STUDENT NAME________________________________

SCIENCE TEACHER _____________SCI PERIOD________________

DATE ___________________________________

DIRECTIONS:

Today you will be taking the ninth grade Practice Science CT Academic Performance Task (CAPT). This test is designed to test your skills and knowledge in science that you have learned in elementary, middle, and high school. It has questions taken from earth, life, and physical science, as well as about experiments. You should make sure to read each question carefully, including the information given at the beginning of each section. Examine the diagrams to help you understand the questions as well. Some questions may refer to diagrams or information from the previous page.

For the multiple choice sections, make sure to place your answers on your Scantron sheet on the appropriate side.

Make sure the Scantron has your full name, neatly written, on both sides, as well as your science teacher name.

SECTION ONE:

You will have 50 minutes to complete this section. There are 26 multiple-choice questions, and 6 short answer essays. Write your answers to the essays in the test booklet, and the answers to the multiple choice on the front side of your Scantron sheet with a number two pencil. When you finish this section, do NOT continue on to the next section.

When you are instructed, turn to page 4 and begin.

Use the information on the next two pages to answer the four open-ended experimentation questions. Answer the questions in the space provided. Make sure to write clearly and neatly, while answering the question fully.

CRATERS (1-4 Open Ended)

Two students decided to do an experiment to determine how the size of a meteor affects crater depth. They used 3 metal spheres of different sizes and dropped each from 2 different heights into a tray of sand, recording the depth of the crater each time. Their results are given in the table below:

Sphere Radius Height Dropped Depth of Crater

2 cm 30 cm 0.4 cm

2 cm 90 cm 1.8 cm

4 cm 30 cm 0.6 cm

4 cm 90 cm 1.8 cm

8 cm 30 cm 0.6 cm

8 cm 90 cm 4 cm

CRATERS, continued

1. What conclusions can be drawn from the group’s experiment and results? How valid do you think these conclusions are, based on the group’s experiment and results? Explain your answer fully. .

CRATERS, continued

2. Sketch an appropriate graph of the students’ results in the space provided, showing all results and using proper labels:

CRATERS, continued

3. What variables need to be controlled in a similar experiment to determine how mass of a meteor affects the size of a crater? Explain your answer fully:

CRATERS, continued

4. Suppose you wished to conduct an experiment with plastic objects and a tray of sand to determine how shape of a meteor affects the size of a crater. Write the procedures you would follow in conducting this experiment

.

Use the information on the next four pages to answer the two open-ended conceptual questions. Answer the questions in the space provided. Make sure to write clearly and neatly, while answering the question fully.

5.

Genetic Counseling

Before having children, couples may seek genetic counseling to find out if their babies will be at risk of inheriting genetically transmitted diseases.

Cystic fibrosis is a common heridetary disease that usually appears in early childhood. It involves glandular disorders and leads to problems with digestion and respiration. The recessive gene for cystic fibrosis may be represented by “n”, with “N” representing the dominent allele for normal trait. Only a person with two recessive genes (nn) will have cystic fibrosis. A person with a dominent gene (N) and a recessive gene (n) does not have the disease but has the potential to transmit it to his or her children. A person with the genotype Nn is frequently called a “carrier”.

After having three healthy children, Martin and Jessica went to see a genetic counselor. The counselor tested the couple and found that both Martin and Jessica are heterozygous (Nn) for cystic fibrousis. This means that they do not have cystic fibrosis, but they could have a child with the disease.

		Jessica
		N	n
Martin	N	NN	Nn
	n	Nn	nn

Using the chart above, the counselor explained that the couple had a 25% chance (1 in 4) of having a child with cystic fibrosis.

Martin and Jessica were dissapointed. They wanted another child, but since they already had three healthy children, they believed that a fourth child would almost surely have cystic fibrosis.

Do you agree with Martin and Jessica’s conclusion? Explain your answer fully

GENETIC COUNSELING OPEN ENDED QUESTION CONTINUED

EARTHQUAKE

6. Why is an earthquake more likely to occur in California than in Connecticut? Explain fully.

EARTHQUAKE OPEN ENDED QUESTION CONTINUED

Directions: Use side one of the Scantron sheet provided to answer the following 26 multiple-choice questions. Please make sure your Scantron has your name, science teacher and science period on both sides. Be sure to read the information given and look at the diagrams in each section carefully. Make a clear mark with a number two pencil. When you are finished with Section One do not go on to Section Two. You may go back and revise and or finish your work on the previous multiple choice or essay questions.

Fossil Record

In a section of the Grand Canyon, scientists have found fossil remains of several different groups of organisms. The diagram below represents the number and age of the fossils the scientist found. The width of each shaded area in the diagram indicates the relative number of fossils found.

1. Which of the following statements does the fossil record support?

a. Group C is now extinct.

b. Group D has been in existence the longest.

c. Group A is the most recent organism to come into existence.

d. Group B was the most numerous organism 10 million years ago.

2 Which of the following is usually most helpful in determining the age of these fossils?

a. The size of the fossil.

b. The color of the fossil.

c. The amount of surface area of the rock layer in which the fossil is found.

d. The depth of the rock layer in which the fossils are found.

3. Fossils from both Group B and Group C have recently been found together in

another part of the world. What is the probable age of these fossils?

a. Less than 10 million years old.

b. 10-20 million years old.

c. 20-30 million years old.

d. More than 30 million years old.

4. The scientists hypothesize that the four groups of fossilized organisms originated from a common ancestor. Which of the following would provide the best evidence that their hypothesis is correct?

a.) The number of fossils found in each group is similar.

b.) Present day members of the group live in the same environment.

c.) Fossils from each group were found in the same rock layer.

d.) Members of the groups have similar physical structures.

Continue on to the next page to answer questions 5-6 about Fossil Record.

Theory 1

Theory 2

Time

A E C D A E C D

B

B

The scientists have recently been studying the fossil remains of a fifth group of organisms called ‘Group E’. Two theories have been proposed about the relationship of Group E to the other groups. The family trees represented in the diagram above represent the two theories. Family trees show the relationship between different groups of organisms over time.

5. One of the scientists made the following statement: “Group E came into existence after Group C.” The statement is true for…

1. Theory 1
2. Theory 2
3. Both theories
4. Neither theory

6. The scientists have recently examined DNA of present day organisms from

groups A,C, and E. They have found that the DNA of group E is more like group A than Group C. This evidence…

1. supports Theory 1.
2. supports Theory 2.
3. supports both theories.
4. supports neither theory.

WHAT’S THE MATTER? Questions 7-10

7. Which of the following statements best describes the energy transformations that occur when a log burns?

a) Mechanical energy changes to chemical energy

b) Chemical energy changes to heat and light energy

c) Heat and light energy changes to chemical energy

d) Mechanical energy changes to heat and light energy

8. A log was burned in a fireplace. Which statement is true about the leftover ashes when they are compared to the original unburned log?

a) The ashes have more mechanical energy than the unburned log.

b) The ashes occupy the same amount of space as the unburned log.

c) The ashes have less chemical energy than the unburned log.

d) The ashes have the same molecular structure as the unburned log.

9. Which of the following chemical equations best represents the burning of a log?

a) Wood + CO₂ à O₂ + H₂O + energy

b) Wood + O₂ à CO₂+ H₂O + energy

c) Wood + H₂O à O₂ + CO₂ + energy

d) Wood à CO₂ + O₂ + H₂O + energy

10. Which area around the campfire would most likely be the hottest due to the convection of air?

a) The ground near the pot or kettle.

b) Directly above the campfire.

c) Underneath the wood.

d) A spot in the air a few inches above the ground next to the campfire.

TIDES Use the information to answer questions 11-14.

Diagram not drawn to scale

11. The time at which high tide and low tides occur changes by about 50 minutes each day. Which of the following best explains this occurrence?

a) The ocean currents delay the tides

b) The prevailing winds act in opposition to the tides in most areas.

c) The moon is not in the same position relative to the Earth each day.

d) The pull of the sun slows down the cycle

12. Why does the moon have a greater effect on the tides than the sun?

a) The moon is larger than the sun.

b) The moon is solid while the sun is gaseous

c) The moon rotates more quickly than the sun.

d) The moon is closer than the sun to the Earth.

Continue on to the two problems on the next page.

TIDES continued...

13. The gas giant planet Saturn is close to ten times the mass of the Earth, and also has over a dozen smaller moons. Which is true about the tidal forces around Saturn?

a) The tidal forces on Saturn are less than the Earth because it is further from the Sun.

b) The tidal forces on each moon equal the tidal force it causes on Saturn.

c) The tidal forces on Saturn are less than the Earth because there are more moons.

d) The tidal forces on Saturn do not depend on the number of moons.

14) Which is the best explanation of the cause of Saturn’s rings?

a) Saturn’s rings were caused by dust and rocks from other planets.

b) Saturn’s rings were caused by a large meteor impact on its surface.

c) Saturn’s rings were caused by pieces of each moon breaking off.

d) Saturn’s rings were caused by a moon broken up by tidal forces.

EXAMINING SIMPLE COMMUNITIES QUESTIONS 15-18

A group of organisms that interact with and depend upon one another is called a community. The movement of matter and energy through a community can be studied by examining its food web. As organisms eat other organisms, energy and nutrients pass through various feeding levels. These feeding levels are called trophic levels. The following is a diagram of the energy and nutrient flow through a simple community.

15. Which group would most likely contain living algae?

a) Producers

b) First order consumers

c) Second order consumers

d) Decomposers

16. According to the diagram, nutrients from dead organisms are released into the soil by the action of_______.

a) producers

b) First order consumers

c) Third order consumers

d) Decomposers

Continue on to the two problems on the next page.
Examining Simple Communities, continued

17. Which of the following trophic levels would have the least amount of available energy?

a) Producers

b) First order consumers

c) Second order consumers

d) Third order consumers

18. Which statement is true, based on the diagram?

a) Energy flows through a community from the sun to producers and then to consumers.

b) Nutrients are available to producers, but not consumers.

c) Nutrients and energy come from sunlight.

d) Some trophic levels have no available energy.

GLOBAL CLIMATE, Questions 19-22

Global warming, or the greenhouse effect, is the name given to the idea the earth’s climate is affected by gases. Carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor, and other pollutants all trap in heat radiated by the earth, creating a rise in the global temperature.

19) As a consequence of global warming, coastal areas could:

a) be flooded as ocean levels rise

b) become further inland as ocean levels recede

c) get cooler due to more water in the water cycle

d) sink, as the land becomes less stable from changes in the ocean water

20) According to the graph, the years with the highest five year average temperatures correspond to:

a) The years with the highest levels of carbon dioxide

b) The years with the lowest levels of carbon dioxide

c) The years with the slowest rising levels of carbon dioxide

d) There is no relationship between temperature and carbon dioxide levels.

Continue on to the two problems on the next page.
GLOBAL CLIMATE, continued

21) If the Earth’s average temperature was warmer, what would most likely happen to the weather patterns?

a) Every spot on the earth would be warmer all the time.

b) The weather would be more unstable.

c) Only places away from water would get warmer.

d) There would be less difference between winter and summer.

22) If the weather in CT was five degrees warmer per day, on average, we would most likely have:

a) more storms

b) fewer clouds

c) less humidity

d) higher pressure

Crash Test Smarties Questions 23-26

Modern automobiles are tested for collision safety using models of human beings often called crash test dummies. These “dummies” are actually quite “smart”. They are often fitted with sensor devices that can record their motion and force of impact during an automobile collision.

23. When the car accelerates from a standing start, the crash dummy appears to

be pressed backward into the seat cushions. Which of the following is the best explains why this happens?

a. The crash dummy gets lighter as the car accelerates.

b. The car is moving forward faster than the crash dummy.

c. There is nor reaction to the force of the car taking off.

d. Gravity is pulling the crash test dummy in the direction the car is moving.

24. Once the car was in motion at a constant velocity, a technician measured the speed of the car at 80 km/hr relative to the wall. At that instant, how fast was the crash test dummy moving relative to the wall?

a. 0 km/hr

b. 40 km/hr

c. 80 km/hr

d. 160 km/hr

Continue on to the two problems on the next page.

25.A car reaches 80 km/hr, then suddenly crashes into the concrete wall.

Without a seat belt, the crash test dummy slams into the car’s dashboard because…

a. The kinetic energy of the crash test dummy drops to zero.

b. The dashboard is pushed backwards into the crash test dummy.

c. The momentum of the car is being transferred to the crash test dummy.

d. The car has stopped, but the crash test dummy is still moving forward.

26.In the diagrams shown below, the length of the arrow indicates the relative

amount of force. Which of these diagrams correctly shows the amount and direction of the forces on the wall and the car during the collision?

a.

Force of Car on Wall Force of Wall on Car

b.

Force of Car on Wall Force of Wall on Car

c.

Force of Car on Wall Force of Wall on Car

d.

Force of Car on Wall Force of Wall on Car

DO NOT CONTINUE ON TO THE NEXT SECTION. You may go back and check your work on this section only. Make sure you have erased any stray marks completely.

STUDENT NAME________________________________

SCIENCE TEACHER _____________SCI PERIOD________________

DATE ___________________________________

DIRECTIONS:

Today you will be taking the ninth grade Practice Science CT Academic Performance Task (CAPT). This test is designed to test your skills and knowledge in science that you have learned in elementary, middle, and high school. You should make sure to read each question carefully, including the information given at the beginning of each section. Examine the diagrams to help you understand the questions as well.

For the multiple choice sections, make sure to place your answers on your Scantron sheet on the appropriate side.

Make sure the Scantron has your full name, neatly written, on both sides, as well as your science teacher name.

SECTION TWO

You will have 50 minutes to complete this section. There are 28 multiple choice questions, and 4 short answer essays. Please use the space provided for the short answer essays, and the second side of the Scantron for the multiple choice questions. When you finish this section, do NOT go back to the previous section. When you are told to, turn to page 27 and begin.

BOILING

(7) A hiker brings a pot of water from sea level into the high altitude mountains. What do you think will happen to the temperature at which the water boils as she goes higher up? Explain fully why you think so.

BOILING CONTINUED

What Happened to the Craters?

Many meteors have struck both the Earth and the moon, which have created craters on their surfaces. Explain fully why most of the craters of the moon are still visible while most of the Earth’s are not.

CRATERS continued

Prescribing Antibiotics

.

Doctors need to be careful not to give their patients an antibiotic such as penicillin too often. If the same antibiotic is prescribed too many times, it can become less effective against bacteria. Explain fully why this is so.

ANTIBIOTICS continued

What Energy transformations influence the motion of this battery powered toy fan car? Explain your answer fully.

TOY FAN CAR Continued

Directions: Use side two of the Scantron sheet provided to answer the following 28 multiple choice questions. (Begin with number 51). Please make sure your Scantron has your name, science teacher and science period on both sides. Be sure to read the information given and look at the diagrams in each section carefully. Make a clear mark with a number two pencil. When you are finished with Section Two do not go back to Section One. You may go back and revise and or finish your work on the previous multiple choice or essay questions.

EXPERIMENTING

An experiment was done to determine what factors about a meteor affect the size of a crater. Students conducted the experiment by dropping objects into a tray of sand.

51) Which of the following would NOT have been a possible dependent variable for this experiment?

A) The width of the crater across.

B) The depth of the crater.

C) The amount of sand sprayed up from the crater.

D) The amount of water the crater made could hold.

52) Which of the following would NOT have been a possible independent variable for this experiment?

A) The mass of the object in grams.

B) The height of the object in cm.

C) The amount of sand in the tray.

D) The angle the object is dropped at.

53) To conduct a valid experiment using the speed of the object as the factor being tested it is appropriate to:

A) Use different people to drop the objects each time.

B) Drop the object from zero height as a control group.

C) Change the mass of the object at each height.

D) Use a new different tray of sand each time the object is dropped.

54) A group did a similar experiment with dropping three different mass objects that were all the same radius. The two heaviest objects produced craters that were the same width. This means:

A) Their experiment is bad, because different masses should always produce different widths.

B) They should measure crater depth as well as crater width.

C) Nothing is wrong with their experiment, and they don’t need to do anything else.

D) Their experiment is bad, because they should have changed the radius AND the mass of the objects they dropped.

ORIGIN OF THE CONTINENTS AND OCEANS, Questions 55-58

55.) What is today's best evidence that mountain chains are different ages?

a) They all have different length.

b.) They have different types of fossils.

c.) They have folded layers of rocks.

d.) The crystals in their rocks are of different sizes.

56.) One way in which the ages of rocks are determined is by radioactive dating. This helps because radioactive substances:

a.) are produced by weathering

b.) decay faster over time

c.) produce known changes in cellular materials.

d.) decay at known rates.

57) The continents of South America and Africa were once together. The best evidence for this is:

a.) both have rainforests

b.) both have active volcanoes

c.) both have matching rock formation of similar age and type

d.) both have descendants of extinct species.

58.) Suppose an island near the Arctic circle has rocks with fossils of beech, poplar, oak and maple trees. This would indicate that past conditions were:

a.) less windy

b.) more stable

c.) much warmer

d.) less humid

Flotation (use for Questions 59-62)

Archimedes, a Greek mathematician and physicist who lived over 2200 years ago, is credited for discovering that:

An object immersed in a fluid will be pushed up by a buoyant

force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object.

The following are several ideas that relate to the statement above.

Floating Objects

· An object placed in a fluid will sink into the fluid until it has displaced a volume of fluid whose weight is equal to the weight of the object.

· An object will float in a fluid when the object has a density less than the density of the fluid.

Sinking Objects

· When an object sinks in a fluid, it displaces exactly its own volume of the fluid.

· An object will sink in a fluid when the object has a density greater than the density of the fluid.

Density

· The density of a substance is its mass divided by its volume.

· The density of water is one gram per cubic centimeter (1 g/cm³)

FLOATATION QUESTIONS ON NEXT PAGE

FLOTATION (continued)

Use the above information to help you answer the following questions 59-62

59.) A wooden ball with a density of 0.08 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³) and an aluminum ball with a density of 2.7 g/cm³ are exactly the same size. Both are put in a glass of water. Which of the following statements is true?

a) Both balls will displace the same volume of water.

b) The aluminum ball will displace a greater volume of water than the wooden ball.

c) Both balls will displace the same weight of water.

d) The wooden ball will displace a greater volume of water than the aluminum ball.

60) Ice floats in water. From this statement it is reasonable to predict that, when a liter of water freezes to form ice its…

a. density decreases

b. weight decreases

c. density increases

d. weight increases

61. Ice sinks in methyl alcohol that has a density of 0.8 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³) but floats in liquid water. Based on this information, which of these conclusions is correct?

a. Ice is less dense than methyl alcohol.

b. Frozen water has more density than liquid water.

c. The density of ice is between 0.8. g/cm³ and 1 g/cm³.

d. Liquid water will also float on methyl alcohol.

62. Some lakes, such as the Great Salt Lake, accumulate soluble mineral,

especially salt. In those lakes, people find it much easier to float than when they are in fresh water. Why is this?

a. The salt water has greater density than fresh water.

b. People displace a smaller volume of fresh water than salt water.

c. Fresh water is denser, causing people to sink.

d. This effect is only imaginary because floating depends on the skill of people.

Periodic Table Use the Periodic Table (on next page) for questions 63-66, along with the key:

63. Which of the following is the most important factor in determining an element’s place on the periodic table?

a.) Number of protons

b.) Number of neutrons

c.) Element symbol

d.) Element name

64.) Oxygen has an atomic number of 8. Which of the following elements would you expect to be the most similar to oxygen in terms of its chemical properties?

a.) Nitrogen (N)

b.) Fluorine (F)

c.) Sulfur (S)

d.) Chlorine (Cl)

65.) Potassium (K), atomic number 19, a metal, will most likely react with which of the following elements?

a.) Sodium (Na), because it is in the same column.

b.) Calcium (Ca), because it is in the same row.

c.) Chlorine (Cl), because it is a nonmetal.

d.) Argon (Ar), because it has a similar mass.

66.) The periodic chart does not show any elements with atomic numbers above 109. Which of the following best explains why this is so?

a.) It is impossible for such elements to exist anywhere in the universe.

b.) These elements had not yet been discovered when the table was made.

c.) These elements are less important so they are generally not shown.

d.) The elements begin to repeat themselves at that point.

Photosynthesis (Questions 67-70)

The following equation represents the process of photosynthesis in green plants.

Light

6CO₂ + 6H₂O C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂

Chlorophyll

(Carbon Dioxide + Water, in the Presence of Light and Chlorophyll Sugar + Oxygen)

67.) What happens to most of the light energy during photosynthesis?

a.) It is transformed into heat energy.

b.) It is transformed into chemical energy.

c.) It is changed into carbon dioxide.

d.) It is changed into oxygen

68.) Which statement about green plants is true?

a.) Most green plants do not need food.

b.) Most green plants take in food through their roots.

c.) Most green plants take in food through their leaves.

d.) Most green plants manufacture their own food.

PHOTOSHYNTHESIS CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

PHOTOSYNTHESIS continued

69.) Based on the above graph, deep water algae probably________

a.) have a lower rate of photosynthesis than green plants.

b.) can only appear to be green or blue.

c.) reflect blue light.

d.) absorb orange light.

70.) Which of the following properties of the earth’s atmosphere is due mainly to the processes of living things?

a.) The Earth’s atmosphere contains some carbon dioxide.

b.) The Earth’s atmosphere is warmer than the ocean.

c.) The Earth’s atmosphere contains a lot of oxygen.

d.) The Earth’s atmosphere appears to be blue.

Seafood: Questions 71-74

It is important for fish as well as other marine animals to avoid being attacked by predators. Some marine animals such as seals are able to escape an attack by swimming quickly. Other marine animals use different adaptations to avoid predators. The table below describes some of these adaptations.

Adaptation	Examples of How Adaptations Are Used
Camouflage	Sargassum fish disguise themselves to merge with surroundings and hide from enemies
Countershading	Snappers have white-colored bottoms and darker tops that make it difficult for predators below the prey to see the prey against the sky.
Schooling	A school of tuna has the appearance of one large fish as opposed to several smaller fish. This deters predators.
Deceptive markings	Clown fish confuse their predators into attacking non-vital areas of their bodies.

71.) Based on the picture above, the fish shown uses which adaptation?

a.) Camouflage

b.) Countershading

c.) Schooling

d.) Deceptive markings

Seafood continued on next page.
Seafood (continued)

72.) One reason some fish may have one or two eye spots, as shown above, is to_________

a.) blend in with their surroundings.

b.) make it difficult to be seen from below.

c.) confuse predators into attacking their tails.

d.) see predators coming from behind.

73.) If a population of snappers, as described in the chart, was moved from a murky, muddy bottomed lake to a clear, light sand bottomed pool of water they most likely would:

a.) Evolve quickly into a population of all white fish.

b.) Be wiped out immediately by the predators.

c.) Use their current adaptation to protect themselves.

d.) Evolve slowly into a population of all dark fish.

74.) The highest concentration of life exists in the top 200 meters of ocean water. The most important factor that influences this concentration of life is the _________

a.) amount of gases at the surface.

b.) amount of nutrients in the water.

c.) large number of predators at lower depths.

d.) amount of sunlight.

Water Cycle (Questions 75-78)

The water cycle is the continuous movement of water between the Earth’s surface and its atmosphere. An illustration of the water cycle is shown below.

The following processes play important roles in the water cycle:

· Evaporation-the changing of a liquid to a gas

· Condensation-the changing of a gas to a liquid

· Precipitation-the process of depositing water in liquid or solid form.

75) What type of energy drives the water cycle?

a.) Wind

b.) Mechanical

c.) Solar

d.) Chemical

WATER CYCLE Continued on next Page

Water Cycle Continued

76.) Which of the following properties or characteristics of water does not change during the water cycle?

a.) Temperature

b.) Physical State

c.) Molecular structure

d.) Kinetic energy

77.) Airline pilots flying high in the sky sometimes report snow falling outside their aircraft while down on the ground there is no precipitation falling. Which of the following best explains what is happening?

a.) The snow condenses to a liquid before it hits the ground.

b.) Evaporating water in the air forces the snow back up into the clouds.

c.) The snow melts and evaporates before it hits the ground.

d.) Water condenses on the snow forming new clouds.

78.) The water cycle is one example of a pattern of change that occurs in nature. Which of the following processes is most similar to the pattern of change that occurs in the water cycle?

a.) The mutation of a gene

b.) The evolution of a species

c.) The decay of radioactive material

d.) The breakdown and formation of rocks

DO NOT GO BACK TO ANY OTHER SECTION. You may go back and check your work on this section only. Make sure you have erased any stray marks completely.