Physical Science Laboratory
Pre-Test Questions
Course Introduction
The Physical Science Laboratory course offers students hands-on experience with fundamental scientific concepts in physics, chemistry, and earth sciences. Through a series of guided experiments, students develop practical skills in measurement, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of results. Emphasizing the scientific method and laboratory safety, the course deepens understanding of theoretical principles introduced in lectures, and fosters critical thinking, teamwork, and effective communication of scientific findings.
Recommended Textbook
An Introduction to Physical Science 13th Edition by James Shipman
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
20 Chapters
2616 Verified Questions
2616 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/3820
2
Chapter 1: Temperature and Heat
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
121 Verified Questions
121 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76240
Sample Questions
Q1) A relationship such as 1 in. = 2.54 cm is a(n)
A) equivalence statement.
B) base unit.
C) derived unit.
D) fundamental quantity.
Answer: A
Q2) Which of the following is not a standard metric unit?
A) Kilogram
B) Meter
C) Second
D) Gram
Answer: D
Q3) A successfully tested hypothesis may take on the status of a(n)
A) experimental result.
B) theory.
C) scientific law.
D) concept.
E) superior hypothesis.
Answer: B
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 3
Chapter 2: Waves and Sound
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
96 Verified Questions
96 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76239
Sample Questions
Q1) Physics deals with force, energy, motion, and ________________.
Answer: matter
Q2) An object moving in a circle with a constant speed has a(n) ______________ directed toward the center of the circle.
Answer: acceleration
Q3) The distance traveled by a dropped object in free fall is directly proportional to A) the time squared.
B) its weight.
C) its mass.
D) none of these.
Answer: A
Q4) A car travels at a constant speed of 100.0 km/h around a circular track with a diameter of 1.00 km. What is the magnitude of the car's centripetal acceleration, and what supplies this?
Answer: 54 m/s<sup>2</sup>, friction
Q5) Physics deals with matter, motion, force, and ________________.
Answer: energy
Q6) A(n) ______________ quantity has both magnitude and direction. Answer: vector
Page 4
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 3: Optics and Wave Effects
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76238
Sample Questions
Q1) A constant net force acting on an object that is free to move will produce a constant A) speed.
B) velocity.
C) displacement.
D) acceleration.
E) distance.
Answer: D
Q2) An object will ______________ in a fluid if its average density is ______________ the density of the fluid.
A) float; greater than B) float; less than C) sink; less than D) sink; equal to Answer: B
Q3) Calculate the force on a string tied to a ceiling with a 9.0-kg mass attached. Answer: 88 N
Q4) A change in motion requires a(n) ____________. Answer: force (unbalanced or net)
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 5
Chapter 4: Electricity and Magnetism
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
106 Verified Questions
106 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76237
Sample Questions
Q1) Work is defined as force times
A) distance.
B) time.
C) parallel distance.
D) perpendicular distance.
Q2) Which of the following sources of energy presents the fewest pollution problems under normal operating conditions?
A) Coal
B) Natural gas
C) Nuclear fission
D) Hydroelectric power
Q3) One watt is equal to one joule per ______________.
A) second
B) newton
C) hour
D) kilogram
Q4) In changing from one form to another, energy is always ______________.
Q5) Kinetic and potential energies are forms of __________ energy.
Q6) A stone is dropped from a bridge 15 m above a river. With what speed does the stone hit the water?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 6
Chapter 5: Atomic Physics
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76236
Sample Questions
Q1) The substance is entirely a gas between points ______________ and ______________.
Q2) On bare feet, a tile floor feels colder than a rug because the tile has a greater ______________.
Q3) A temperature of degrees -95 Celsius is equivalent to _____ Kelvin.
A) -630.4
B) 178.0
C) -70.6
D) -368.0
Q4) When 10 kcal of heat is added to 2.0 kg of a substance, its temperature increases 20 C°. What is the specific heat of the substance?
Q5) A common property used to measure temperature is the ______________ of materials.
Q6) Water has a specific heat value of ______________.
Q7) The energy balance in a thermodynamic process is expressed in the ______________.
Q8) The amount of heat necessary to change a liquid to a solid at constant temperature is the ______________.
Q9) ______________ is the process whereby energetic molecules escape from a liquid.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 8
Chapter 6: Nuclear Physics
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
107 Verified Questions
107 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76235
Sample Questions
Q1) For a wave with a constant speed, the greater the frequency of the wave, the _____________ its wavelength.
Q2) A sound wave in air travels at a speed of 340 m/s. If the wavelength is 0.100 m, in what range of the sound spectrum is the wave?
Q3) The intensity of a 80-dB whistle is doubled. What is the new decibel level?
A) 80 dB
B) 77 dB
C) 83 dB
D) 160 dB
Q4) A Doppler red shift indicates
A) a shift toward higher frequencies.
B) a shift toward longer wavelengths.
C) that a light source is approaching relative to the observer.
D) none of these.
Q5) A sound level of 93 dB is how many times as intense as one of 73 dB?
Q6) A radar pulse returns 3.0 \(\times\) 10<sup>-4 </sup>s after it was sent out and reflected by an object. What is the separation distance of the radar source and the object?
Q7) A sound level of 96 dB is how many times as intense as one of 90 dB?
Page 9
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 7: The Chemical Elements
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
101 Verified Questions
101 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76234
Sample Questions
Q1) The ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in a medium is known as the index of A) reflection. B) refraction.
C) diffraction. D) none of these.
Q2) The law of reflection applies to A) specular reflection. B) diffuse reflection. C) irregular reflection. D) all of these.
Q3) For normal vision, an object can be seen clearly when it is beyond the _____________.
Q4) A change in the direction of a wave because of a change in the velocity of the wave is called ______________.
Q5) Light traveling from a more dense to a less dense medium is refracted ______________ the normal.
Q6) Reflection from smooth surfaces is called ______________ reflection.
Q7) The photoreceptors responsible for color vision are called ______________.
Q8) ______________ waves cannot be polarized.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 10
Chapter 8: Chemical Bonding
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
109 Verified Questions
109 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76233
Sample Questions
Q1) If a negatively charged object is brought near a suspended, negatively charged object, the suspended object will be
A) repelled.
B) charged more.
C) discharged.
D) attracted.
Q2) A circuit breaker is connected in ______________ in a circuit.
Q3) If work is done on an electric charge, a ______________ is present.
A) resistance
B) current
C) voltage
D) transformer
E) bigger charge
Q4) A doorbell has an input voltage of 120 V. A transformer that steps the voltage down to 12 V has 500 turns on its primary. What is the number of turns on the secondary?
Q5) A ferromagnetic material loses this property above the ______________ temperature.
Q6) In a dc motor, the polarity and current are reversed by a(n) __________.
Q7) Another name for electric potential difference is ______________.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 11
Chapter 9: Chemical Reactions
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
170 Verified Questions
170 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76232
Sample Questions
Q1) Atomic physics deals mainly with phenomena involving which particles in atoms?
A) Quarks
B) Protons
C) Electrons
D) Neutrons
Q2) Calculate the energy E<sub>n</sub><sub> </sub>(in eV) of a hydrogen atom's electron with n = 4.
A) -54 eV
B) -3.4 eV
C) -0.85 eV
D) -1.7 eV
Q3) Einstein's special theory of relativity deals with objects that are
A) being hit by X-rays.
B) entering intense gravitational fields.
C) moving close to the speed of light.
D) being hit by energetic photons.
Q4) Dispersing light from a hot, low-pressure gas gives a spectrum of the type known as (two words) ______________ ______________.
Q5) Calculate the radius in nanometers of the orbit of a hydrogen atom's electron with n = 5.
Page 12
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 10: Organic Chemistry
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
169 Verified Questions
169 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76231
Sample Questions
Q1) In nuclear fusion,
A) light nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus.
B) a large nucleus splits into two smaller ones.
C) an initial reaction triggers a chain reaction.
D) protons are converted into neutrons and energy.
Q2) The most important force between a proton and a neutron is the ______________ force.
A) strong nuclear
B) quark
C) electromagnetic
D) gravitational
Q3) The half-life of <sup>20</sup>F is 11 s. What fraction of a sample of <sup>20</sup>F will remain after 99 s have elapsed?
A) 1/10
B) 1/9
C) 1/400
D) 1/512
E) None of these
Q4) The central core of the atom is called the ______________.
Q5) The symbolic notation for an alpha particle is ______________.
Page 13
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 11: Place and Time
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
179 Verified Questions
179 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76230
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following Group 1A elements has the largest atom?
A) Rb
B) Na
C) K
D) Li
Q2) Mouthwash is a good example of
A) a compound.
B) a heterogeneous mixture.
C) a homogeneous mixture.
D) an element.
Q3) Which of the following is a positively charged polyatomic ion?
A) Potassium ion
B) Sulfide ion
C) Ammonium ion
D) Sulfate ion
Q4) The symbol for potassium is
A) Pm.
B) Po.
C) P.
D) K.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 14
Chapter 13: The Solar System
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
143 Verified Questions
143 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76229
Sample Questions
Q1) Which acid is present in vinegar?
A) HCl
B) H<sub>3</sub>PO<sub>4</sub>
C) H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub>
D) HC<sub>2</sub>H<sub>3</sub>O<sub>2</sub>
Q2) When a hydrocarbon or carbon-hydrogen-oxygen compound is burned completely, the products are
A) CO<sub>2</sub> and H<sub>2</sub>O.
B) CH<sub>2</sub> and O<sub>2</sub>.
C) CO and H<sub>2</sub>.
D) C and H<sub>2</sub>.
Q3) A chemical reaction generally has a great effect on an atom's
A) nuclear structure.
B) mass.
C) nuclear binding energy.
D) electron configuration.
Q4) When the forward and reverse reactions are proceeding at the same rate, the reaction is said to have reached ______________.
Q5) Name four factors that influence the rate of chemical reactions.
Q6) One mole of aluminum consists of ______________ aluminum atoms.
Page 15
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 15: Moons and Small Solar System Bodies
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
147 Verified Questions
147 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76228
Sample Questions
Q1) The first mate of a pirate ship shoots the noonday Sun with a sextant and measures the altitude to be 50<sup>o</sup> to the south on December 21. The time on the ship's clock is 4 P.M. (GMT). What are the longitude and latitude of the ship?
Q2) The maximum east or west longitude possible is also called the A) meridian.
B) longitude.
C) International Date Line. D) equator.
Q3) When one travels west while passing over the International Date Line,
A) the date is decreased one day.
B) the time is decreased one hour.
C) the time is advanced one hour.
D) the date is advanced one day.
E) none of these occurs.
Q4) In the United States, the southernmost point of the Sun is known as the ______________.
Q5) Describe whether the Sun rises earlier or later as the days pass during the period from June 15 to July 1 for people in Hawaii (general latitude, 20°N).
Q6) The main purpose of DST is to save _____________.
Page 16
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 16: The Universe
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
104 Verified Questions
104 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76227
Sample Questions
Q1) Gravity acting on ______________ played an important role in the condensation process of forming nebulae.
Q2) According to today's classification system, how many major planets are there in the solar system?
A) 10
B) 9
C) 8
D) 11
Q3) In 1851, Earth's rotation was demonstrated using a(n) ______________.
Q4) Which of the following planets can be in opposition?
A) Mercury
B) Venus
C) Earth
D) Saturn
Q5) The fourth planet from the Sun is ______________.
Q6) The largest volcano in the solar system is on ______________.
Q7) The largest volcano on Earth is in ______________.
Q8) The point of a planet's orbit farthest from the Sun is called the ______________.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 17
Q9) The solar system model of Copernicus is known as the ______________ model.
Chapter 17: The Atmosphere
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
152 Verified Questions
152 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76226
Sample Questions
Q1) Spring tides occur
A) only in March.
B) when Earth, the Moon, and the Sun line up.
C) fewer than 10 times a year.
D) once a month.
Q2) The highest tides are called ______________ tides.
Q3) Probably the best-known comet is ______________ Comet.
A) Sally's
B) Bally's
C) Bailey's
D) Malley's
E) Halley's
Q4) Other than Earth, the only known object in the solar system to have surface water and ice is ______________.
Q5) Which planet has a large moon with retrograde motion?
A) Jupiter
B) Saturn
C) Uranus
D) Neptune
Q6) Halley's Comet returns about every ______________ years.
Page 18
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 19: Atmospheric Effects
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
101 Verified Questions
101 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76225
Sample Questions
Q1) The principal greenhouse gases are ______________ and ______________.
Q2) Wind speed is measured by means of A) a psychrometer.
B) an anemometer.
C) a wind vane.
D) a barometer.
Q3) The rate at which air temperature changes with altitude is called
A) the inversion rate.
B) vertical development.
C) the lapse rate.
D) an isotherm.
Q4) The ozone layer lies in the A) stratosphere.
B) troposphere.
C) mesosphere.
D) thermosphere.
Q5) Doppler radars at airports are capable of detecting dangerous, downward
Q6) Stratocumulus clouds belong to the ______________ cloud family.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 19
Q7) The rate of temperature decrease with altitude is called the ______________.
Chapter 21: Structural Geology and Plate Tectonics
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
161 Verified Questions
161 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76224
Sample Questions
Q1) Remanent magnetism refers to the magnetism of rocks that contain the mineral named ______________.
Q2) The sharply defined boundary that separates the crust from the mantle is called the
Q3) What type of faulting results from stresses parallel to the fault plane?
A) Reverse
B) Normal
C) Abnormal
D) Strike-slip
Q4) What type of faulting results from compressional stresses?
A) Reverse
B) Abnormal
C) Strike-slip
D) Normal
Q5) A description of the severity of the damage caused by an earthquake is given by its ranking on the ______________ scale.
Q6) The three principal types of mountain building are fold, fault-block, and ______________.
Q7) California's Sierra Nevada are examples of ______________ mountains.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 20
Chapter 22: Minerals Rocks and Volcanoes
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
170 Verified Questions
170 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76223
Sample Questions
Q1) Plutons are
A) bodies of intrusive igneous rocks.
B) solids made of tephra.
C) active volcanoes.
D) extinct volcanoes.
Q2) Silicates
A) are minerals.
B) contain silicon and oxygen.
C) consist of tetrahedra.
D) all of the above.
Q3) Silicates are minerals that have the oxygen and silicon ______________ as their basic structure.
Q4) Regional metamorphism causes a parallel arrangement of mineral grains that results in a pronounced layering of the rock. The layering is known as _____________.
Q5) The element that is the second most abundant in Earth's crust is
A) oxygen.
B) iron.
C) nitrogen.
D) silicon.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 21
Chapter 23: Surface Processes
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
121 Verified Questions
121 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76222
Sample Questions
Q1) The continuous circulation of Earth's water is known as the A) hydrologic cycle.
B) aqua cycle.
C) redistribution cycle.
D) hydrogeologic cycle.
Q2) Seamounts with flat tops are known as ______________.
Q3) In latitudes where the subsurface layer of soil always remains frozen, the frozen layer is called
A) an aquifer.
B) the frost table.
C) a glacier.
D) permafrost.
Q4) A material's capacity to transmit fluids is called its A) permeability.
B) solifluction.
C) drift.
D) porosity.
Q5) A stream's load is divided into three components: ______________ load, suspended load, and bed load.
Page 22
Q6) Earth's largest ocean is the ______________ Ocean.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 24: Geologic Time
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
149 Verified Questions
149 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/76221
Sample Questions
Q1) Geology's best tool for establishing absolute geologic time is A) index fossils.
B) radiometric dating.
C) the principle of superposition.
D) the principle of cross-cutting relationships.
Q2) The Paleocene is a(n) A) epoch.
B) era.
C) eon.
D) period.
Q3) The largest units of geologic time are called ______________.
Q4) The Phanerozoic eon and the Paleozoic era began about ______________ million years ago.
Q5) Lead that comes from radioactive decay is called ______________ lead.
Q6) The earliest evidence of ancient life, blue-green algae, are A) cyanobacteria.
B) amber.
C) foraminifera.
D) coal.
Q7) The Pleistocene epoch is also referred to as the ______________.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 23