Here are some science questions to help you test your general science knowledge. They will also show you which of the Florida, Utah, and NGSS science standards each question is testing.
The questions are chosen randomly, so this quest will be different each time.
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I put a paper plate on top of a glass of water. I turned it over, and the water stayed in the glass.
The weight of the water is pushing down on the paper plate, but the plate stays in the glass because the pull of gravity is being balanced by another force. What is that force?
-
Attraction
No. The slight attraction between the water and the glass is not enough to balance the pull of gravity. -
Air pressure
Yes! Because the plate is keeping outside air from entering the glass, outside air pressure is keeping the plate in place. As long as the outside air pressure is enough to balance the weight of the water and the plate, it will stay in place. If you made a small hole in the glass to let outside air get in, that would unbalance things, and the water would fall out. -
Surface tension
No. The water tension at the surface of the water would not balance the force of gravity. -
The weight of the paper card
No. Gravity is pulling down on the paper plate and the water. The weight of the paper does not help balance the force of gravity.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.2.P.13.3 Recognize that objects are pulled toward the ground unless something holds them up.
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
SC.3.E.5.4 Explore the Law of Gravity by demonstrating that gravity is a force that can be overcome.
| Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
| More Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Force, Pressure, and Shoes | video, checked |
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
SC.5.P.13.4 Investigate and explain that when a force is applied to an object but it does not move, it is because another opposing force is being applied by something in the environment so that the forces are balanced.
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Newton's First Law of Motion | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Obedient Coin | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 2 | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 1 | video, checked |
| Science Friction | video, checked |
| Raw Egg or Boiled? | video, checked |
| More Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Science of Balance | video, checked |
| The Old Tablecloth Trick | video |
| Force, Pressure, and Shoes | video, checked |
| Bernoulli Effect | video |
| Hanging a Hammer | video, checked |
| Torque | video |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Exploring Friction | text page |
| Balancing a Meter Stick | text page |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
SC.6.P.13.3 Investigate and describe that an unbalanced force acting on an object changes its speed, or direction of motion, or both.
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Obedient Coin | video, checked |
| Wrong Way Balloon | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 2 | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 1 | video, checked |
| Science Friction | video, checked |
| More Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Bernoulli Effect | video |
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| Torque | video |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Balancing a Meter Stick | text page |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
Utah
UT.3.III.2.c Compare the relative effects of forces of different strengths on an object (e.g., strong wind affects an object differently than a breeze).
| Newton's First Law of Motion | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Obedient Coin | video, checked |
| Wrong Way Balloon | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 2 | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 1 | video, checked |
| Raw Egg or Boiled? | video, checked |
| The Old Tablecloth Trick | video |
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
UT.4.II.1.c Investigate evidence that air is a substance (e.g., takes up space, moves as wind, temperature can be measured).
| Nephoscope | video, checked |
| Air Space | video |
| Crushed Can | video, checked |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
NGSS
3-PS2-1 Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
| Torque | video |
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Obedient Coin | video, checked |
| Wrong Way Balloon | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 2 | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 1 | video, checked |
| Science Friction | video, checked |
| More Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Force, Pressure, and Shoes | video, checked |
| Bernoulli Effect | video |
| The Slow Race | video, free, ClosedCaptions, Updated |
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| Balancing a Meter Stick | text page |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
MS-PS2-2 Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
| Water in a Glass, part 2 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 3 | video, checked |
| Water in a Glass, part 1 | video, checked |
| Newton's First Law of Motion | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Obedient Coin | video, checked |
| Wrong Way Balloon | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 2 | video, checked |
| Strange Flame, part 1 | video, checked |
| Science Friction | video, checked |
| Raw Egg or Boiled? | video, checked |
| More Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Science of Balance | video, checked |
| Bernoulli Effect | video |
| The Old Tablecloth Trick | video |
| Smoke Rings | video |
| Floating Cups | video, checked |
| The Difference Between Weight and Mass | video, checked |
| Torque | video |
| Balancing a Meter Stick | text page |
| Review Force and Motion-1 | practice |
| Review Force and Motion-2 | practice |
| Review Force and Motion-4 | practice |
Which planet is closest to the Earth?
-
The Moon
No. The Moon is not a planet. -
Mars
Sometimes, but not always. -
Venus
Sometimes, but not always. -
It varies with time.
Yes. As the planets move around the Sun, their distance from the Earth varies. On different dates, the closest planet may be Mars, Venus, or Mercury.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.5.E.5.2 Recognize the major common characteristics of all planets and compare/contrast the properties of inner and outer planets.
>>> Teacher Page: Our Solar System
| Making a Scale Model of the Solar System | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Space-4 | practice |
SC.8.E.5.7 Compare and contrast the properties of objects in the Solar System including the Sun, planets, and moons to those of Earth, such as gravitational force, distance from the Sun, speed, movement, temperature, and atmospheric conditions.
| Making a Scale Model of the Solar System | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Global Science | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Space-11 | practice |
| Review Space-4 | practice |
Utah
UT.6.III.1.c Use models and graphs that accurately depict scale to compare the size and distance between objects in the solar system.
| Making a Scale Model of the Solar System | video, ClosedCaptions |
| How Far is That Planet? | text page |
| Review Space-4 | practice |
NGSS
MS-ESS1-3 Analyze and interpret data to determine scale properties of objects in the solar system.
| Making a Scale Model of the Solar System | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Global Science | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Planets and Pennies | video, ClosedCaptions |
| How Far is That Planet? | text page |
| Review Space-3 | practice |
| Review Space-2 | practice |
| Review Space-4 | practice |
This is called Obsidian. It is formed from molten lava that cools so quickly that it forms a natural glass instead of crystals. What kind of rock is it?.
-
Igneous
Yes! Igneous rocks formed from magma or lava. This is an igneous rock. -
Sedimentary
No. Sedimentary rocks are deposited by wind, water, ice, or gravity, and they often contain fossils. This is not a sedimentary rock. -
Metamorphic
No. Metamorphic rocks have been changed by heat and pressure from a different kind of rock. Instead of being changed, this got hot enough to completely melt, so it is not metamorphic. -
Obsidian is not a rock.
No. Obsidian is a naturally occurring solid that forms large layers in the Earth. Obsidian is a rock.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.4.E.6.1 Identify the three categories of rocks: igneous, (formed from molten rock); sedimentary (pieces of other rocks and fossilized organisms); and metamorphic (formed from heat and pressure).
| Sedimentary Rocks | video, learnalong |
| What is a Rock? | video, learnalong, checked |
| Bioclastics: Rocks With No Minerals | video |
| Evaporites | video, learnalong, checked |
| Igneous Rocks and Bubbles | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
| Foliated and Unfoliated Rocks | text page, learnalong |
| Identifying Igneous Rocks | text page, learnalong |
| Intrusive and Extrusive Igneous Rocks | text page, learnalong |
| Light and Dark Minerals | text page, learnalong |
| Homemade Fossil Dig | text page |
| Review Rocks-1 | practice |
| Review Rocks-2 | practice |
| Review Rocks-3 | practice |
| Review Rocks-4 | practice |
| Review Rocks-5 | practice |
| Review Rocks-6 | practice |
| Review Rocks-8 | practice |
| Review Rocks-9 | practice |
| Review Rocks-7 | practice |
| Review Rocks-10 | practice |
| Review Rocks-10 | practice |
| Review Rocks-10 | practice |
SC.7.E.6.2 Identify the patterns within the rock cycle and relate them to surface events (weathering and erosion) and sub-surface events (plate tectonics and mountain building).
| Change: Fast and Slow | video |
| Erosion | video, checked |
| Continuous Change | video, checked |
| Bioclastics: Rocks With No Minerals | video |
| Weathering and Erosion | video, learnalong, checked |
| Evaporites | video, learnalong, checked |
| What is a Rock? | video, learnalong, checked |
| The Rock Cycle | video, learnalong |
| Review Rocks-1 | practice |
| Review Erosion-1 | practice |
| Review Erosion-2 | practice |
| Review Erosion-3 | practice |
| Review Erosion-4 | practice |
| Review Erosion-5 | practice |
| Review Rocks-4 | practice |
| Review Rocks-5 | practice |
| Review Rocks-6 | practice |
| Review Rocks-8 | practice |
| Review Rocks-9 | practice |
| Review Rocks-7 | practice |
| Review Rocks-10 | practice |
| Review Rocks-10 | practice |
Utah
UT.4.III.1.a Describe the differences between minerals and rocks.
| Bioclastics: Rocks With No Minerals | video |
| Definition of a Mineral | video, checked |
| What is a Mineral? | video, checked |
| Identifying Minerals | video, learnalong |
| What is a Rock? | video, learnalong, checked |
| Review Rocks-1 | practice |
| Review Rocks-4 | practice |
| Review Rocks-5 | practice |
| Review Rocks-6 | practice |
| Review Rocks-8 | practice |
| Review Rocks-9 | practice |
| Review Rocks-7 | practice |
| Review Rocks-10 | practice |
NGSS
4-ESS1-1 Identify evidence from patterns in rock formations and fossils in rock layers to support an explanation for changes in a landscape over time.
| Sedimentary Rocks | video, learnalong |
| Reading the Rocks: Law of Superposition | video |
| Reading the Rocks: Law of Crosscutting | video |
| What is a Rock? | video, learnalong, checked |
| Reading the Rocks: The Present is the Key to the Past | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Paleo Cookies | video |
| Evaporites | video, learnalong, checked |
| Igneous Rocks and Bubbles | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
| Homemade Fossil Dig | text page |
| Review Rocks-1 | practice |
| Review Geologic Time-1 | practice |
| Review Rocks-4 | practice |
| Review Geologic Time-2 | practice |
| Review Rocks-5 | practice |
| Review Rocks-6 | practice |
| Review Rocks-8 | practice |
| Review Rocks-9 | practice |
| Review Rocks-7 | practice |
| Review Rocks-10 | practice |
| Review Geologic Time-3 | practice |
MS-ESS2-1 Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
| What is a Mineral? | video, checked |
| Identifying Minerals | video, learnalong |
| Sedimentary Rocks | video, learnalong |
| What is a Rock? | video, learnalong, checked |
| The Rock Cycle | video, learnalong |
| Bioclastics: Rocks With No Minerals | video |
| Evaporites | video, learnalong, checked |
| Definition of a Mineral | video, checked |
| Igneous Rocks and Bubbles | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
| Light and Dark Minerals | text page, learnalong |
| Review Rocks-1 | practice |
| Review Rocks-2 | practice |
| Review Rocks-3 | practice |
| Review Rocks-4 | practice |
| Review Rocks-5 | practice |
| Review Rocks-6 | practice |
| Review Rocks-8 | practice |
| Review Rocks-9 | practice |
| Review Rocks-7 | practice |
| Review Rocks-10 | practice |
| Review Rocks-10 | practice |
| Review Rocks-10 | practice |
This is the density column from the Making a Density Column video. Notice that the olives are floating at the boundary between the water and the corn syrup. What does that tell us?
-
The olives are less dense than the water, and more dense than the corn syrup.
No. If the olives were less dense than the water, they would float on top of the water layer. -
The water is denser than the olives.
No. If the water was denser than the olives, then the olives would float on top of the water layer. -
The corn syrup is less dense than the olives.
No. If the corn syrup was less dense than the olives, the olives would sink all the way to the bottom. -
Olives are denser than water, and less dense than corn syrup.
Yes! Because the olives are denser than water, they sink to the bottom of the water layer. Because they are less dense than corn syrup, the olives float on top of the corn syrup layer.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.8.P.8.4 Classify and compare substances on the basis of characteristic physical properties that can be demonstrated or measured; for example, density, thermal or electrical conductivity, solubility, magnetic properties, melting and boiling points, and know that these properties are independent of the amount of the sample.
| Microscopes: Growing Crystals | video, free, learnalong, Updated |
| Density: Ice, Oil, and Water | video, checked |
| Wax and Wood, part 1 | video, checked |
| Wax and Wood, part 2 | video, checked |
| Identifying Minerals | video, learnalong |
| Making Turmeric Paper | video, checked |
| Testing for Tannic Acid | video |
| Cartesian Diver | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Growing Crystals Under the Microscope | video, free, learnalong, checked |
| Stale Bread | video |
| Floating Bubbles | video, checked |
| Candles in a Jar, part 2 | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Candles in a Jar, part 1 | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Review Matter-5 | practice |
Utah
UT.7.I.2.b Use observations to predict the relative density of various solids and liquids.
| Density: Ice, Oil, and Water | video, checked |
| Fish in a Bucket | text page |
| Review Matter-5 | practice |
UT.7.I.2.d Describe the relationship between mass and volume as it relates to density.
| The Difference Between Weight and Mass | video, checked |
| Density: Ice, Oil, and Water | video, checked |
| Cartesian Diver | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Floating Bubbles | video, checked |
| Candles in a Jar, part 2 | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Candles in a Jar, part 1 | video, ClosedCaptions, checked |
| Fish in a Bucket | text page |
| A Cup of Cold | text page |
| Air has Weight | text page |
| Review Matter-5 | practice |
NGSS
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of ALL mammals?
-
All mammals have hair.
No. All mammals DO have hair. Even whales and dolphins have some hair on their skin. -
All mammals give birth to live young.
Yes! While most species of mammals give birth to live young, a few (platypus, echidna) lay eggs. -
All mammals have mammary glands.
No. All mammals DO have mammary glands. In females, these glands can produce milk to feed their young. -
All mammals have three bones in their inner ear.
No. All mammals DO have three bones in their inner ear. These bones are called the malleus, the incus, and the stapes. They transfer vibration from the ear drum to the inner ear.
Click to see which state standards this question tests, and which of my videos, experiments, and other resources support that topic.
Florida
SC.3.L.15.1 Classify animals into major groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, arthropods, vertebrates and invertebrates, those having live births and those which lay eggs) according to their physical characteristics and behaviors.
| Scientific Names | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Feathers | video, checked |
| A Walk in the Park | video, checked |
| Review Classify-2 | practice |
| Review Classify-1 | practice |
| Review Classify-3 | practice |
SC.6.L.15.1 Analyze and describe how and why organisms are classified according to shared characteristics with emphasis on the Linnaean system combined with the concept of Domains.
| Scientific Names | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Classify-2 | practice |
| Review Classify-1 | practice |
| Review Classify-3 | practice |
Utah
UT.4.V.3.b Use a simple classification system to classify unfamiliar Utah plants or animals (e.g., fish/amphibians/reptile/bird/mammal, invertebrate/vertebrate, tree/shrub/grass, deciduous/conifers).
| A Walk in the Park | video, checked |
| Scientific Names | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Classify-2 | practice |
| Review Classify-1 | practice |
| Review Classify-3 | practice |
UT.7.V.2.c Generalize rules for classification.
| Scientific Names | video, ClosedCaptions |
| Review Classify-2 | practice |
| Review Classify-1 | practice |
| Review Classify-3 | practice |
NGSS
The questions are chosen randomly, so this quest will be different each time.