.6.2 Identify the physical properties of common earth-forming minerals, including hardness, color, luster, cleavage, and streak color, and recognize the role of minerals in the formation of rocks.
| Definition of a Mineral | video, checked |
| What is a Mineral? | video, checked |
| Identifying Minerals | video, learnalong |
| Minerals Around You | text page, learnalong, checked |
| Review Minerals-5 | practice |
| Review Minerals-6 | practice |
| Review Minerals-7 | practice |
| Review Minerals-8 | practice |
| Review Minerals-1 | practice |
| Review Minerals-2 | practice |
| Review Minerals-3 | practice |
| Review Minerals-4 | practice |
Utah
UT.4.III.1.b Observe rocks using a magnifying glass and draw shapes and colors of the minerals.
| Definition of a Mineral | video, checked |
| What is a Mineral? | video, checked |
| Identifying Minerals | video, learnalong |
| What is a Rock? | video, learnalong, checked |
| Review Minerals-7 | practice |
| Review Minerals-8 | practice |
| Review Minerals-3 | practice |
| Review Minerals-4 | practice |
| Review Minerals-5 | practice |
| Review Minerals-6 | practice |
UT.8.III.1.b Observe and describe the minerals found in rocks (e.g., shape, color, luster, texture, hardness).
| Definition of a Mineral | video, checked |
| What is a Mineral? | video, checked |
| Identifying Minerals | video, learnalong |
| What is a Rock? | video, learnalong, checked |
| Review Minerals-5 | practice |
| Review Minerals-6 | practice |
| Review Minerals-7 | practice |
| Review Minerals-8 | practice |
| Review Minerals-1 | practice |
| Review Minerals-2 | practice |
| Review Minerals-3 | practice |
| Review Minerals-4 | practice |
NGSS
5-PS1-3 Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.
| Density: Ice, Oil, and Water | video, checked |
| Wax and Wood, part 1 | video, checked |
| Wax and Wood, part 2 | video, checked |
| What is a Mineral? | video, checked |
| Identifying Minerals | video, learnalong |
| Raw Egg or Boiled? | video, checked |
| Making Turmeric Paper | video, checked |
| Testing for Tannic Acid | video |
| Definition of a Mineral | video, checked |
| Floating Bubbles | video, checked |
| Finding Fat in Foods | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Fireworks Colors | video |
| Iron Cereal | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| A Cool Change | text page |
| Acid Hunt | text page |
| Review Minerals-2 | practice |
| Review Minerals-3 | practice |
| Review Minerals-4 | practice |
| Review Minerals-5 | practice |
| Review Minerals-6 | practice |
| Review Minerals-7 | practice |
| Review Minerals-8 | practice |
None of these layers have been turned upside down. Based on the Law of Superposition, which layer is the oldest?
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A
No. Layer A is on top of layer B, so it is younger than layer B. That means that it is not the oldest. -
B
No. If you look at layer B, it is on top of layer C, which means that it is younger than layer C. B is not the oldest. -
C
No. Look closely at the top part of layer C. The top part of layer C is on top of part of layer D. That tells us that layer C is younger than layer D. -
D
Yes! This one is a bit tricky, because of the way the rocks were formed. Layer D formed first, as a flat, horizontal layer. Erosion weathered the left part of D away, forming a sloping hillside. Image the photo with layers A, B, and C erased, and it looks like a sloping hillside.Next, a nearby volcano erupted, spewing out lots of volcanic ash. The ash covered the hillside, forming layer C.
Next, lava from the volcano flowed down over the ash, forming layer B.
Later, the volcano erupted again, depositing another layer of volcanic ash to form layer A. After that, layer A was covered by another layer of lava, and then another layer of volcanic ash.
So A is the youngest, followed by B, then C, and D is the oldest.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.7.E.6.3 Identify current methods for measuring the age of Earth and its parts, including the law of superposition and radioactive dating.
| Imagining Geologic Time | video |
| Reading the Rocks: Law of Superposition | video |
| Reading the Rocks: Law of Crosscutting | video |
| Reading the Rocks | text page |
| Review Geologic Time-1 | practice |
| Review Geologic Time-2 | practice |
| Review Geologic Time-3 | practice |
Utah
UT.8.III.3.c Explain why some sedimentary rock layers may not always appear with youngest rock on top and older rocks below (i.e., folding, faulting).
| Sedimentary Rocks | video, learnalong |
| Review Geologic Time-1 | practice |
| Review Geologic Time-2 | practice |
| Review Geologic Time-3 | practice |
NGSS
4-ESS1-1 Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.
| Reading the Rocks: Law of Crosscutting | video |
| What is a Rock? | video, learnalong, checked |
| Reading the Rocks: The Present is the Key to the Past | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Paleo Cookies | video |
| Evaporites | video, learnalong, checked |
| Igneous Rocks and Bubbles | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
| Sedimentary Rocks | video, learnalong |
| Reading the Rocks: Law of Superposition | video |
| Homemade Fossil Dig | text page |
| Review Rocks-1 | practice |
| Review Geologic Time-1 | practice |
| Review Rocks-4 | practice |
| Review Geologic Time-2 | practice |
| Review Rocks-5 | practice |
| Review Rocks-6 | practice |
| Review Rocks-8 | practice |
| Review Rocks-9 | practice |
| Review Rocks-7 | practice |
| Review Rocks-10 | practice |
| Review Geologic Time-3 | practice |
I want to test a new fertilizer, to find the best concentration for my garden. To do this, I plan to divide my garden into four sections.
Section A. I will use 5 grams of fertilizer per gallon each time I fertilize.
Section B. I will use 10 grams of fertilizer per gallon each time I fertilize.
Section C. I will use 15 grams of fertilizer per gallon each time I fertilize.
For section D, how much fertilizer per gallon should I use?
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20 grams of fertilizer per gallon.
No. This would be a good thing to test, but for this to be a proper science experiment, it is not the correct answer. -
30 grams of fertilizer per gallon.
No. This would be a good thing to test, but for this to be a proper science experiment, it is not the correct answer. -
1 gram of fertilizer per gallon.
No. This would be a good thing to test, but for this to be a proper science experiment, it is not the correct answer. -
No fertilizer at all.
Yes. For this type of experiment, you need to have a control group. That is a group of test subjects that you do not do anything to. If the control group with no fertilizer grows just as well as the other groups, then I would know that the fertilizer was not working.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.N.1.4 Identify a control group and explain its importance in an experiment.
| Bacteria and Antibiotics | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Testing a Leaf for Starch | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Scientific Process-1 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-2 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-9 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-11 | practice |
SC.7.N.1.4 Identify test variables (independent variables) and outcome variables (dependent variables) in an experiment.
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| Testing for Tannic Acid | video |
| Review Scientific Process-1 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-2 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-9 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-11 | practice |
Utah
NGSS
3-5-ETS1-3 Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.
| What is Science? | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Scientific Process-1 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-2 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-7 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-9 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-10 | practice |
| Review Scientific Process-11 | practice |
When water freezes into ice, its volume increases. What happens to its mass?
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It increases.
No. When water freezes, it takes up more space, but the mass stays the same. -
It stays the same.
Yes. When water freezes, it expands to take up more space, but its mass stays the same. Mass is the measure of how much "stuff" is there. Freezing water does not create new water or add more "stuff". It just makes the water take up more space. -
It decreases.
No. The mass stays the same, even when the water freezes. -
Water does not have mass.
No. Everything that is made out of matter has mass.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.4.P.8.3 Explore the Law of Conservation of Mass by demonstrating that the mass of a whole object is always the same as the sum of the masses of its parts.
| The Difference Between Weight and Mass | video, checked |
| Review Matter-2 | practice |
| Review Matter-6 | practice |
SC.5.P.8.1 Compare and contrast the basic properties of solids, liquids, and gases, such as mass, volume, color, texture, and temperature.
>>> Teacher Page: States of Matter
| Raw Egg or Boiled? | video, checked |
| Air Space | video |
| A Bouncing Water Balloon | video |
| Egg States | video, checked |
| Experimenting with Dry Ice | video, free, checked |
| Wax and Wood, part 1 | video, checked |
| Wax and Wood, part 2 | video, checked |
| Ice Cream Science | video, checked |
| Air has Weight | text page |
| Teach It Right the First Time. | text page, free |
| Review Matter-2 | practice |
| Review Matter-1 | practice |
| Review Matter-3 | practice |
| Review Weather-10 | practice |
SC.8.P.9.1 Explore the Law of Conservation of Mass by demonstrating and concluding that mass is conserved when substances undergo physical and chemical changes.
| Making Butter | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
| Review Matter-2 | practice |
| Review Matter-6 | practice |
Utah
UT.5.I.1.b Compare the weight of a specified quantity of matter before and after it undergoes melting or freezing.
| Ice Cream Science | video, checked |
| Review Matter-2 | practice |
UT.7.I.2.a Use appropriate instruments to determine mass and volume of solids and liquids and record data.
| Review Matter-2 | practice |
NGSS
5-PS1-2 Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.
| Making Butter | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
| The Difference Between Weight and Mass | video, checked |
| Ice Cream Science | video, checked |
| Chemical and Physical Changes | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Air has Weight | text page |
| Review Matter-2 | practice |
| Review Matter-6 | practice |
The questions are chosen randomly, so this quest will be different each time.