ISASP Science 5

Question 1

A food web shows grass → grasshopper → frog → snake → hawk. If a disease kills most of the frogs, which population would most likely increase first?

Accepted Answer

Grasshoppers

Answer

With fewer frogs eating grasshoppers, the grasshopper population would likely increase due to reduced predation.

Question 2

Which of the following best explains why planets orbit the Sun rather than moving in straight lines through space?

Accepted Answer

The Sun's gravity continuously curves the path of each planet

Answer

The Sun's gravity acts as a centripetal force that continuously bends each planet's path into an elliptical orbit.

Question 3

Which process causes rocks to break down into smaller pieces through physical means without changing their chemical composition?

Accepted Answer

Mechanical weathering

Answer

Mechanical (physical) weathering breaks rocks into smaller pieces through forces like ice expansion, abrasion, and plant roots — no new minerals form.

Question 4

An atom of carbon has 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons. What is the overall charge of this atom?

Accepted Answer

0 (neutral)

Answer

An atom is electrically neutral when the number of protons (positive) equals the number of electrons (negative), so 6 protons and 6 electrons cancel out.

Question 5

Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between wavelength and frequency of electromagnetic waves?

Accepted Answer

Shorter wavelength means higher frequency

Answer

Since all electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed (speed of light), shorter wavelengths must complete more cycles per second, meaning higher frequency.

ISASP - Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress Practice Test

ISASP - Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress Practice Test

ISASP Science 5