8TH GRADE PHYSICAL SCIENCE CEOCE STUDY GUIDE
NATURE OF SCIENCE
CHAPTERS: NOS chapter, lessons 1-3
KEY TERMS: models, repetition, replication, hypothesis, conclusion, test (independent) variable,
outcome (dependent) variable, controlled variables
STUDENT QUESTIONS:
1. Compare/contrast the following models: physical, conceptual, mathematical,
computer simulations.
2. Why are multiple trials important when carrying out an experiment?
3. Why is it important for car designers to keep accurate records of their experimental
procedures?
4. The following hypothesis was made for an experiment: “I hypothesize that if more light
bulbs are added to a series circuit, then with each addition, all of the light bulbs will
become dimmer.” Identify the test (independent) and outcome (dependent) variables
5. Identify the test (independent) variable, the outcome (dependent) variable, at least 3
controlled variables, and the error Joe made in the following experiment:
Joe Student rolled a toy car down a ramp and measured how far it traveled along the floor.
He recorded the distance along with the original mass of the toy car. Then, he taped a
penny to the roof of the same toy car, measured its new mass, and rolled it down the same
ramp from the same starting position. Again, he measured the distance the toy car traveled
and recorded the data. He taped a 2nd penny to the toy car’s roof, measured its new mass,
and rolled it down the same ramp from the same starting position. And again, he measured
the distance the toy car traveled and recorded the data. Based on this data, he concluded
that the greater mass caused the car to roll a greater distance.
PROPERTIES OF MATTER
CHAPTERS: 7 (lesson 1), 8, 9, 12
KEY TERMS: mass, volume, solid, liquid, gas, pure substance, compound, mixture, solution,
pH scale, atom, proton, neutron, electron
STUDENT QUESTIONS:
1. What is the difference between acids, bases, and neutral substances on the pH
scale?
2. Identify the following substances as pure substances, elements, compounds, mixtures,
or solutions (answers may include more than one classification): mud, copper, salt
water, carbon monoxide
3. How many protons, electrons, and neutrons are found in an atom of calcium?
4. How many protons, electrons, and neutrons are found in an atom of chlorine?
5. Name 3 elements found in Group 13 (3A). Name 3 elements found in Period 2.
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CHANGES IN MATTER
CHAPTERS: 6, 11 (“Law of Conservation of Mass”), 3 (“Density Calculations”)
KEY TERMS: density, Law of Conservation of Mass, physical change, chemical change
STUDENT QUESTIONS:
1. Give two examples of a physical change. Give two examples of a chemical change.
2. Suppose a scientist found a new metal-like substance in the desert. He determined its
mass to be 20 grams. The volume was determined by water displacement to be 5 cm 3.
What is the density of the substance? Will it sink or float in liquid water (1g/cm3)?
3. Water can be found as ice, liquid water, and water vapor. Which of these types of
water has the least density?
4. An Alka-Seltzer tablet bubbling in water is a chemical reaction. Name at least 3 changes
you can make to the Alka-Seltzer tablet or the water to change the reaction rate.
5. How does changing temperature affect the particles within a substance?
FORCES AND MOTION
CHAPTERS: 1, 2
KEY TERMS: force, balanced forces, unbalanced forces, Law of Gravity, contact force (friction),
non-contact forces (gravity, electrical, and magnetic), weight, speed
STUDENT QUESTIONS:
1. Compare a person’s mass and weight on the Earth and the moon.
2. Person A and Person B are playing tug of war. Why is neither A nor B winning if both are
pulling as hard as they can?
3. A ball rolling down a hill. Is this an example of balanced or unbalanced forces?
4. Based on your understanding of force, describe an example of a force that causes a
change in the object’s motion without touching the object.
5. An unidentified object is 200 km from Planet X and 200 km from Planet Y. The object
begins to move towards Planet X. What could be responsible for this movement? Based
on your previous answer, why did it move towards Planet X and not Planet Y?
6. Draw a distance vs. time graph that illustrates the following motion of a car: the car
begins traveling, it is stopped at its first destination, and then it continues at a faster
speed to its second destination.
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ENERGY
CHAPTERS: 4 (lessons 1-2), 5 (lessons 1-2)
KEY TERMS: energy, potential energy, kinetic energy, energy transformations, Law of
Conservation of Energy, heat, convection, conduction, radiation
STUDENT QUESTIONS:
1. You turn on your TV. The electrical energy is converted to what other forms of energy?
2. A child is at a playground, swinging back and forth on a swing. How does the
relationship between potential energy and kinetic energy change as the child swings
from the highest point to the lowest point of the swing?
3. When they dip your soft serve vanilla ice cream cone into warm liquid chocolate, in what
direction is the thermal energy moving as the chocolate hardens?
4. What type of thermal energy transfer is responsible for a spoon getting hot when left in a
bowl of hot soup?
5. A hang glider is flying downward from the top of a cliff. Suddenly, he soars upward.
Why?
6. What form of heat caused your sunburn?
WAVES – SOUND & LIGHT
CHAPTERS: 14 (lessons 1-2), 15 (lesson 2), 16 (lessons 1-2)
KEY TERMS: mechanical waves, electromagnetic waves, frequency, wavelength, amplitude,
medium, reflection, refraction, absorption, the electromagnetic spectrum
STUDENT QUESTIONS:
1. Draw a transverse wave and label its parts.
2. A star explodes in space. Why could we see it occur but we couldn’t hear it?
3. Draw two waves – one wave with a smaller amplitude and frequency than the second
wave. If the waves are sound waves, label each in terms of its volume (loudness) and its
pitch.
4. Give 2 examples of each of the following: reflection, refraction, and absorption.
5. What is the connection between the Sun and the electromagnetic spectrum?
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