ASVAB General Science Practice Test 1 2

Question 1

What is the process by which plants convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen?

Accepted Answer

Photosynthesis

Answer

Photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplasts of plant cells using chlorophyll to absorb light energy. The overall reaction is: 6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2. Cellular respiration is essentially the reverse process, breaking down glucose to release energy.

Question 2

A rock layer contains fossils of marine animals, yet the rock is found on a mountaintop. What does this most likely indicate?

Accepted Answer

The mountaintop was once covered by a sea, and geological forces lifted it over time

Answer

Marine fossils found at high elevations are classic evidence of plate tectonics and geological uplift. Sedimentary rock forms in ocean floors, trapping marine organisms as fossils. Over millions of years, colliding tectonic plates can push former seabeds upward to form mountains, as occurred with the Himalayas and Appalachians.

Question 3

Which of the following describes a physical change rather than a chemical change?

Accepted Answer

Ice melting into liquid water

Answer

A physical change alters the form or appearance of a substance without changing its chemical composition. Ice melting changes water from solid to liquid — it is still H2O. Chemical changes (like rusting, burning, or the baking soda reaction) produce new substances with different chemical properties.

Question 4

What is the primary function of red blood cells (erythrocytes)?

Accepted Answer

To transport oxygen from the lungs to body tissues using hemoglobin

Answer

Red blood cells contain hemoglobin, an iron-containing protein that binds to oxygen in the lungs and releases it to cells throughout the body. RBCs lack a nucleus in their mature form, maximizing space for hemoglobin. White blood cells fight infection; platelets handle clotting.

Question 5

According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, when a swimmer pushes backward against the water, what happens?

Accepted Answer

The water pushes forward on the swimmer with an equal and opposite force

Answer

Newton's Third Law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When the swimmer pushes the water backward (action), the water pushes the swimmer forward (reaction) with the same magnitude of force. This reaction force propels the swimmer through the water.

ASVAB - Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Practice Test

ASVAB - Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Practice Test

ASVAB General Science Practice Test 1 2