HiSET Science Practice Test #3 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What type of energy is stored in the chemical bonds of food?
- Kinetic energy
- Thermal energy
- Chemical potential energy (Correct answer)
- Nuclear energy
Correct answer: Chemical potential energy
Chemical potential energy is stored in the molecular bonds of substances like food, fuel, and batteries. When these bonds are broken (e.g., during digestion or combustion), the energy is released.
Question 2: Which of the following best explains why the ocean absorbs large amounts of solar heat without dramatic temperature changes?
- Water has a high specific heat capacity (Correct answer)
- Saltwater freezes at a lower temperature than freshwater
- Ocean currents distribute heat quickly
- Water reflects most sunlight from its surface
Correct answer: Water has a high specific heat capacity
Water has a very high specific heat capacity, meaning it requires a large amount of energy to raise its temperature. This property makes oceans effective at absorbing and storing heat, moderating Earth's climate.
Question 3: An animal has bilateral symmetry. This means the animal:
- Has no definite shape or form
- Can be divided into equal halves along only one plane (Correct answer)
- Has multiple planes of symmetry through a central point
- Has no symmetry at all
Correct answer: Can be divided into equal halves along only one plane
Bilateral symmetry means the organism can be divided into two mirror-image halves along a single (sagittal) plane. Most animals, including humans, have bilateral symmetry.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of a chemical change rather than a physical change?
- Ice melting into water
- A piece of paper being cut in half
- Iron rusting (Correct answer)
- Sugar dissolving in water
Correct answer: Iron rusting
A chemical change produces new substances with different properties. Iron rusting (oxidation) forms iron oxide, a new substance. Melting, cutting, and dissolving are physical changes — no new substance is formed.
Question 5: What happens during the process of osmosis?
- Solute particles move from low to high concentration across a membrane
- Water molecules move across a semipermeable membrane from high to low water concentration (Correct answer)
- Proteins are synthesized along the endoplasmic reticulum
- ATP is generated during the electron transport chain
Correct answer: Water molecules move across a semipermeable membrane from high to low water concentration
Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a semipermeable membrane from an area of higher water concentration (lower solute) to an area of lower water concentration (higher solute), equalizing concentrations.
Question 6: The Richter scale measures which natural phenomenon?
- Hurricane wind speed
- Tornado intensity
- Earthquake magnitude (Correct answer)
- Volcanic eruption size
Correct answer: Earthquake magnitude
The Richter scale measures the magnitude (energy released) of earthquakes. Each whole number increase represents approximately 31.6 times more energy released. Today, the Moment Magnitude Scale (Mw) is more commonly used by seismologists.
HiSET Science Practice Test #3 2
What type of energy is stored in the chemical bonds of food?