Science Flashcards
7 cards from real FTCE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Science flashcards as text
Which best explains why planets orbit the Sun in elliptical paths rather than circular ones?
Answer: Gravitational attraction varies with distance, creating curved elliptical orbits
Kepler's First Law states that planetary orbits are ellipses with the Sun at one focus, a result of gravitational force varying with distance.
In genetics, if two heterozygous parents (Tt × Tt) are crossed, what is the probability of offspring showing the dominant phenotype?
Answer: 75%
A Tt × Tt cross produces a 3:1 phenotype ratio (TT, Tt, Tt, tt), meaning 75% of offspring express the dominant phenotype.
Which energy transformation occurs when a battery-powered flashlight is turned on?
Answer: Chemical → electrical → light
A battery converts stored chemical energy into electrical energy, which the bulb then converts into light (and some heat).
A teacher is explaining natural selection. Which scenario best illustrates the concept of survival of the fittest?
Answer: Bacteria with a mutation for antibiotic resistance survive treatment and reproduce more
Bacteria with resistance mutations survive antibiotic treatment and pass on that trait, illustrating natural selection acting on variation in a population.
Which best describes the electromagnetic spectrum arrangement from lowest to highest energy?
Answer: Radio, microwave, infrared, visible, ultraviolet, X-ray, gamma
The electromagnetic spectrum increases in energy with frequency; radio waves have the lowest energy and gamma rays have the highest.
A student tests the pH of several liquids and finds one with a pH of 2. How should this liquid be classified?
Answer: Strongly acidic
A pH of 2 is far below 7 (neutral), indicating a high concentration of hydrogen ions and making the liquid a strong acid.
Which best describes the difference between a hypothesis and a theory in science?
Answer: A hypothesis is an untested prediction; a theory is a well-supported explanation backed by extensive evidence
A hypothesis is a testable prediction made before experimentation, while a scientific theory is a broad explanation supported by repeated evidence and testing.