Semester 1 – Physical Science – Final Exam
Write page numbers next to each question and brief answer.
Page number: ________ 1. How is a solute different from a solvent in a solution?
The solute is present in a smaller amount.
Page number: ________ 2. How can a scientist safely tell whether an unknown solution is salt in the
water or sugar in the water?
By testing the electrical conductivity of the soultion
Page number: ________ 3. Would weak tea be an example of a dilute solution, concentrated solution,
suspension, solvent, or colloid?
Dilute solution
Page number: ________ 4. What is the difference between chemical and mechanical digestion?
Chemical digestion requires enzymes.
Page number: ________ 5. Why is the amount of pH in our intestines important?
Different enzymes work best at different pH values.
Page number: ________ 6. How does the pH levels of our saliva compare to the pH levels in our
stomach juices?
Stomach juices are lower.
Page number: ________ 7. What is the difference between a solution and a colloid?
A colloid is a mixture that contains particles that are too small to be seen easily but are large enough to
scatter a light beam.
Page number: ________ 8. If a substance cannot be broken down into other substances, then it would
be considered to be a mixture, solution, element, or compound?
element
Page number: ________ 9. What is mass?
How much matter an object contains
Page number: ________ 10. What is density?
The measurement of how much mass is contained in a given volume
Page number: ________ 11. How can you measure the volume of an irregular object?
Which would be the best method: calculating volume by length x width x height; or divide the object’s
density by its mass; or submerge the object in water located in a graduated cylinder; or by placing the
object on the triple-beam balance.
Page number: ________ 12. What is the best way to measure the volume of a liquid in a lab setting?
Use a graduated cylinder
Page number: ________ 13. What is matter?
Anything that has mass and takes up space
Page number: ________ 14. What is the SI unit for mass?
kilograms
Page number: ________ 15. Would you classify lemonade as an element; compound; pure substance;
or mixture?
Page number: ________ 16. What would you classify soil, a salad, and sugar water as being examples
of?
mixtures
Page number: ________ 17. If atoms of a halogen nonmetal (Group 17) gain one electron, then the
atoms would have which of the following: no valence electrons; 8 valence electrons; 7 valence electrons;
or 17 valence electrons?
Page number: ________ 18. What is each of the following: metallic bonds and ionic bonds
Metallic bonds are the attraction between a positive metal ion and the electrons surrounding it.
Page number: ________ 19. When is a chemical equation balanced?
When the equation shows the same number of each kind of atom on both sides of the equation.
Page number: ________ 20. How do you balance a chemical equation?
Make sure that there are the same number of each atom on each side of the equation.
Page number: ________ 21. Where would you find subscripts in a chemical formula?
Placed below an element’s symbol in a chemical formula
Page number: ________ 22. How was Mendeleev’s 1st periodic table of elements arranged?
By increasing atomic mass.
Page number: ________ 23. How did chemists change Mendeleev’s periodic table in the early 1900’s?
They used atomic number instead of atomic mass to organize the elements.
Page number: ________ 24. Who was the scientists that inferred that an atom’s positive charge must
be clustered in the nucleus?
Ernest Rutherford
Page number: ________ 25. Out of the following, metalloids, nonmetals, metals, and transition
elements, which group would contain the most elements?
metals
Page number: ________ 26. What happens when 2 forces act in the same direction?
They add together
Page number: ________ 27. What is meant by free fall?
The only force acting on a falling object that is gravity
Page number: ________ 28. How do you calculate momentum?
The product of an object’s mass and velocity.
Page number: ________ 29. What is required for a rocket to lift off into space?
Thrust that is greater than Earth’s gravity
Page number: ________ 30. What happens when a hammer strikes a nail?
It exerts an equal force back on the hammer
Page number: ________ 31. What substance can easily change shape?
A solid, powder, metal, or fluid?
Page number: ________ 32. What is acceleration?
The rate at which velocity changes.
Page number: ________ 33. What is deceleration and examples of deceleration?
When a car slows down. A car approaching a red light.
Page number: ________ 34. Is it normal for motion to stay the same for a long period of time?
It is rare.
Page number: ________ 35. What is an example of the type of acceleration called”changing
direction”?
A runner rounding a curve on a track at a constant speed.
Page number: ________ 36. If you were cooking on a stove and began to see water droplets form on
the wall behind the stove, what can you infer about the sequence of events? Think of the processes that
are taking place and in what order.
Vaporization, then condensation
Page number: ________ 37. How do you calculate work and what is the final unit of measurement for
work?
The amount of force x the distance.
Page number: ________ 38. What parts of your body can act as fulcrums?
joints
Page number: ________ 39. What are the various types of simple machines and purpose for each? This
should be in your notes on a chart. Make sure you know examples for each.
Study chart from notes
Page number: ________ 40. What are the units for POWER?
watts