1. Which method of energy transfer is primarily
responsible for energy being lost from Earth into
space?
A) conduction
B) convection
C) solidification
D) radiation
2. The map below shows four locations in a temperature
field. The temperature of each location is given in
degrees Celsius.
7. Which statement best describes the pattern of energy
flow in a closed system?
A) Energy flows out of the system.
B) Energy flow is cyclical, so that equilibrium is
never reached.
C) Energy flows from energy sinks to energy
sources.
D) Energy flows from energy sources to energy
sinks.
8. By which process does starlight travel through space?
A) absorption
B) conduction
C) convection
D) radiation
9. The diagram below shows temperature values at
various points in a solid piece of aluminum. Toward
which point will heat flow from point P?
Heat energy will normally flow from
A) A to B
B) A to C
C) B to D
D) D to C
3. By which process do light rays pass through window
glass?
A) conduction
B) convection
C) radiation
D) compression
4. Which group of substances is arranged in order of
decreasing specific heat values?
A) iron, granite, basalt
B) copper, lead, iron
C) dry air, water vapor, ice
D) liquid water, ice, water vapor
5. How many Joules of heat energy would be required to
melt a 5-gram piece of ice at 0ºC?
A) 10.5 J
B) 334 J
C) 1670 J
D) 11500 J
6. An ice cube is placed in a glass of water at room
temperature. Which heat exchange occurs between
the ice and the water within the first minute?
A)
B)
C)
D)
The ice cube gains heat and the water loses heat.
The ice cube loses heat and the water gains heat.
Both the ice cube and the water gain heat.
Both the ice cube and the water lose heat.
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
10. What is the heat energy required to change 2 grams
of liquid water at 100ºC to water vapor at 100ºC?
A) 334 J
C) 2260 J
B) 668 J
D) 4520 J
11. The cross section below shows two compartments of
water of equal volume insulated by Styrofoam and
separated by a metal dividing wall, forming a closed
energy system.
Base your answers to questions 16 through 18 on the
diagram below. The diagram shows the pattern of air
movement within a closed room.
16. Which type of energy transfer is indicated by the
arrows in the diagram?
When the temperature of the water in compartment
A decreases by 10°C, the temperature of the water in
compartment B will
A) remain unchanged
B) decrease by only 5°C
C) decrease by approximately 10°C
D) increase by approximately 10°C
12. During nighttime cooling, most of the energy
radiated by Earth’s oceans into space is
A) ultraviolet rays
B) gamma rays
C) visible light rays D) infrared rays
13. How many joules are required to evaporate 1 gram
of boiling water?
A) 4
B) 335 C) 2260 D) 2594
14. The same amount of heat energy is added to equal
masses of lead, iron, basalt, and water at room
temperature. Assuming no phase change takes place,
which substance will have the smallest change in
temperature?
A) lead
B) iron
C) basalt
D) water
15. How much energy is required to raise the
temperature of 5 grams of iron from -10ºC to
+30ºC?
A) 9 J
B) 18 J
C) 90 J
D) 167 J
A) insolation
B) conduction
C) convection
D) radiation
17. At which location in the room will the density of the
air be greatest?
A) F
B) B
C) C
D) E
18. What color should the heat source in the room be
painted in order to radiate the most heat?
A) red
B) black C) green D) silver
19. The diagram below shows a laboratory box used to
demonstrate the process of convection in the
atmosphere.
21. Liquid water can store more heat energy than an
equal amount of any other naturally occurring
substance because liquid water
A) covers 71% of Earth’s surface
B) has its greatest density at 4°C
C) has the higher specific heat
D) can be changed into a solid or a gas
22. The diagram below shows a sealed container holding
250 milliliters of water at 80°C. The air above the
water had an original temperature of 18°C.
Which diagram has arrows that show the direction of
airflow that occurs when the candle is burning?
A)
Assuming that the container does not transfer heat,
which statement most accurately describes the
energy exchanges inside the container?
A) The air gains more heat energy than the water
loses.
B) The air gains less heat energy than the water
loses.
C) The air gains the same amount of heat energy
that the water loses.
D) No energy is exchanged between the water and
the air.
B)
C)
D)
20. By which process is heat energy transferred when
molecules within a substance collide?
A) conduction
C) radiation
B) convection
D) sublimation
23. The diagram below represents the circulation of air above Earth's surface at a coastal location during
the day and at night.
This local air movement is best described as an example of
A) conduction between Earth's surface and the atmosphere above it
B) condensation of water vapor during the day, and evaporation of water during the night
C) convection resulting from temperature and pressure differences above land and water
D) greater radiation from the warmer ocean during the day and from the warmer land at night
24. Which process transfers energy primarily by
27. Heat energy transfer will normally occur between
electromagnetic waves?
two objects that are close to each other if the objects
have different
A) radiation
B) evaporation
A) specific heats
B) temperatures
C) conduction
D) convection
25. Which statement best describes the major heat flow
C) masses
D) densities
associated with an iceberg as it drifts south from the 28. When 1 gram of liquid water at 0° Celsius freezes to
Arctic Ocean into warmer water?
form ice, how many total Joules of heat are lost by
the water?
A) Heat flows from the water into the ice.
A) 4.18 B) 2.11 C) 334 D) 2260
B) Heat flows from the ice into the water.
C) A state of equilibrium exists, with neither ice
nor water gaining or losing energy.
D) Heat flows equally from the ice and the water
into the surrounding air.
26. The greatest amount of energy would be gained by
1,000 grams of water when it changes from
A)
B)
C)
D)
water vapor to liquid water
liquid water to water vapor
liquid water to ice
ice to liquid water
Base your answers to questions 29 through 31 on the diagrams below which show the steps used to
determine the amount of heat held by equal masses of iron, copper, lead, and granite.
29. This method of determining the amount of heat absorbed by substances assumes that the energy lost
by a heat source is
A) refracted by a heat sink
B) reflected by a heat sink
C) absorbed by a heat sink
D) scattered by a heat sink
30. The granite sample is transferred from the boiling water to the room-temperature water. Why is the
total heat lost by the granite greater than the total heat gained by the room-temperature water?
A) The granite sample had less volume than the other samples.
B) The granite sample lost some heat to the air as it was being transferred.
C) Water gained heat from the insulated container.
D) Water has a lower specific heat than the granite sample.
31. The movements of water molecules that transfer heat from one place to another within the water are
called
A) radiation waves
C) conduction collisions
B) transverse waves
D) convection currents
32. On a day with no wind, the air temperature outside a
house is 10ºC. The air temperature inside the house
in 18ºC. Which diagram best represents the air
circulation pattern that is most likely to occur when
a window of the house is first opened?
A)
B)
C)
D)
33. During which phase change will the greatest amount
of energy be absorbed by 1 gram of water?
A) melting
B) freezing
C) evaporation
D) condensation
34. Water is being heated in a beaker as shown below.
Which drawing shows the most probable movement
of water in the beaker due to the heating?
A)
B)
C)
D)
35. During which process does heat transfer occur
because of density differences?
A) conduction
B) convection
C) radiation
D) reflection
36. Heat energy from the lower latitudes is transferred to
colder Earth regions by planetary wind circulation
mainly through the process of
A) conduction
C) convection
B) radiation
D) reflection
37. Base your answer to the following question on the cross section below and on your knowledge of
Earth science. The cross section shows the general movement of air within a portion of Earth’s
atmosphere located between 30° N and 30° S latitude. Numbers 1 and 2 represent different locations
in the atmosphere.
The air movement shown in the cross section is due to the process of
A) condensation B) conduction
C) evaporation
38. Which phase change requires water to gain 2260
Joules per gram?
A) solid ice melting
B) liquid water freezing
C) liquid water vaporizing
D) water vapor condensing
39. As a lake's water temperature decreases on a cloudy
night, what occurs at the interface between the lake's
surface and the air above the lake?
A) Energy given up by the lake is lost directly to
outer space.
B) More energy is gained by the lake than is
gained by the air.
C) The temperature of the air remains constant.
D) Energy is gained by the air from the lake.
D) convection
40. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram and table below. The diagram shows a
cross section of a solar-energy collecting system constructed as a portion of a wall of a house. It
consists of an energy-absorbing surface, a clear glass covering, and air ducts through the wall into the
house. The table gives the house temperatures during a spring day. No other heat source is available
for the house.
Which diagram best represents the direction of air flow through the system under normal solar
heating conditions?
A)
B)
C)
41. Equal volumes of the four samples shown below
were placed outside and heated by energy from the
Suns rays for 30 minutes.
D)
42. The diagram below represents a large beaker of
water being heated to demonstrate convection.
The surface temperature of which sample increased
at the slowest rate?
A) water
C) basaltic sand
B) copper pennies
D) iron fragments
The movement of water upward from A toward B
results primarily from
A)
B)
C)
D)
differences in density in the water
air movement across the surface of the water
capillary action within the water
the shape of the beaker
43. Which diagram best represents heat transfer mainly by the process of conduction?
A)
B)
C)
D)
44. When water vapor condenses, how much heat
energy will be released into the atmosphere?
47. Which process requires water to gain 2260 Joules of
energy per gram?
A) 2260 joules/gram B) 334 joules/gram
C) 4.18 joules/gram D) 2.11 joules/gram
45. Which diagram correctly indicates why convection
currents form in water when water is heated?
A) vaporization
B) condensation
C) melting
D) freezing
48. What is the total number of Joules of heat energy
gained by 3 grams of water when it is heated from
40ºC to 60ºC?
A)
B)
A) 12.5 B) 125 C) 251 D) 1000
49. The upward movement of air in the atmosphere
generally causes the temperature of that air to
C)
D)
A) decrease and become closer to the dewpoint
B) decrease and become farther from the dewpoint
C) increase and become closer to the dewpoint
D) increase and become farther from the dewpoint
50. What is the total number of energy required to melt
1 gram of ice at 0°C to liquid water at 0°C?
A) 1 J
B) 334 J
C) 3340 J
D) 2260 J
51. When a heat source loses energy, that energy is
46. Which statement is the best example of heat energy
transfer by conduction?
A) Heat energy is transferred from the bottom to
the top of a lake.
B) Heat energy is transferred from the surface soil
to the rocks below.
C) Heat energy is transferred from the Earth's
surface to the upper atmosphere.
D) Heat energy is transferred from the Sun to the
Earth.
A)
B)
C)
D)
reflected by a heat sink
refracted by a heat sink
scattered by a heat sink
absorbed by a heat sink
52. Base your answer to the following question on the
55. Base your answer to the following question on the
graph below which shows the temperatures recorded
diagrams below. Diagram I shows a house located in
when a sample of water was heated at a constant rate
Michigan. Diagram II shows a solar collector that the
from –50°C to 100°C during a 20-minute period.
homeowner is using to help heat the house.
Air leaves the outlet of the solar collector because
the air within the solar collector becomes
How many calories of heat would be used to change
the temperature of 20 grams of the water from the
temperature at point C to the temperature at point D?
A) 200 calories
B) 540 calories
C) 800 calories
D) 2,000 calories
53. Which diagram shows the normal pattern of water
movement that occurs when density differences
transfer energy within the beakers?
A)
C)
B)
D)
54. What best explains why, in early spring, ice remains
longer on Lake Erie than on the surrounding land
areas when the air temperature is above freezing?
A) Water has a higher specific heat than land.
B) Energy is needed for water to evaporate.
C) Cool winds from the surrounding land cool the
ice on the lake.
D) Air temperature does not affect water
temperature.
A) cooler and less dense
B) cooler and more dense
C) warmer and less dense
D) warmer and more dense
56. An insulated cup contains 200 milliliters of water at
20ºC. When 100 grams of ice is added to the water,
heat energy will most likely flow from the
A) water to the ice, and the temperature of the
mixture will drop below 20ºC
B) water to the ice, and the temperature of the
mixture will rise above 20ºC
C) ice to the water, and the temperature of the
mixture will drop below 20ºC
D) ice to the water, and the temperature of the
mixture will rise above 20ºC
57. Which type of surface absorbs the greatest amount
of electromagnetic energy from the Sun?
A) smooth, shiny, and light colored
B) smooth, shiny, and dark colored
C) rough, dull, and light colored
D) rough, dull, and dark colored
58. Which action would help an air-conditioner use less
energy on a hot, sunny summer day?
A)
B)
C)
D)
opening draperies and blinds
adding insulation in the walls and ceiling
turning on lights and heat-producing appliances
replacing light-colored roofing materials with
dark-colored ones
59. Which diagram best represents the direction of
convection currents around the burning wood of a
campfire?
A)
C)
B)
D)
60. The diagram below shows a melting ice cube.
63. On a clear summer day, the surface of land is usually
warmer than the surface of a nearby body of water
because the water
A) receives less insolation
B) reflects less insolation
C) has a higher density
D) has a higher specific heat
64. During which process does water gain the most heat
energy?
A) condensation
B) freezing
C) evaporation
D) melting
65. How much heat energy will be lost by a 2.0-gram
mass of water as it cools from 40ºC to 35ºC?
A) 10 J
B) 8.36 J
C) 41.2 J
D) 80 J
66. Which process produces the energy that allows the
stars of the universe to radiate visible light?
Which statement best describes the energy transfer?
A) The meltwater is a heat source and the
surrounding air is a heat sink.
B) The meltwater and ice cube are both heat
sources
C) The ice cube and surrounding air are both heat
sources.
D) The ice cube is a heat sink and the surrounding
air is a heat source.
61. How much heat energy is required to raise the
temperature of 10. grams of granite from 20.ºC to
30.ºC?
A) 7.9 J B) 10 J C) 79 J D) 100 J
62. Land surfaces of Earth heat more rapidly than water
surfaces because
A) more energy from the Sun falls on land than on
water
B) land has a lower specific heat than water
C) sunlight penetrates to greater depths in land
than in water
D) less of Earth’s surface is covered by land than
by water
A) convection
B) nuclear fusion
C) insolation
D) radioactive decay
67. A piece of a plant in a classroom fishtank moved
upward and across the tank, away from the water
heater. When the plant reached the other side of the
tank, it sank before moving back toward the heater.
What type of energy transfer does this movement
represent?
A) convection
B) conduction
C) refraction
D) radiation
68. Pieces of lead, copper, iron, and granite, each having
a mass of 1 kilogram and a temperature of 100ºC,
were removed from a container of boiling water and
allowed to cool under identical conditions. Which
piece most likely cooled to room temperature first?
A) copper
C) iron
B) lead
D) granite
69. The air above a burning candle is heated and rises. Which table correctly identifies the type of heat
transfer within the rising air and the change in air density above the burning candle?
A)
B)
C)
D)
70. What is the primary method of heat transfer through
solid rock during contact metamorphism?
A) advection
B) convection
C) absorption
D) conduction
71. During which phase change does water release the
most heat energy?
A) freezing
B) melting
C) condensation
D) vaporization
72. Base your answer to the following question on the
graph below which shows the results of a laboratory
activity in which a sample of ice at –50°C was
heated at a uniform rate for 80 minutes. The ice has a
mass of 200 grams.
What was the total amount of energy absorbed by the
sample during the time between points B and C on
the graph?
A) 334 joules
C) 26,720 joules
B) 9,124 joules
D) 66,800 joules
73. The diagram below shows a student heating a pot of water over a fire. The arrows represent the
transfer of heat. Letter A represents heat transfer through the metal pot, B represents heat transfer by
currents in the water, and C represents heat that is felt in the air surrounding the pot.
Which table correctly identifies the types of heat transfer at A, B, and C?
A)
B)
C)
D)
74. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below, which represents four stations, A,
B, C, and D, in a laboratory investigation in which equal volumes of sand at the same starting
temperature were heated by identical light sources. The light sources were the same distance from
each station, but at different angles to the surfaces. Two thermometers were used at each station, one
just above the surface and the other just below the surface. The lights were turned on for 30 minutes
and then removed for the next 30 minutes. Temperatures were recorded each minute for the 60
minutes.
Most of the energy from the light sources was transferred to the sand by the process of
A) conduction
B) convection
C) radiation
75. The data table below shows the temperatures of two
similar objects for 10 minutes after the objects were
placed near each other.
Which statement is best supported by the data?
A) Some of the heat energy lost by object B was
gained by object A.
B) Most of the heat energy lost by object A was
gained by the environment.
C) Both objects lost heat energy.
D) Both objects gained heat energy.
D) transpiration
76. The cross section of a house is shown below. Open stairways allow air to move from one floor to
another. The ridge vent is an opening in the roof that allows air to move in or out of the attic.
During a windless summer day, the air inside this house is warmed by the Sun. In which cross section
do the arrows show the most likely air movement when the windows are opened?
A)
B)
C)
D)
77. Base your answer to the following question on the
graph below, which shows the temperature increase
of samples of water, granite, iron, and lead. Each
sample has a mass of 100 grams. Each sample was
placed an equal distance from a light bulb and heated
for a 10-minute period. This investigation was
performed at room temperature under ordinary
classroom conditions.
80. Most of the electromagnetic energy radiated from
Earth’s surface is in the form of
A) ultraviolet rays
B) infrared rays
C) gamma rays
D) x rays
81. During which phase change of water is the most
energy released into the environment?
A) water freezing
B) ice melting
C) water evaporating
D) water vapor condensing
82. The diagram below shows a solid iron bar that is
being heated in a flame.
The primary method of heat transfer in the solid iron
bar is
Which statement best describes the amount of energy
received by the samples?
A)
B)
C)
D)
The water received the most energy.
The lead received the most energy.
The granite received the most energy.
All samples received the same amount of
energy.
78. Conduction is the transfer of heat energy by
A) density differences
B) molecular contact
C) electromagnetic waves
D) movement through a vacuum
79. How many Joules of heat energy are required to
raise the temperature of 6 grams of copper from
100C to 150C?
A) 114
B) 228
C) 342
D) 570
A) convection
B) conduction
C) absorption
D) advection
83. Which atmospheric conditions would cause smoke
from a campfire on a beach to blow toward the
ocean?
A) warm air over the land and cool air over the
ocean
B) humid air over the land and dry air over the
ocean
C) low-density air over the land and high-density
air over the ocean
D) high air pressure over the land and low air
pressure over the ocean
84. The diagrams below represent a laboratory model
used to demonstrate convection currents. Each
model shows a burning candle in a closed box with
two open tubes at the top of the box. Which diagram
correctly shows the air flow caused by the burning
candle?
A)
B)
C)
D)
85. Water vapor crystallizes in the atmosphere to form
snowflakes. Which statement best describes the
exchange of heat energy during this process?
A) Heat energy is transferred from the atmosphere
to the water vapor.
B) Heat energy is released from the water vapor
into the atmosphere.
C) Heat energy is transferred equally to and from
the water vapor.
D) No heat energy is exchanged between the
atmosphere and the water vapor.
86. Which process is primarily responsible for the
transfer of energy by air currents within the Earth's
atmosphere?
A) convection
B) radiation
C) absorption
D) conduction
87. The cross sections below show different patterns of
air movement in Earth's atmosphere. Air
temperatures at Earth's surface are indicated in each
cross section. Which cross section shows the most
likely pattern of air movement in Earth's atmosphere
that would result from the surface air temperatures
shown?
A)
B)
C)
D)
88. How many Joules of energy does 1.0 gram of water
lose when it freezes?
A) 4.18 J
C) 334 J
B) 2.11 J
D) 2260 J
89. Base your answer to the following question on
the map and cross section below. The map shows the shapes and locations of New York State's 11
Finger Lakes and the locations of some major glacial deposits (moraines) left behind by the last ice
age. The cross section shows surface elevations, valley depths, and water depths of the Finger Lakes.
Which statement explains why the deep water of the Finger Lakes moderates the temperature of the
surrounding areas?
A) Due to water’s low specific heat, water temperature changes rapidly.
B) Due to water’s low specific heat, water temperature changes slowly.
C) Due to water’s high specific heat, water temperature changes rapidly.
D) Due to water’s high specific heat, water temperature changes slowly.
90. Friction occurring at an interface always produces a
A)
B)
C)
D)
transformation of energy
form of pollution
chemical change
phase change