Benchmark #3: 6th Grade Science

Instructions: Select the best answer for each of the following questions. 1. Light energy moves from one place to another as a a. force. b. moving object. c. temperature difference. d. wave. 2. Which picture shows heat being transferred by waves? a.

b.

c.

d.

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3. Heat flow is a transfer of a. mass. b. energy. c. atoms. d. waves. 4. With any method of heat transfer, how does heat energy always flow? a. from a warmer object to a cooler object. b. from a cooler object to a warmer object c. from a larger object to a smaller object d. from a smaller object to a larger object. 5. When heat is transferred from one object to another, you can measure the change in a. size. b. motion. c. temperature. d. volume. 6. A student is using a metal wire to toast marshmallows in a campfire. Which statement best explains why the wire feels hot after several minutes? a. Heat is transferred from the fire through the wire by conduction. b. Heat is transferred from the fire through the wire by radiation. c. Hot air from the fire is circulated by conduction. d. Hot air from the fire is circulated by radiation. 7. Heat flows through solids by a. magnetism. b. convection. c. conduction. d. radiation. 8. Which of the following materials would allow heat flow by conduction only? a. oil b. water c. soup d. metal 9. How is the movement of heat by conduction different from the movement of heat by convection? a. Convection happens in liquids and gasses. b. Conduction happens only in liquids. c. Convection happens only in solids. d. Conduction involves the flow of matter.

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10. Heat energy from the Sun is transferred to Earth primarily by which of the following processes? a. conduction b. convection c. evaporation d. radiation 11. Marco observed that the temperature of the asphalt blacktop at his schools playground was warm. Which of these explains the reason for the warm blacktop? a. Wind blew heat from the Sun toward the blacktop. b. The blacktop absorbed energy from the Sun. c. The air close to the blacktop moved very fast. d. The air absorbed more energy than the blacktop.

12. Students placed thermometers in different places in a room, as show above. They found the average temperatures at locations 1 and 2 were warmer than those at locations 3 and 4. The temperatures were different because a. sunlight heated the floor, making it warmer. b. sunlight reflected off the floor and onto the ceiling. c. sunlight shone on only one wall making it warmer. d. sunlight heated the air, which rose toward the ceiling. 13. Which of the following is the main reason water at the surface of the ocean is warmer than water at the bottom of the ocean? a. Water at the bottom of the ocean contains more dissolved solids. b. Water at the surface of the ocean absorbs more energy from the Sun. c. Friction is created by fast moving currents at the surface of the ocean. d. Wave action transfers heat from the bottom of the ocean to the surface. 14. Heat energy from Earths surface transfers to the air by conduction. Heat energy in the air moves around the globe by convection. Where does the Earths surface get heat energy from? a. the oceans by convection b. the air by convections c. the mountains by conduction d. the Sun by radiation

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15. Kendras mom is purchasing a car, but cannot decide what color to get. Kendra advises her mom that a car with a black exterior will be uncomfortable in the summer. This observation is correct because dark objects, as compared to lighter colored objects, a. reduce heat transfer. b. are generally more dense. c. absorb more of the Suns energy. d. reflect sunlight more efficiently. 16. How is heat circulated throughout Earths oceans? a. through conduction b. by the force of gravity c. by convection currents d. by moving tectonic plates 17. Which of these could increase average global temperatures? a. increased use of fossil fuels b. increased ocean algal blooms c. decreased carbon dioxide emissions d. increased number of animal species 18. Which of these creates air pollution? a. agriculture using genetically modified organisms b. solar cells c. burning fossil fuels d. wind power plants 19. Why is nuclear energy not more widely used as a source of energy for human needs? a. because nuclear reactions do not supply much energy b. because nuclear energy is difficult to convert to usable energy c. because very large amounts of fuel are necessary for nuclear reactors d. because there are environmental hazards that can result from using nuclear reactors 20. What do solar, wind, and geothermal energy resources have in common? a. They are all renewable. b. They are all nonrenewable. c. They are all inexpensive to produce. d. They are all able to produce enough energy to meet demands. 21. A short time after a nuclear power plant opened, the number of fish in a nearby river decreased. What is the MOST LIKELY cause of this problem? a. uranium from the fuel rods used in the power plant b. radiation being released daily from the power plant c. hot water being released daily from the power plant d. acid rain caused by the power plants smokestacks

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22. Which statement identifies one of the problems with hydroelectric energy compared with other energy sources? a. It is expensive and inefficient. b. It requires the construction of dams. c. It pollutes the air from fuel exhausts. d. It releases excess heat into rivers and oceans. 23. What is an example of biomass energy? a. petroleum used to provide energy for automobiles b. solar cells collecting energy to provide power for a calculator c. leftover fibers from plants burned to supply electricity d. electricity generated at Hoover Dam to supply Los Angeles with power 24. Which of these statements BEST describes why solar energy is classified as renewable? a. It is expensive to convert into electricity. b. It cannot be used up. c. It does not come from Earth. d. It can be used anywhere on Earth. 25. What is a disadvantage of using nuclear power? a. Nuclear power produces a lot of air pollution. b. Using nuclear power can make other resources last longer. c. The production of nuclear energy disrupts the life cycle of fish. d. Radioactive waste produced by nuclear power is dangerous to living things. 26. Which human activity leads to global warming? a. planting trees b. using pesticides c. using solar power d. burning fossil fuels 27. Which of these BEST explains why solar energy is not widely used to power automobiles? a. Solar energy is very difficult to obtain. b. Solar energy is not easy to store for later use. c. Solar energy is a nonrenewable resource. d. Solar energy is damaging to the environment.

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