Part IV

General science practice questions

GENERAL SCIENCE PRACTICE SET 1

 

Choose the best answer for each multiple-choice question. This question set has 16 practice questions, which is the number of General Science questions you will see if you take the CAT-ASVAB.

  1. Which of the following best describes the difference between eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells?

    1. Prokaryotic cells do not have nuclei.
    2. Prokaryotic cells are only found in plants.
    3. Eukaryotic cells are only found in plants.
    4. Eukaryotic cells do not have nuclei.

  2. Which of the following is a terrestrial planet?

    1. Mars
    2. Jupiter
    3. Saturn
    4. Neptune

  3. When a skydiver jumps from a plane, she eventually reaches a maximum falling velocity of −56 m/s. After opening up her parachute, her falling velocity decreases to about −11 m/s. What effect on her motion does the skydiver’s parachute have?

    1. The parachute does not change the skydiver’s velocity.
    2. The parachute applies a negative acceleration on the skydiver.
    3. The parachute applies a positive acceleration on the skydiver.
    4. The parachute applies first a negative acceleration, then a positive acceleration on the skydiver.

  4. A freight elevator is used to lift loads of 12,000 N a vertical distance of 250 m. The elevator takes 10 s to make this trip. Assuming no energy loss, what is the average power expenditure of the elevator, when working?

    1. 300,000 W
    2. 3,000,000 W
    3. 12,000,000 W
    4. 30,000,000 W

  5. The air in the troposphere is made up primarily of

    1. oxygen
    2. helium
    3. carbon dioxide
    4. nitrogen

  6. The cell membrane that surrounds an animal cell is a

    1. non-permeable structure
    2. semi-permeable structure
    3. fully permeable structure
    4. cell wall

  7. In which level of the atmosphere does all weather take place?

    1. troposphere
    2. stratosphere
    3. mesosphere
    4. thermosphere

  8. Which of the following is NOT true about the element hydrogen (H)?

    1. It is the only element with no neutrons.
    2. It is the lightest element.
    3. It is a noble (inert) gas and rarely reacts.
    4. It sometimes behaves like an alkali metal.

  9. Which of the following activities results in a chemical change?

    1. mixing salt and sugar
    2. drying wet clothes
    3. boiling a pot of water
    4. burning pieces of wood

  10. Air flow in the stratosphere is primarily 

    1. horizontal
    2. vertical
    3. clockwise
    4. counterclockwise

  11. Iron is a mineral that is vital to red blood cell development. Foods that are good sources of iron include __________.

    1. meats, beans, and whole grains
    2. nuts and green leafy vegetables
    3. bananas, sweet potatoes, nuts, and seeds
    4. milk, yogurt, cheese, and spinach

  12. If a pencil is placed in a clear glass of water and viewed from the side, the pencil will appear to bend sharply at the top of the water. This is due to a phenomenon known as __________.

    1. elusivity
    2. reflection
    3. refraction
    4. rotation

  13. Red blood cells are produced in ___________.

    1. the liver
    2. kidneys
    3. bones
    4. the spleen

  14. The Richter scale is used to measure the intensity of ___________.

    1. hurricanes
    2. blizzards
    3. earthquakes
    4. tornadoes

  15. Which of the following is NOT an example of phase change?

    1. fuel burning in a combustion engine
    2. dry ice changing directly from a solid to a gas
    3. sleet melting on a sidewalk
    4. morning dew appearing on a lawn

  16. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is transmitted __________.

    1. by touch
    2. through the air
    3. by bodily fluids
    4. by proximity to an infected person

GENERAL SCIENCE PRACTICE SET 2

Choose the best answer for each multiple-choice question. This question set has 16 practice questions, which is the number of General Science questions you will see if you take the CAT-ASVAB.

  1. The Earth experiences seasonal patterns of weather because __________.

    1. its distance from the Sun varies at different times of the year
    2. solar wind activity varies
    3. its orientation to the Sun is tilted on its axis
    4. the Moon's position relative to the Earth varies

  2. Body functions such as heart rate and digestion that take place without having to think about them are regulated by the __________.

    1. somatic nervous system
    2. cerebrum
    3. neurons
    4. autonomic nervous system

  3. Which factor is most important in determining how atoms of an element will chemically react with other atoms?

    1. the number of electrons in the outer shell
    2. the number of neutrons in the nucleus
    3. the chemical symbol of the element
    4. the atomic mass

  4. Our Sun is classified as what type of star?

    1. yellow dwarf
    2. white dwarf
    3. yellow giant
    4. white giant

  5. Shale and sandstone are types of __________ rocks.

    1. igneous
    2. sedimentary
    3. metamorphic
    4. compound

  6. A DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) molecule is shaped like a __________.

    1. sphere
    2. double helix
    3. oblate spheroid
    4. triple helix

  7. A truck was driven  meters. At the beginning of the trip, the fuel tank contained 40,000 mL of fuel; at the end of the trip it still had 15,000 mL of fuel. What was the average fuel consumption, measured in liters/kilometer, for the trip?

    1. 0.0125 L/km
    2. 0.125 L/km
    3. 8.0 L/km
    4. 80 L/km

  8. A net force of 15 N is applied to an object that starts at rest and accelerates to a velocity of 12 m/s in 4 seconds. What is the mass of the object?

    1. 3 kg
    2. 5 kg
    3. 12 kg
    4. 15 kg

  9. A lunar eclipse is caused by __________.

    1. an anomaly in the Moon's orbit
    2. solar flares
    3. the Moon passing between the Earth and the Sun
    4. the Earth passing between the Sun and the Moon

  10. Earthquakes occur due to movement of plates in the Earth's __________.

    1. asthenosphere
    2. lithosphere
    3. outer core
    4. lower mantle

  11. Which of the following organisms has an exoskeleton?

    1. human being
    2. spider
    3. amoeba
    4. eagle

  12. Our lungs convey __________ to blood cells and receive __________ and __________ from blood cells.

    1. oxygen, carbon dioxide, water
    2. oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen
    3. carbon dioxide, oxygen, water
    4. nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen

  13. A fireplace is sealed behind a clear glass screen to prevent sparks and ashes from getting out. Nevertheless, a person sitting in front of the fireplace will be warmed by the heat of the fire primarily because some heat is still transferred by __________.

    1. convection
    2. radiation
    3. conduction
    4. osmosis

  14. Sodium (Na), which is in Group 1 of the Periodic Table of the Elements, and chlorine (Cl), which is in Group 17, will bond together to form sodium chloride (NaCl). How will this compound behave when dissolved in pure water?

    1. The molecules will group together to form large crystals.
    2. The molecules will separate into Na and Cl atoms.
    3. The molecules will separate into negatively charged sodium ions and positively charged chlorine ions.

    4. The molecules will separate into positively charged sodium ions and negatively charged chlorine ions.

  15. Meteorology is the study of __________.

    1. meteors and meteorites
    2. weather
    3. the atmosphere and atmospheric phenomena
    4. the solar system

  16. Human eggs are produced in the female's __________.

    1. uterus
    2. fallopian tubes
    3. cervix
    4. ovaries