TCAP Science 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which process do plants use to convert light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose?
- Cellular respiration
- Fermentation
- Photosynthesis (Correct answer)
- Transpiration
Correct answer: Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis uses sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce glucose and oxygen in chloroplasts.
Question 2: Tennessee lies within which major drainage basin, meaning most of its rivers eventually flow into this system?
- Colorado River Basin
- Mississippi River Basin (Correct answer)
- Great Lakes Basin
- Atlantic Coast Basin
Correct answer: Mississippi River Basin
Most Tennessee rivers, including the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, are tributaries of the Mississippi River system.
Question 3: A scientist adds an acid to a base solution. Which indicator would show that the mixture has reached a neutral pH?
- Litmus paper turns red
- Litmus paper turns blue
- Litmus paper remains purple (Correct answer)
- Litmus paper turns yellow
Correct answer: Litmus paper remains purple
Purple (unchanged) litmus paper indicates a neutral solution with a pH of approximately 7.
Question 4: Which type of symbiotic relationship benefits one organism while neither harming nor helping the other?
- Mutualism
- Parasitism
- Commensalism (Correct answer)
- Competition
Correct answer: Commensalism
Commensalism describes a relationship where one species benefits and the other is unaffected.
Question 5: A fossil of a marine organism is found on a mountaintop in Tennessee. What does this evidence most strongly suggest?
- The organism could breathe air
- The area was once covered by a shallow sea (Correct answer)
- The fossil was carried there by animals
- The organism lived on land long ago
Correct answer: The area was once covered by a shallow sea
Marine fossils found inland indicate the region was once submerged under an ancient ocean.
Question 6: What is the term for the minimum amount of energy required to start a chemical reaction?
- Thermal energy
- Activation energy (Correct answer)
- Potential energy
- Binding energy
Correct answer: Activation energy
Activation energy is the energy threshold that reactants must overcome for a chemical reaction to proceed.
Question 7: Which moon phase occurs when Earth is positioned directly between the Sun and the Moon?
- New moon
- First quarter
- Full moon (Correct answer)
- Waning crescent
Correct answer: Full moon
A full moon occurs when Earth is between the Sun and Moon, allowing the entire lunar surface to be illuminated.
TCAP Science 3
Which process do plants use to convert light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose?