HiSET Practice Exam 1 Science

Why did it take many years for the cell theory to be developed?

Advancements in microscopy took place slowly.
Cells were difficult to isolate for experimental analysis.
Researchers believed a cell formed from preexisting cells.
Scientists already proved that cells were essential for life.

Which statement is most strongly supported by the cell theory?

Plant cells have similar cell parts to animal cells.
Cells house their genetic information in the nucleus.
Blood cells arise from stem cells in the bone marrow.
Nonliving things lack a cell and associated organelles.

Which of the following cell components is characterized as a jelly-like substance?

Nucleus
Vacuole
Cytoplasm
Cell membrane

If a biochemist isolates a large amount of pyruvate, which of the following parts of the cell is he working with?

Chloroplasts
Cytoplasm
Mitochondria
Nucleus

Which of the following characteristics is unique to all prokaryotes?

Creates gametes
Requires meiosis
Uses photosynthesis
Reproduces asexually

Mitosis is different from meiosis because mitosis does which of the following?

is a form of asexual reproduction.
leads to the production of gametes.
includes two rounds of cell division.
results in increased genetic diversity.

Which of the following steps of the scientific method relies on logic reasoning to be formulated?

Asking a question
Writing a conclusion
Researching information
Developing a hypothesis

When a researcher determines the cause-and-effect relationship between two variables, which of the following parts of the scientific method is the researcher performing?

Analysis
Conclusion
Experiment
Hypothesis

What is the purpose of a placebo?

Determine how people respond to treatment
Represent the independent variable in a study
Account for a psychological factor during treatment
Provide an additional way to collect data for analysis

Human cells have _____ sets of different chromosomes.

12
23
46
50

In DNA replication, a DNA strand is separated, which of the following also occurs?

complementary strand attaches.
complementary strand is assembled.
complementary strand replicates itself.
complementary strand forms a double helix.

An offspring receives which of the following number of allele(s) for a particular trait from each parent.

1
2
3
4

Which of the following sequences describes the hierarchy level of biological organization?

Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species
Genus, class, kingdom, species, order, phylum, and family
Family, species, genus, order, kingdom, class, and phylum
Species, kingdom, genus, class, family, phylum, and order

Which class of biomolecules help transmit genetic information?

Lipids
Proteins
Nucleic acids
Carbohydrates

When using the scientific method, which of the following does a researcher do immediately after proposing a scientific question?

Perform background research on the topic
Analyze data to observe trends or patterns
Collect information or data during an experiment
Communicate results in an article or presentation

Which of the following is a characteristic of citrus substances?

Taste sour
Have a pH of 7
Turn litmus blue
Slippery to touch

Water can act as an acid or a base. Because of this behavior, which of the following describes what it is known to be?

amphoteric.
aqueous.
ionic.
pure.

Which of the following is classified as a type of acid-base reaction that produces a salt?

Combination
Decomposition
Hydrolysis
Neutralization

Which of the following atoms is an anion?

12 protons, 12 neutrons, 10 electrons
16 protons, 16 neutrons, 18 electrons
19 protons, 20 neutrons, 19 electrons
26 protons, 30 neutrons, 24 electrons

A neutral atom has two electrons in its first energy shell, eight electrons in its second energy shell, and three electrons in its third energy shell.

Which electrons will be lost when the atom reacts to become stable?

Electrons in the first shell
Electrons in the second shell
Electrons in the third shell
Electrons in the second or third shell

How many potassium and nitrogen ions are needed to form an ionic compound?

One potassium ion and one nitrogen ion
Three potassium ions and one nitrogen ion
One potassium ion and three nitrogen ions
Three potassium ions and three nitrogen ions

Which of the following is an example of a homogeneous mixture?

A bowl of cereal with milk
A glass of lemonade with ice
A mixture of silver and gold coins
A pitcher of cherry-flavored beverage

The graph below shows the energy of the species involved in a chemical reaction as the reaction proceeds. How much energy is released in this reaction?

10 kJ
20 kJ
30 kJ
40 kJ

Which of the following equations shows a single-replacement reaction?

3H₂ + N₂ → 2NH₃
Zn + 2HCl → H₂ + ZnCl₂
C₂H₄ + 3O₂ → 2CO₂ + 2H₂O
2AgNO₃ + CuCl₂ → 2AgCl + Cu(NO₃)₂

Which of the following is an example of a physical property?

Amount
Corrosion
Reactivity
Rusting

The amount of matter that an object contains is _____.

deposition
mass
polarity
sublimation

Which of the following explains why oxygen diffuses out of lungs into the bloodstream?

The oxygen is repulsed by the blood.
The oxygen is being pulled into the blood.
The oxygen is polar, and the blood has the opposite charge.
The oxygen is going from a higher area of concentration to a lower one.

Which of the following parts of an atom has no charge?

Electron
Neutron
Nucleus
Proton

Which of the following isotopes of boron should be the most abundant, and why?

Boron-10, because its mass is closer to the average atomic mass in the periodic table.
Boron-11, because its mass is closer to the average atomic mass in the periodic table.
Boron-10, because its mass is farther from the average atomic mass in the periodic table.
D Boron-11, because its mass is farther from the average atomic mass in the periodic table.

Which of the following atoms will have an overall negative charge?

9 protons, 10 neutrons, 9 electrons
12 protons, 13 neutrons, 10 electrons
14 protons, 14 neutrons, 10 electrons
15 protons, 16 neutrons, 18 electrons

Which of the following phase changes will a substance have less energy at the end than it did at the beginning?

Deposition
Melting
Sublimation
Vaporization

During which of the following phase changes will the cohesion between the particles in a substance decrease?

Condensation
Deposition
Freezing
Vaporization

Which of the following happens to the shape and volume of a sample of helium gas when it is transferred from a tank to a balloon?

Both the shape and volume change.
Neither the shape nor the volume changes.
The shape changes, but the volume remains the same.
The volume changes, but the shape remains the same.

How many cups are in 22 pints?

11
20
24
44

Which of the following is part of the metric system?

Celsius
Feet
Ounces
Pound

A scientist wants to measure how far a person can run in 30 minutes. Which of the following units should she use to record this measurement as a small number?

Gigameters
Kilometers
Megameters
Terameters

Which of the following is an example of electromagnetic induction?

A wire loop spinning in a magnetic field
A proton exerting a force on an electron
A battery delivering electric current to a resistor
An accelerating charge creating electromagnetic waves

Region X and region Y are approximately the same size, but the magnetic flux through region X is much higher. Which statement about these regions is correct?

The magnetic force in region X is less than in region Y.
The magnetic force in region X is greater than in region Y.
The magnetic force in region X and in region Y is about zero.
The magnetic force in region X is about the same as in region Y.

A scientist wants to determine how much current a particular instrument is drawing. If she knows how much voltage the instrument employs and how much resistance it presents, which principle must she use?

Ohm’s law
Electric flux
Coulomb’s law
Electromagnetic induction

Children on a turning bus feel a centrifugal force to the west. What is the direction of the centripetal force?

East
North
South
West

Which of the following can be a result of friction on a moving object?

Centripetal acceleration
An increase in the object’s speed
Movement of a fluid surrounding the object
A net force in the direction of the object’s velocity

A softball player throws a ball at a moderately upward angle to the ground. Which term best describes the motion of the ball?

Linear
Nonlinear
Stationary
Rotational

How is an airbag useful in car accidents?

The airbag increases the force exerted by the driver.
The airbag decreases the force exerted by the driver.
The airbag increases the velocity exerted by the driver.
The airbag decreases the velocity exerted by the driver.

A stationary object can possess which of the following?

Impulse
Momentum
Kinetic energy
Potential energy

Which parameter is always a vector?

Acceleration
Mass
Speed
Velocity

A man applies a force to a wall by pushing on it. What does the wall do in response?

The wall applies a greater force in the same direction.
The wall applies a smaller force in the opposite direction.
The wall applies a force of equal magnitude in the same direction.
The wall applies a force of equal magnitude in the opposite direction.

Which statement best describes the motion of smooth ball thrown into the air on a calm day?

The ball follows a line.
The ball follows a circular path.
The ball follows an erratic path.
The ball follows a parabolic path.

Which of the following creates electromagnetic waves?

An electron that is stationary
An electron that is approaching a proton
An electron that is moving at a constant velocity
An electron that is moving at a decreasing velocity

An observer reports seeing a large, far-off explosion before feeling rumbles in the ground. Which explanation best accounts for this difference?

The electromagnetic waves have a greater frequency than the mechanical waves.
The electromagnetic waves have a greater amplitude than the mechanical waves.
The electromagnetic waves have a greater wavelength than the mechanical waves.
The electromagnetic waves have a greater wave speed than the mechanical waves.

One isotope of a particular element is neutral, and a different isotope of that element is an ion. Which conclusion is correct?

One isotope has more protons than the other.
One isotope has more electrons than the other.
Both isotopes have the same number of neutrons.
Both isotopes have the same number of nucleons.

What is used to measure the volume of a liquid?

Barometer
Thermometer
Electric balance
Graduated cylinder

Which situation best illustrates Newton’s first law of motion?

A ball that is on a flat surface accelerates as a piston pushes it.
A ball that is rolling on a flat surface maintains the same velocity.
A ball that is on a sloped surface rolls down the slope because of gravity.
A ball that is stationary on a flat surface does not fall despite the downward force of gravity.

What is the mass of a student who jumps off the 3.0 m high bleachers after the school team wins the state championship if that student’s potential energy was 1900 J?

32 kg
65 kg
78 kg
97 kg

Which explanation best describes why individuals restrained on a spinning theme-park ride feel like they are being forced outward from the center of rotation?

They are undergoing linear motion.
They are experiencing no acceleration.
They are feeling the restraints pull them inward.
They are accelerating outward from the center of rotation.

The electric field at a certain location is 100 newtons per coulomb. What would be the electric force exerted on an electrically neutral object placed at that location?

0 newtons
50 newtons
100 newtons
200 newtons

A patient has a fever of 105°C. Which of the following is this value in Fahrenheit?

137
157
189
221

Given the cooling curve below, what is the melting point of titanium?

500°C
1500°C
1700°C
3300°C

Which of the following numbers has the smallest magnitude?

5.14 x 10⁻²⁷
4.65 x 10⁻¹⁹
2.87 x 10⁻¹⁶
5.29 x 10⁻⁷

Which of the following is a characteristic of a basic solution?

Tastes sour
Accepts OH⁻ ions
Turns litmus blue
Contains a lot of H₃O⁺ ions

If the vertical distance between the crest and trough of a wave is 10.0 meters, what is the wave’s amplitude?

2.50 meters
5.00 meters
10.0 meters
20.0 meters

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