SOL Science Practice 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What term describes an organism's role and interactions within its ecosystem, including what it eats and where it lives?
- Niche (Correct answer)
- Habitat
- Biome
- Population
Correct answer: Niche
A niche encompasses an organism's role, resource use, and interactions with other organisms in its ecosystem.
An ecological niche describes the full range of environmental conditions and resources an organism needs to survive, along with its role and interactions within its community, such as what it eats, what eats it, and how it affects its environment. It differs from habitat, which refers only to the physical place where an organism lives.
Question 2: Which type of energy is stored in an object due to its position or condition, such as a ball held at the top of a hill?
- Potential energy (Correct answer)
- Kinetic energy
- Thermal energy
- Sound energy
Correct answer: Potential energy
Potential energy is stored energy based on position, such as height above the ground, and converts to kinetic energy when released.
Potential energy is energy an object possesses due to its position, condition, or configuration, such as height in a gravitational field or the compression of a spring. When the ball at the top of a hill is released, its potential energy converts into kinetic energy, the energy of motion, as it rolls down.
Question 3: What is the process by which rock is broken down into smaller pieces by wind, water, or ice called?
- Weathering (Correct answer)
- Erosion
- Deposition
- Compaction
Correct answer: Weathering
Weathering breaks rocks into smaller fragments through physical or chemical processes, without moving the material.
Weathering is the breakdown of rocks, soil, and minerals through direct contact with the atmosphere, water, ice, or living organisms. It can be mechanical (physical breaking apart, such as freeze-thaw cycles) or chemical (dissolving minerals through reactions). It differs from erosion, which is the transport of weathered material.
Question 4: Which organ system is primarily responsible for transporting oxygen and nutrients throughout the human body?
- The circulatory system (Correct answer)
- The digestive system
- The nervous system
- The skeletal system
Correct answer: The circulatory system
The circulatory system, including the heart, blood, and blood vessels, delivers oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout the body.
The circulatory system, also called the cardiovascular system, consists of the heart, blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries), and blood. It is responsible for pumping oxygen-rich blood and nutrients to cells throughout the body while carrying away carbon dioxide and waste products.
Question 5: What is the term for a change in matter that produces a new substance with different chemical properties, such as rusting or burning?
- Chemical change (Correct answer)
- Physical change
- Phase change
- Mechanical change
Correct answer: Chemical change
A chemical change creates a new substance with different properties, unlike a physical change which alters only form or appearance.
A chemical change occurs when a substance transforms into one or more new substances with different chemical properties, often evidenced by color change, gas production, temperature change, or formation of a precipitate. Examples include rusting (iron reacting with oxygen) and combustion (burning wood), both of which produce new substances that cannot easily be reversed to the original material.
Question 6: Which planet in our solar system is known as the 'Red Planet' due to iron oxide on its surface?
- Mars (Correct answer)
- Venus
- Jupiter
- Mercury
Correct answer: Mars
Mars appears red because of iron oxide, or rust, covering much of its surface.
Mars is often called the 'Red Planet' because its surface is covered with iron oxide dust, commonly known as rust, which gives it a reddish appearance visible even from Earth. Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and has been extensively explored by rovers such as Curiosity and Perseverance.
SOL Science Practice 2
What term describes an organism's role and interactions within its ecosystem, including what it eats and where it lives?