GED Science — Questions and Answers

Question 1: The tilt of the Earth's rotational axis toward or away from the sun has the following consequences:

Seasons (Correct answer)
24-hour days
Global warming
Daylight savings time

Correct answer: Seasons

The Earth's rotational axis is tilted relative to its orbit around the sun. This tilt causes different hemispheres to be angled towards or away from the sun at various points in the year, leading to variations in the intensity and duration of sunlight received. These variations are the direct cause of the Earth's seasons.

Question 2: Tides, waves, and currents occur in the world's oceans. These variables alter how people interact with the ocean and \r\nhow ocean water interacts with land. Tides are variations in the ocean's sea level that occur on a regular basis.

Density differences in sea water
Movement of tectonic plates
The gravitational pull of the moon on planet Earth (Correct answer)
Varying wind intensity

Correct answer: The gravitational pull of the moon on planet Earth

Tides are primarily caused by the gravitational pull exerted by the Moon on Earth's oceans. The Moon's gravity creates bulges in the ocean water on both the side of Earth facing the Moon and the opposite side, resulting in the regular rise and fall of sea levels. The Sun also contributes to tidal forces, but the Moon's effect is stronger due to its closer proximity.

Question 3: Deoxyribonucleic acid is abbreviated as DNA. DNA is the genetic material that gives an organism the instructions \r\nit needs to grow, survive, and reproduce. Adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine are the four chemical bases \r\nused to encode information in DNA. The information accessible for creating an organism is determined by the \r\nsequencing of these bases.

The recipe for a fruit smoothie. (Correct answer)
The person making a smoothie.
The fruit used in making a smoothie.
The blender in which the smoothie is made.

Correct answer: The recipe for a fruit smoothie.

DNA contains the complete set of instructions, or genetic code, that dictates how an organism grows, develops, and functions. This is analogous to a recipe, which provides step-by-step instructions and ingredients needed to create a specific dish. The sequencing of bases in DNA determines the 'recipe' for an organism.

Question 4: The aorta, the body's biggest artery, is 36 mm in diameter in a healthy male. What is the typical diameter of a human \r\nmale's aorta in meters if 1 meter equals 1000 millimeters?

0.036 (Correct answer)
36,000
0.0036
0.36

Correct answer: 0.036

To convert millimeters to meters, you need to divide the value in millimeters by 1000, since there are 1000 millimeters in 1 meter. Therefore, 36 millimeters divided by 1000 equals 0.036 meters. This conversion is essential for expressing measurements in different metric units.

Question 5: Two objects on Earth are dropped from the top of a 70-meter-high structure. Object A weighs 12 grams while \r\nobject B weighs 6 kg. Which object will reach the ground first, assuming no air resistance?

Object B
Object A
There is not enough information to determine which object will hit the ground first
Both objects will hit the ground at the same time (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Both objects will hit the ground at the same time

In the absence of air resistance, all objects fall at the same rate due to the constant acceleration of gravity, regardless of their mass. This principle, famously demonstrated by Galileo, means that both objects, despite their different weights, will experience the same acceleration and therefore hit the ground simultaneously.

Question 6: Two mice mate and have children. The genotype (Gg) is the phenotypic for grey fur color, and both mice have it. \r\nCalculate the likelihood that these two mice will have a white-furred offspring using a Punnett square (gg).

30%
25% (Correct answer)
10%
60%

Correct answer: 25%

When two heterozygous parents (Gg) mate, a Punnett square shows the possible genotypes of their offspring: GG, Gg, Gg, and gg. Since 'gg' represents white fur, and there is one 'gg' outcome out of four total possibilities, the likelihood of having a white-furred offspring is 1/4, or 25%.

Question 7: Local bears rely on a lake for their primary source of food since it includes a large number of fish. What would happen \r\nif a big section of the fish population died as a result of an algal bloom?

The number of bears in the area would decrease (Correct answer)
The number of bears in the area would be unaffected
The bears would go into hibernation
The number of bears in the area would increase

Correct answer: The number of bears in the area would decrease

Bears rely on fish as their primary food source. If a large portion of the fish population dies, the bears will experience a significant reduction in their food supply. This scarcity of food will lead to a decrease in the bear population, as fewer resources can support fewer individuals.

Question 8: Which of the following does NOT contribute to the creation of mountains and valleys on the Earth's surface?

Erosion
Collision of plates
Ozone (Correct answer)
Volcanic eruptions

Correct answer: Ozone

Mountains and valleys are formed by geological processes such as erosion, the collision of tectonic plates, and volcanic eruptions, which involve the movement and shaping of the Earth's crust. Ozone, however, is a gas found in the Earth's atmosphere and plays no direct role in the formation of landforms like mountains and valleys.

Question 9: All of the following are caused by molten rock convection currents within the Earth's mantle EXCEPT

Movement of plates on Earth’s crust.
Earthquakes.
Flow of molten rock from cracks along the bottom of the ocean
Sunlight. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Sunlight.

Molten rock convection currents within the Earth's mantle are the driving force behind plate tectonics, leading to the movement of crustal plates, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. Sunlight, however, is an external energy source that warms the Earth's surface and atmosphere, and is not a result of internal geological processes like mantle convection.

Question 10: The map depicts the continents, the plates that make up Earth's outer shell, and the locations of volcanoes. Which conclusion can be drawn from the map's information?

Volcanoes are only located along edges of continents.
Volcanoes are scattered randomly across Earth.
Volcanoes are distributed equally in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Volcanoes are mostly located along boundaries between plates. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Volcanoes are mostly located along boundaries between plates.

The map clearly illustrates that volcanoes are not randomly scattered but are predominantly concentrated along the boundaries where Earth's tectonic plates meet. This pattern indicates that volcanic activity is a direct consequence of the interactions and movements of these plates, such as subduction or divergence zones.

Question 11: A typical energy pyramid is depicted in the diagram. Which of the following statements accurately describes the flow of energy via this pyramid?

Energy is directly transferred from the primary consumers to the secondary consumers. (Correct answer)
The highest amount of energy is transferred between levels that contain consumers.
The producer level directly provides energy for all of the other levels.
All of the energy from the lower levels is available to the top level.

Correct answer: Energy is directly transferred from the primary consumers to the secondary consumers.

An energy pyramid illustrates the flow of energy through different trophic levels in an ecosystem. Energy is transferred from one level to the next when organisms consume those from the level below them. Therefore, primary consumers obtain energy by eating producers, and secondary consumers obtain energy by eating primary consumers, directly transferring energy upwards.

Question 12: A scientist collects data on the solubility of various salts at various temperatures. The graph depicts the outcomes. Which conclusion is supported by the graph's data?

At 40°C, KCl has the highest solubility of the salts in the table.
The rate of change in the solubility of KNO3 changes as temperature increases. (Correct answer)
The solubility of NaCl does not increase with increasing temperatures above 80°C.
Solubility always increases as temperature increases.

Correct answer: The rate of change in the solubility of KNO3 changes as temperature increases.

By observing the graph, the line representing the solubility of KNO3 shows a steep, non-linear increase as temperature rises. This curved shape indicates that the rate at which KNO3's solubility changes is not constant; it increases more rapidly at higher temperatures, meaning the rate of change itself is changing.

Question 13: Newton's second law of motion states that an object's acceleration is proportional to its mass and the amount of force applied to it. The table displays data from a study of Newton's second law. Which of the following statements best represents the pattern established in the data provided in the chart?

A doubling of the mass decreases the acceleration of the object by half when the net force is constant. (Correct answer)
A doubling of the net force increases acceleration 4 times when the object’s mass is constant.
A doubling of the mass increases the acceleration of the object 2 times when the net force is constant.
A doubling of the net force decreases acceleration 2 times when the object’s mass is constant.

Correct answer: A doubling of the mass decreases the acceleration of the object by half when the net force is constant.

Newton's second law (a = F/m) shows an inverse relationship between acceleration (a) and mass (m) when force (F) is constant. If the mass of an object doubles while the net force applied remains the same, the acceleration of the object will be reduced by half, as acceleration is inversely proportional to mass.

Question 14: The diagram depicts a meiosis-related event. What is the outcome of this occurrence?

Chromosomes that are a genetic combination of the parent chromosomes (Correct answer)
Chromosomes that are genetically identical to the paternal chromosome
Chromosomes that are genetically identical to the maternal chromosome
Chromosomes that contain a different amount of genetic information than the parents

Correct answer: Chromosomes that are a genetic combination of the parent chromosomes

The diagram likely depicts crossing over, a process during meiosis where homologous chromosomes exchange segments of genetic material. This exchange results in recombinant chromosomes that contain a unique combination of genes from both the maternal and paternal chromosomes, leading to genetic variation in the offspring.

Question 15: For four samples, researchers collected data to evaluate volumetric bone density. What is the average bone density for the submitted data samples?

0.36 g\/cm³
0.31 g\/cm³ (Correct answer)
3.2 g\/cm³
0.03 g\/cm³

Correct answer: 0.31 g\/cm³

To find the average bone density, you must sum all the volumetric bone density values provided for the four samples and then divide by the number of samples. Assuming the given data leads to a sum of 1.24 g/cm³, dividing by 4 samples yields an average of 0.31 g/cm³.

Question 16: According to the table, which of the following animals is a tertiary consumer?

Great white shark (Correct answer)
Deer
Anteater
Squirrel

Correct answer: Great white shark

A tertiary consumer is an organism that feeds on secondary consumers. In a typical marine food web, a great white shark occupies a high trophic level, preying on other carnivores like seals, sea lions, and large fish, which are themselves secondary consumers. This places the great white shark as a tertiary consumer or higher.

Question 17: How do primary producers obtain energy?

Oxidative phosphorylation
Glycolysis
Photosynthesis (Correct answer)
The citric acid cycle

Correct answer: Photosynthesis

Primary producers, such as plants and algae, are organisms that form the base of most food webs. They obtain their energy through the process of photosynthesis, converting light energy from the sun, carbon dioxide, and water into glucose (food) and oxygen. This process makes them self-sufficient in terms of energy production.

Question 18: The Grand Canyon, located in Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park, was formed by the Colorado River around 5 million years ago. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles broad, and over a mile deep. What interaction of Earth's systems most likely resulted in the formation of this landmark?

Landslides
Erosion of rock from water (Correct answer)
Tectonic fissures
Wind abrasion on the soil

Correct answer: Erosion of rock from water

The question states that the Grand Canyon was formed by the Colorado River. Rivers are powerful agents of erosion, constantly wearing away rock and carrying sediment downstream. This process, known as fluvial erosion, is the primary mechanism by which rivers carve out canyons over millions of years, making 'Erosion of rock from water' the most accurate description of its formation.

Question 19: The following two hypotheses have been supported by multiple studies:\r\nI. Increasing the temperature of Solvent A causes all dissolvable solutes to dissolve more quickly.\r\nII. Substance A dissolves in Solvent A but not Substance B. \r\n\r\nWhich of the following is most likely to be true, given these two hypotheses?

Substance A and Solvent A will not form a solution at any temperature
Substance A will dissolve faster in Solvent A at higher temperatures (Correct answer)
Substance B will dissolve slower in Solvent A at higher temperatures
Substance B will dissolve slower than Substance A in Solvent A, regardless of the temperature of the solution

Correct answer: Substance A will dissolve faster in Solvent A at higher temperatures

Hypothesis I clearly states that increasing the temperature of Solvent A causes *all dissolvable solutes* to dissolve more quickly. Hypothesis II confirms that Substance A *is* a dissolvable solute in Solvent A. Therefore, combining these two established facts directly leads to the conclusion that Substance A will dissolve faster in Solvent A at higher temperatures.

Question 20: When a person reaches out and touches a hot pan, the system is triggered, and the system is activated to take the hand away.

nervous, muscular (Correct answer)
nervous, endocrine
muscular, nervous
skeletal, muscular

Correct answer: nervous, muscular

When you touch a hot pan, sensory nerves in your skin detect the heat and transmit this information through the nervous system to your brain and spinal cord. In response, the nervous system sends signals to the muscles in your hand and arm, which contract to quickly pull your hand away. This rapid reflex demonstrates the coordinated action of the nervous system (sensing and signaling) and the muscular system (executing movement).

GED Science

The tilt of the Earth's rotational axis toward or away from the sun has the following consequences: