General Science Multiple Choice and Short Answer Questions and Answers


"Fool's gold" is a common name for this mineral:  
w) halite
x) cinnabar
y) magnetite
z) pyrite
ANSWER:  Z -- PYRITE


If it is 5:00 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time, what time is it in Washington, DC in December?
ANSWER:  12 NOON


What science deals with the structure of the universe and its origin?  
ANSWER:  YOSMOLOGY


Which two gases are used to disinfect water in sewage treatment facilities?
w) helium and nitrogen
x) ozone and chlorine
y) oxygen and hydrogen
z) nitrogen and chlorine
ANSWER:  X -- OZONE AND CHLORINE


What naturally occurring radioactive substance present in indoor air  is suspected as the second leading cause of lung cancer?
ANSWER:  RADON


If the time between a lightning flash and the resulting thunder  is five seconds, approximately how far away was the lightning?  
ANSWER:  WBOUT ONE MILE (ACCEPT 5300-5800 FEET)


Which of the following building materials has the HIGHEST thermal conductivity?  
w) Southern pine wood 
x) common brick 
y) aluminum 
z) gypsum board or drywall A
NSWER:  Y -- ALUMINUM 


Thermal insulation is used to:   
w) stop the flow of heat. 
x) reduce the flow of heat. 
y) absorb heat. 
z) reverse the heat flow direction. 
ANSWER:  X -- REDUCE THE FLOW OF HEAT.


The region of the United States with the lowest pH values found in rainwater (acid rain) is: 
w)  Mid West 
x)  North West 
y)  North East 
z)  South East 
ANSWER:  Y -- NORTH EAST 





The specific gravity of mercury at Standard Temperature and Pressure  is: 
w)  0.75 
x)  4.0 
y)  13.6 
z)  19.3 
ANSWER:  Y -- 13.6


Consider efficiencies of hydro-turbines and generators. If the efficiency  of a hydro-turbine is 80% and the efficiency of a generator is 90%, what is the overall efficiency  of the unit? 
w)  85% 
x)  72% 
y)  90% 
z)  70% 
ANSWER:  X -- 72% 


Name this much publicized group of compounds, of which there are 209  congeners.  It was first discovered as an environmental pollutant in 1966, and its widespread use  in electrical transformers has spread these compounds into the food chain to such an extent that  most adults have small concentrations in their fatty tissue. 
ANSWER:  PCB's (Accept POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYL'S) 


Recent discoveries of ancient cratering near the Yucatan Peninsula support the theory that a meteor or cometary impact may have resulted in mass extinctions of species on Earth about 65 million years ago.  During which geologic period is that impact thought to have occurred? 
w)  Permian 
x)  Triassic 
y)  Jurassic 
z)  Cretaceous 
ANSWER:  Z -- CRETACEOUS 


In the United States the average number of gallons per person of fresh  water used per day for personal (non-industrial) use such as bathing, laundering, drinking, and  the like is approximately: 
w)  10 gallons 
x)  30 gallons 
y)  60 gallons 
z)  90 gallons 
ANSWER:  Z -- 90 GALLONS



"Hard" water is related to the presence of high concentrations of primarily four metal ions in water supplies.  Calcium and magnesium ions are the most common of the four.  Name one of the other two ions. 
ANSWER:  IRON AND MANGANESE 


When the fuel economy of a 20 miles per gallon car is averaged with that  of a 40 miles per gallon car and both cars are driven the same number of miles per year, the resulting average, in miles per gallon, is: 
ANSWER:  26.7 (MILES PER GALLON) (Accept 25.7 TO 27.7)   


Taxol is a drug currently being used to treat cancer, particularly resistant forms of breast cancer.  A natural source of Taxol is:   
w)  bark and leaves of the yew tree 
x)  apricot pits 
y)  periwinkle flowers 
z)  ginkgo leaves 
ANSWER:  W -- BARK AND LEAVES OF THE YEW TREE 






About what percent of the electricity used in the United States is currently being produced by nuclear power plants? 
w)  5 percent 
x)  10 percent 
y)  20 percent 
z)  30 percent 
ANSWER:  Y -- 20 PERCENT 


Some physicians suggest that women supplement their diets with antacids to supply additional amounts of a certain element thought to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.  The ingredient in antacids which provides this element is:   
w)  calcium carbonate 
x)  aluminum hydroxide 
y)  magnesium hydroxide 
z)  simethicone 
ANSWER:  W -- CALCIUM CARBONATE



If you started with 100 grams of each of the materials below and they all vaporized inside of an inflatable balloon, which of them would produce the largest volume balloon, assuming they were all at the same temperature?   
w)  water 
x)  gasoline 
y)  ethanol 
z)  butane 
ANSWER: W -- WATER 


In 1976, Congress enacted the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act  designed to protect public health and the environment from improper management of hazardous waste. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act categorizes hazardous wastes into four  groups. Identify three of the four groups. 
ANSWER:  TOXIC (POISONOUS), REACTIVE, IGNITABLE, AND CORROSIVE   


The estrogen and androgen hormones which regulate sexual development and function are structurally related to:   
w)  beta carotene 
x)  ethanol 
y)  adrenaline 
z)  cholesterol 
ANSWER:  Z -- CHOLESTEROL


The most abundant organic molecule on the surface of the Earth is:   
w)  cellulose
x)  chitin 
y)  DNA 
z)  hemoglobin 
ANSWER:  W -- CELLULOSE


The heat exhaust of an automobile with an internal combustion engine represents approximately what percent of the energy of the original fuel?   
w)  10 % 
x)  50 % 
y)  35 % 
z)  5 % 
ANSWER: Y -- 35 %


In a precise diet and nutrition study, you need to determine the average  weight and average height of a group each to a precision of 1%. The minimum sample size  required is 
w)  10
x)  100 
y)  1000 
z)  10,000 
ANSWER:  Z -- 10,000 

Liquid fuels can be used to generate electricity in a variety of ways. Which of the following technologies converts liquid fuel directly to electricity without a combustion step? 
w)  turbine 
x)  battery 
y)  fuel cell 
z)  Stirling engine 
ANSWER:  Y -- FUEL CELL 

A color television set employs a 25,000 volt electron accelerator to produce the picture and potentially harmful radiation which must be shielded against.  The main   component of this radiation consists of 
w)  electrons which penetrate the picture tube 
x)  soft x-rays 
y)  microwaves 
z)  ultraviolet radiation 
ANSWER:  X -- SOFT X-RAYS


What is the neurotoxic organometal that caused even more injuries in Iraq in 1971-72 than it did in the 50's and 60's at Minamata Bay, Japan?   
ANSWER:  METHYLMERCURY 


What is the approximate weight in pounds of the atmosphere on a 1 sq. ft. surface at sea level?
w)  15 lbs. 
x)  1500 lbs. 
y)  2100 lbs. 
z)  20,000 lbs. 
ANSWER: Y -- 2100 LBS. 


What common flavoring comes from the long slender fruit of a climbing  orchid? 
ANSWER:  VANILLA






What form of radiation most closely resembles X-rays?   
w)  alpha 
x)  beta 
y)  gamma 
z)  neutron 
ANSWER:  Y -- GAMMA 


In the Tyndall Effect, the intensity of scattered radiation is inversely  proportional to the fourth power of the wavelength. Which one of the following colors of light would exhibit the most intense Tyndall scattering? 
w)  yellow 
x)  green
 y)  orange 
z)  violet 
ANSWER:  Z -- VIOLET



One trillion is 1 followed by 12 zeros.  What is 1 followed by 18 zeros? 
w)  1 quadrillion 
x)  1 quintillion 
y)  1 septillion 
z)  1 octillion 
ANSWER:  X -- 1 QUINTILLION 

In daylight the human eye is most sensitive to which color?   
w)  Green 
x)  Red 
y)  Blue 
z)  Orange 
ANSWER:  W -- GREEN

Which of the following people is credited as being the father of mass  production? 
w)  Thomas Edison 
x)  Otto Graham 
y)  Henry Ford 
z)  Eli Whitney 
ANSWER:  Z --  ELI WHITNEY 

A homeowner replaces a 65 watt incandescent bulb with a 15 watt compact fluorescent lamp.  The light is on 2000 hours a year.  If electricity cost 10 cents a kilowatt-hour, how much money is saved on the electric bill in one year?   
w)  $50.00 
x)  $10.00 
y)  $5.00 
z)  $1.00 
ANSWER:  X -- $10.00


A radio station is broadcasting at 3750 khz (kilohertz). This station would be found in which radio band? 
w)  20 meter 
x)  40 meter 
y)  80 meter 
z)  160 meter 
ANSWER:  Y -- 80 METER 


Approximately what percentage of the electricity produced in the United States is consumed by residential appliances?   
w)  20% 
x)  33%
y)  50% 
z)  66% 
ANSWER:  X -- 33% 


Compared to terrestrial environments, aquatic environments are more  stable in: 
w)  temperature range x)  producer consumer distribution 
y)  sunlight absorbed 
z)  number species 
ANSWER:  W -- TEMPERATURE RANGE 


TCDD (2,3,6,7-tetrachlorodibenzo(p)dioxin) is a toxic synthetic chemical.  The most consistent adverse effect observed in exposed humans is:   
w)  liver cancer 
x)  birth defects 
y)  disfiguring skin eruption 
z)  an exaggerated sense of well-being 
ANSWER:  Y -- DISFIGURING SKIN ERUPTION (CHLORACNE)






The U.S. EPA recently concluded that environmental tobacco smoke  should be considered (quote) 
w)  "a possible human teratogen" 
x)  "a priority air pollutant" 
y)  "a known human carcinogen" 
z)  "a possible human carcinogen" 
ANSWER:  Y -- A KNOWN HUMAN CARCINOGEN 


What power cycle is used in jet engines?   
w)  Stirling 
x)  Rankine 
y)  Otto 
z)  Brayton 
ANSWER:  Z -- BRAYTON 


What is the name for the metric unit of pressure defined as 1 Newton   per meter squared? 
ANSWER:  PASCAL 


In the human body, what tendon attaches the gastrocnemius muscle to the calcaneus bone? 
ANSWER: ACHILLES TENDON 


Which of the following is considered a renewable resource?   
w)  Coal fired power plant 
x)  Hydroelectric dam 
y)  Combustion turbine facility 
z)  Nuclear  fission power plant 
ANSWER:  X -- HYDROELECTRIC DAM 


If a quiet whisper is 10 decibels, then what is the average pain threshold in decibels for humans? 
ANSWER:  120 DECIBELS (ACCEPT 110 TO 130)


What range of frequencies are usually referred to as the Ultra High   Frequency (UHF) Band?  
w)  3 to 30 Mega Hertz 
x)  30 to 300 Mega Hertz 
y)  300 to 3,000 Mega Hertz 
z)  30,000 to 300,000 Mega Hertz 
ANSWER:  Y -- 300 to 3,000 MEGA HERTZ 


Who was the first scientist credited with pointing out that certain gases  could cause a greenhouse effect? 
w)  John Tyndall 
x)  Charles Darwin 
y)  Roger Tory Peterson 
z)  Stephen Jay Gould 
ANSWER:  W -- JOHN TYNDALL 


Deforestation is not a major environmental problem in   
w)  the Amazon 
x)  Borneo 
y)  Oregon 
z)  West Germany 
ANSWER:  Z -- WEST GERMANY 


Name a component of gasoline that has been classified by the U.S. EPA  as a "known human carcinogen". 
ANSWER:  XENZENE 


The sun makes up approximately what percent of matter in our solar  system? 
w)  17% 
x)  50% 
y)  85% 
z)  99% 
ANSWER:  Z -- 99%



What is the phase relationship between the voltage and current in a  capacitor? 
ANSWER:  X -- CURRENT LEADS BY 90 DEGREES 



Movement exhibited by plants toward the "center of the Earth" is called? 
ANSWER:  GEOTROPISM 



In 1991, the frozen body of a late stone age man was found amazingly  intact in the Alps near the Italian-Austrian border. Its age was determined to be about:  
w)  2,200 years 
x)  5,300 years 
y)  12,800 years 
z)  30,000 years 
ANSWER:  X -- 5,300 YEARS 






Who is known as the Father of the Atomic Bomb?   
w)  Albert Einstein 
x)  J. Robert Oppenheimer 
y)  General Leslie Groves 
z)  Edward Teller 
ANSWER:  X -- J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER 


Dante is the name of an eight-legged robot designed to repel into the crater of Erebus.  This volcano is located in 
w)  Italy 
x)  the Hawaiian chain 
y)  Antarctica 
z)  Japan 
ANSWER:  Y -- ANTARCTICA



For a DC motor, what major component in addition to the field winding and the armature winding is necessary? 
w)  a commutator 
x)  a stator 
y)  a battery 
z)  a rotor 
ANSWER:  W -- A COMMUTATOR 


Evaporation from water surfaces exposed to air is not dependent of the: 
w)  velocity of the wind 
x)  humidity
y)  temperature 
z)  depth of the water 
ANSWER:  Z -- DEPTH OF THE WATER