STUDENT Pre/Post Test

STUDENT Pre/Post Test

6th grade, Physical Science

1.  Chad places an object on the table known to be a magnet. He holds a magnet near the magnet on the table, and observes that the magnets move towards each other. He turns over the magnet that he holds, and brings it near to the magnet on the table again. What will Chad observe? /

1. The object does not move because the interaction only happens on one side of the magnet.

2. The object moves toward the magnet because the same effect occurs even when the magnet is turned around.

3. The object moves away from the magnet because the opposite effect occurs when the magnet is turned around.

4. There is not enough information to decide.

2.  Which of the following statements about magnets is true?

1. For magnets made of the same material, the larger the magnet, the stronger the interaction with magnetic materials that are not themselves magnets.

2. Magnets attract all metals.

3. Magnets can either attract or repel other magnetic materials that are not themselves magnets.

4. A magnetic interaction only occurs if the interacting objects are touching.

5. None of the above four statements (1 through 4) is true.

3.  Alan performs a sticky tape experiment like the one done in class. He holds the sticky side of a charged tape near another charged hanging tape, causing the hanging tape to move away from the held tape.
If Alan turns around the charged tape he holds so that the non-sticky side faces and is brought near the hanging tape, what would he observe? /

1. The hanging tape does not move because the interaction only happens on one side of the tape.

2. The hanging tape moves toward the held tape because the opposite effect occurs when the tape is turned around.

3. The hanging tape moves away from the held tape because the same effect occurs even when the tape is turned around.

4. There is not enough information to decide.

4.  Which of the statements 1, 2, 3, or 4 is NOT true? If statements 1 through 4 are all true, select answer 5.

1. Electrically charged objects can attract non-charged objects.

2. Electrically charged objects can either attract or repel other electrically charged objects.

3. An electric charge interaction can occur even if the interacting objects are not touching.

4. Electrically charged objects can only interact with objects that are made of metal.

5. All of the above four statements (1 through 4) are true.

5.  Suppose you were performing experiments with a coil of wire in an electric circuit. You also had available additional batteries and bulbs, a switch, a compass, and an iron nail.
/

Which one of the following changes would probably decrease the strength of the magnetic interaction between the coil of wire with electric current flowing through it and a compass placed near each other? (Assume the switch is closed.)

1. Add more batteries (in series) to the circuit.

2. Add bulbs in series to the circuit.

3. Insert an iron nail inside the coil of wire.

4. Wrap additional turns of wire around the nail.

6. Caroline puts a small piece of dry ice in a jar, and then seals the jar so that nothing can get in or out. She measures the start mass of the jar. Then she places the jar in the sun. After an hour, the dry ice has become carbon dioxide gas.

When Caroline measures the end mass of the jar, will she find that the mass

has increased, decreased, or stayed the same?

1. Increased

2. Decreased

3. Stayed the same

4. There is no way to predict this

7. In two electrical circuits, two bulbs are connected to two batteries, but the bulbs are hooked up differently. The first (series) circuit shows both bulbs W and X and the batteries in a single loop. The second (parallel) circuit shows each bulb Y and Z connected in its own separate loop to the batteries.

If bulbs W and Y are unscrewed from their sockets, what happens to the other bulbs in each circuit (X and Z)?

1. Both bulbs X and Z go out.

2. Both bulbs X and Z remain lit.

3. Bulb X remains lit, but bulb Z goes out.

4. Bulb X goes out, but bulb Z remains lit.

5. Both bulbs X and Z become brighter.

(Questions 8 and 9)

A fluorescent light bulb is illuminated in an electric circuit.

8. Using the energy diagram below, find the amount of light energy transferred in this interaction.

1. 180 units

2. 33 units

3. 20 units

4. None of these are correct.

9. Which idea is used to answer the last question?

1. The Law of Conservation of Energy 3. Mass Conservation

2. Volume is not always conserved. 4. Law of Heat Energy Transfer

(Questions 10 through 12)

In the interaction between the horse and the carriage, the carriage speeds up. The following energy diagram shows the source and receiver for this interaction.

10. When the horse pulls the carriage, how does the energy change in the source?

1. Decreases in motion energy

2. Decreases in thermal energy

3. Decreases in stored chemical energy

4. Decreases in stored elastic energy

5. There is no energy change in the source.

11. When the horse pulls the carriage, how does the energy change in the receiver?

1. Increases in motion energy

2. Increases in thermal energy

3. Increases in stored chemical energy

4. Increases in stored elastic energy

5. There is no energy change in the receiver.

12. What type of force does the horse use to move the carriage?

1. contact / 2. elastic / 3. friction / 4. drag / 5. magnetic

13. Which of the following statements about heat energy is TRUE?

1. Transferring heat energy to a substance always changes the temperature of the substance.

2. Heat energy and cold energy are two names for the same type of energy.

3. Heat energy is transferred from warmer objects to cooler objects.

4. Warmer objects take heat energy away from cooler objects.

14. The standard unit for measuring energy is the ______.

1. calorie 3. meter per second

2. joule 4. kilogram

15. Which of the following devices does NOT make use of electrical energy?

1. upright piano 3. toaster

2. radio 4. digital camera

16. A bus engine transfers chemical potential energy into ______so that the bus moves.

1. thermal energy 3. electrical energy

2. gravitational potential energy 4. mechanical energy

17. By what method of heat transfer does a microwave oven transfer heat to the food?

1. convection 3. conduction

2. radiation 4. contraction

18. Warm sodas are packed into an ice-filled cooler. The cooler is closed. Before the ice melts, which energy diagram below best describes the interaction between the soda and the ice in the cooler?

1. /
2. /
3. /
4. /

OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS: Write your answers on the answer sheet provided.

Question 19: Analyzing an Experiment

A group of students were investigating electric circuits and were interested in determining the answer to the following experiment question:

What is the relationship between the number of bulbs connected together in a loop and the electric current in the circuit?

To find out, they did an experiment using the computer simulator, and set up the following four circuits. Each circuit had a battery, an ammeter (to measure electric current) and one or more bulbs. All bulbs were identical.

They recorded the readings of the ammeter in a table.

Table: Number of Bulbs versus Amount of Electric Current

Number of
Bulbs / Amount of electric current
(milli-amperes)
1 / 50
2 / 36
3 / 29
4 / 25

To answer questions 19 a and 19 b refer to the data presented in the table on the previous page.

19 a. On your answer sheet, draw a bar graph to represent the data presented in the table.

19 b. On your answer sheet, write your experiment conclusion and supporting reason by filling in the following:

As the number of bulbs in a loop increases, the electric current in the circuit

______(increases, decreases, remains the same).

The reason is that ______

Question 20: Analyzing and Explaining a Mechanical Interaction

A softball is thrown toward a stretchy net called a “pitch-back”. The softball bounces off the net, and returns to the thrower.

Task: Analyze and explain why the softball slows down when it hits the net. Write your explanations on the answer sheet provided.

Analysis:

a. Identify the forces that are involved.

b. Identify the forms of energy that are involved and explain any changes that you see.

Explanation:

c. Write your explanation using complete sentences.