ICAS Science 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which gas do humans exhale in greater amounts compared to what they inhale?
- Oxygen
- Nitrogen
- Carbon dioxide (Correct answer)
- Argon
Correct answer: Carbon dioxide
During cellular respiration, the body converts oxygen and glucose into energy, releasing carbon dioxide as a waste product that is exhaled.
Question 2: A thermometer measures temperature in degrees Celsius. If water starts to boil at 100°C, what is the equivalent in Fahrenheit?
- 100°F
- 180°F
- 212°F (Correct answer)
- 32°F
Correct answer: 212°F
Water boils at 100°C, which is equivalent to 212°F, using the conversion formula F = (C × 9/5) + 32.
Question 3: Fossils are most commonly found in which type of rock?
- Igneous
- Metamorphic
- Sedimentary (Correct answer)
- Volcanic
Correct answer: Sedimentary
Sedimentary rocks form from layers of sediment that can trap and preserve the remains of organisms, creating fossils.
Question 4: During a solar eclipse, what is happening?
- Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon
- The Moon passes between Earth and the Sun (Correct answer)
- The Sun moves behind Earth
- A cloud blocks sunlight reaching Earth
Correct answer: The Moon passes between Earth and the Sun
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, temporarily blocking sunlight from reaching parts of Earth's surface.
Question 5: Which characteristic do all living things share?
- They can fly or swim
- They are made of cells (Correct answer)
- They live in water
- They produce seeds
Correct answer: They are made of cells
All living organisms — from bacteria to plants to animals — are composed of one or more cells, the basic unit of life.
Question 6: A flashlight beam appears to travel in a straight line. This property of light is called:
- Reflection
- Refraction
- Rectilinear propagation (Correct answer)
- Dispersion
Correct answer: Rectilinear propagation
Rectilinear propagation means that light travels in straight lines unless it is reflected, refracted, or diffracted.
Question 7: Which of the following best explains why metal spoons get hot when left in a hot pot of soup?
- Radiation from the soup
- Convection currents through the spoon
- Conduction of heat through the metal (Correct answer)
- Evaporation cooling the spoon
Correct answer: Conduction of heat through the metal
Metals are good conductors of heat; thermal energy transfers from the hot soup through the metal spoon by conduction.
ICAS Science 5
Which gas do humans exhale in greater amounts compared to what they inhale?