Here are some science questions to help you test your general science knowledge. They will also show you which of the Florida, Utah, and NGSS science standards each question is testing.
The questions are chosen randomly, so this quest will be different each time.
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I put a paper plate on top of a glass of water. I turned it over, and the water stayed in the glass.
The weight of the water is pushing down on the paper plate, but the plate stays in the glass because the pull of gravity is being balanced by another force. What is that force?
-
Attraction
No. The slight attraction between the water and the glass is not enough to balance the pull of gravity. -
Air pressure
Yes! Because the plate is keeping outside air from entering the glass, outside air pressure is keeping the plate in place. As long as the outside air pressure is enough to balance the weight of the water and the plate, it will stay in place. If you made a small hole in the glass to let outside air get in, that would unbalance things, and the water would fall out. -
Surface tension
No. The water tension at the surface of the water would not balance the force of gravity. -
The weight of the paper card
No. Gravity is pulling down on the paper plate and the water. The weight of the paper does not help balance the force of gravity.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.2.P.13.3 Recognize that objects are pulled toward the ground unless something holds them up.
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
SC.3.E.5.4 Explore the Law of Gravity by demonstrating that gravity is a force that can be overcome.
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
| More Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Force, Pressure, and Shoes | video, checked |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
SC.5.P.13.4 Investigate and explain that when a force is applied to an object but it does not move, it is because another opposing force is being applied by something in the environment so that the forces are balanced.
| More Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Science of Balance | video, checked |
| The Old Tablecloth Trick | video |
| Force, Pressure, and Shoes | video, checked |
| Bernoulli Effect | video |
| Hanging a Hammer | video, checked |
| Torque | video |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Newton's First Law of Motion | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Obedient Coin | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 2 | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 1 | video, checked |
| Science Friction | video, checked |
| Raw Egg or Boiled? | video, checked |
| Exploring Friction | text page |
| Balancing a Meter Stick | text page |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
SC.6.P.13.3 Investigate and describe that an unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed, or direction of motion, or both.
| Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Bernoulli Effect | video |
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| Torque | video |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Obedient Coin | video, checked |
| Wrong Way Balloon | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 2 | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 1 | video, checked |
| Science Friction | video, checked |
| More Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Balancing a Meter Stick | text page |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
Utah
UT.3.III.2.c Compare the relative effects of forces of different strengths on an object (e.g., strong wind affects an object differently than a breeze).
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Newton's First Law of Motion | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Obedient Coin | video, checked |
| Wrong Way Balloon | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 2 | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 1 | video, checked |
| Raw Egg or Boiled? | video, checked |
| The Old Tablecloth Trick | video |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
UT.4.II.1.c Investigate evidence that air is a substance (e.g., takes up space, moves as wind, temperature can be measured).
| Nephoscope | video, checked |
| Air Space | video |
| Crushed Can | video, checked |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
NGSS
3-PS2-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
| Science Friction | video, checked |
| More Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Force, Pressure, and Shoes | video, checked |
| Bernoulli Effect | video |
| The Slow Race | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| Torque | video |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Obedient Coin | video, checked |
| Wrong Way Balloon | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 2 | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 1 | video, checked |
| Balancing a Meter Stick | text page |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
MS-PS2-2 Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
| Science Friction | video, checked |
| Raw Egg or Boiled? | video, checked |
| More Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Science of Balance | video, checked |
| The Old Tablecloth Trick | video |
| Bernoulli Effect | video |
| Smoke Rings | video |
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| The Difference Between Weight and Mass | video, checked |
| Torque | video |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Newton's First Law of Motion | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Obedient Coin | video, checked |
| Wrong Way Balloon | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 2 | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 1 | video, checked |
| Balancing a Meter Stick | text page |
| Review Force and Motion-1 | practice |
| Review Force and Motion-2 | practice |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
How hot does an area have to be to be classified as a desert?
Answer:
Deserts are defined by lack of precipitation, not by temperature. They are areas where precipitation minus evaporation yields less than 10 inches of rain per year. The largest desert on Earth is in Antarctica, a very cold place.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.E.7.6 Describe characteristics (temperature and precipitation) of different climate zones as they relate to latitude, elevation, and proximity to bodies of water.
| Weather and Climate | video |
| Review Weather-7 | practice |
| Review Weather-9 | practice |
Utah
UT.4.V.1.c Locate examples of areas that have characteristics of wetlands, forests, or deserts in Utah.
| Review Weather-7 | practice |
| Review Weather-9 | practice |
NGSS
I gave this balloon a negative electrostatic charge by rubbing it on my hair. Then I tore up bits of paper, and put them on the table. When I brought the balloon near them, they were attracted to the balloon. Why?
-
The negative charge of the balloon induced a positive charge on the paper.
Yes! The negative charge on the balloon pushes some of the negatively charged electrons in the paper to the far side, leaving the near side with a positive charge. Opposite charges attract, so the paper is attracted to the balloon. -
The negative charge of the balloon attracts the neutrally charged paper.
No. As long as the paper is neutral, it will not be attracted or repelled. -
Tearing the paper gave it a positive charge.
No. If the paper had a positive charge from being torn, the bits of paper with like charges would have repelled each other before you moved the balloon nearby. -
Paper is always attracted to balloons.
No. This is easily tested by using a balloon that has not been rubbed on your hair. Without the positive charge, the paper is not attracted.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.P.10.3 Investigate and explain that an electrically-charged object can attract an uncharged object and can either attract or repel another charged object without any contact between the objects.
>>> Teacher Page: Electrostatic Charges
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 1 | video |
| Electrostatic Charges | video |
| The Leyden Jar | video, checked |
| Versorium | video, checked |
| Electrostatics and Water | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 2 | video |
| Sorting Salt and Pepper | video, checked |
| Electricity | video, free, Updated |
| Making Water Wiggle | video |
| Review Energy-6 | quest |
| Review Energy-7 | quest |
| Review Energy-8 | quest |
SC.6.P.13.1 Investigate and describe types of forces including contact forces and forces acting at a distance, such as electrical, magnetic, and gravitational.
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 1 | video |
| Making a Compass | video, checked |
| Torque | video |
| Versorium | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 2 | video |
| Light a Bulb with a Balloon | video, checked |
| Crushed Can | video, checked |
| Electricity | video, free, Updated |
| The Compass and Magnetic Fields | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Review Energy-6 | quest |
| Review Energy-7 | quest |
| Review Energy-8 | quest |
Utah
UT.5.IV.1.c Describe the behavior of objects charged with static electricity in attracting or repelling without touching.
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 1 | video |
| Electrostatic Charges | video |
| The Leyden Jar | video, checked |
| Versorium | video, checked |
| Electrostatics and Water | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 2 | video |
| Sorting Salt and Pepper | video, checked |
| Making Water Wiggle | video |
| Review Energy-6 | quest |
| Review Energy-7 | quest |
NGSS
MS-PS3-2 Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
| Measuring Kinetic and Potential Energy | video, checked |
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 1 | video |
| The Leyden Jar | video, checked |
| Versorium | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Electrostatics and Water | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Challenge: Paper, Coin, Cup, part 2 | video |
| Sorting Salt and Pepper | video, checked |
| Making Water Wiggle | video |
| Review Energy-6 | quest |
| Review Energy-7 | quest |
| Review Energy-8 | quest |
The light area on the left side of this photo is the Milky Way. What is the Milky Way?
-
A constellation.
No. The Milky Way contains many more stars than a constellation. -
A solar system.
No. A solar system only has one star, not a huge number of stars. -
A galaxy.
Yes! Our solar system is part of the Milky Way galaxy. When we lived in the city, the lights made it difficult to see the Milky Way. Now that we live far from city lights, it is amazingly easy to see. -
A universe.
No. The Milky Way is only a small part of the entire universe.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.E.5.1 Recognize that a galaxy consists of gas, dust, and many stars, including any objects orbiting the stars. Identify our home galaxy as the Milky Way.
| Review Space-2 | practice |
| Review Space-1 | practice |
| Review Space-10 | practice |
SC.8.E.5.3 Distinguish the hierarchical relationships between planets and other astronomical bodies relative to solar system, galaxy, and universe, including distance, size, and composition.
| Making a Scale Model of the Solar System | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
| How Far is That Planet? | text page |
| Review Space-3 | practice |
| Review Space-2 | practice |
| Review Space-10 | practice |
Utah
UT.6.IV.1.c Compare the size of the Solar System to the size of the Milky Way galaxy.
| Review Space-2 | practice |
| Review Space-10 | practice |
NGSS
MS-ESS1-2 Develop and use a model to describe the role of gravity in the motions within galaxies and the solar system.
| Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Space-13 | quest |
| Review Space-10 | practice |
Which of these sources of electricity is a renewable resource?
-
Coal
No. Coal is the fossilized remains of ancient plants, and it takes millions of years to form. -
Hydroelectric
Yes. The lake water that provides hydroelectric power is replenished every time it rains. -
Natural Gas
No. Natural Gas is a fossil fuel, and takes millions of years to form. -
Fuel Oil
No. Fuel oil comes from petroleum, which requires extremely long periods of time to form.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.4.E.6.3 Recognize that humans need resources found on Earth and that these are either renewable or nonrenewable.
| Recycle | video |
| Review Energy-4 | quest |
| Review Energy-1 | practice |
Utah
UT.8.II.3.a Describe specific examples of how humans have changed the capacity of an environment to support specific life forms (e.g., people create wetlands and nesting boxes that increase the number and range of wood ducks, acid rain damages amphibian eggs and reduces population of frogs, clear cutting forests affects squirrel populations, suburban sprawl reduces mule deer winter range thus decreasing numbers of deer).
| Investigating Acid Rain | video, checked |
| Quadrats and Population Sampling | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Energy-1 | practice |
NGSS
4-ESS3-1 Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.
| Investigating Acid Rain | video, checked |
| Solar Power | video, checked |
| Review Energy-4 | quest |
| Review Energy-1 | practice |
MS-ESS3-1 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.
| Evaporites | video, learnalong, checked |
| What is a Mineral? | video, checked |
| Identifying Minerals | video, learnalong |
| Definition of a Mineral | video, checked |
| Review Energy-1 | practice |
The questions are chosen randomly, so this quest will be different each time.