8th Grade Science Released Tests

What type of energy does the windmill use to do work?
1. Mechanical
2. Nuclear
3. Chemical
4. Electrical
Fossil fuels such as gas, oil, and coal have what kind of energy?
1. Mechanical energy
2. Chemical energy
3. Electrical energy
4. Nuclear energy
Which of the following is a nonrenewable energy source?
1. Solar collector
2. Wind turbine
3. Fossil fuel
4. Hydroelectric generator
Which of these is a result of burning fossil fuels?
1. Acid rain
2. Clean water
3. Hydroelectric energy
4. Solar energy
(2003) Because burning fossil fuels creates much pollution, alternatives are being investigated. What might limit the use of wind as a major energy source?
1. The strength of the wind varies.
2. Wind machines have huge blades to capture the wind.
3. Turbines and generators in the wind machines create electricity.
4. Wind power does not create pollution.
(2003) There are many reasons why the use of oil needs to be managed carefully. Which of the following is not one of these reasons?
1. There are only limited supplies of oil in the Earth.
2. Oil spills at sea have killed many marine animals.
3. Burning oil contributes to acid rain and the greenhouse effect.
4. Oil was created by plants and animals.
(2003) Many scientists believe that nuclear fusion will become a possible energy source within the next 10 years. What resource would be most effective in tracking the progress of this energy source?
1. The local newspaper
2. A chemical encyclopedia
3. A physics textbook
4. Scientific periodical
This picture shows a radiometer. It is designed to be placed in a sunny window. One side of each thin blade of the radiometer is painted black, and the other side is painted white. The Sun’s rays strike the blades, and the device begins to spin. The device is powered by which kind of energy?
1. Wind
2. Solar
3. Electrical
4. Geothermal
What is one advantage of using a hydroelectric plant?
1. It is expensive to build.
2. It provides renewable energy to human populations.
3. It has little effect on water flow.
4. It has little effect on wildlife when being constructed.
As the energy needs for Virginia increase, new sources of energy are required to replace or supplement the nonrenewable sources of energy now in use. Two sources of energy that are renewable and available in Virginia are —
1. natural gas and wind power
2. coal and hydropower
3. petroleum and solar power
4. wind power and solar power
(2004) A group of people were concerned about a new coal-burning power plant that might be built in their neighborhood. What is probably their main concern?
1. Burning coal produces more heat than burning wood.
2. The heat from burning coal can drive generators that produce electricity.
3. Burning coal produces sulfur dioxide which contributes to acid rain.
4. There is more coal in the earth than there is oil and gas.
Which of the following is an example of potential energy?
1. A glass jar sitting on a shelf
2. A flag waving in the wind
3. A ball rolling along a sidewalk
4. A battery powering a radio
(2004) The location on the track where the train has the greatest potential energy is —
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
Water stored behind a dam is an example of what type of energy?
1. Kinetic
2. Potential
3. Solar
4. Chemical
(2003) Which of the following is an example of kinetic energy?
1. A baseball moving from the pitcher to the catcher
2. A rock sitting on the top of a large hill
3. A pendulum at the top of its swing
4. A new flashlight battery
(2004) Both light bulbs are lit in the circuit above. In order to turn off both lights, a switch must be installed in the circuit at the place marked —
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
(2004) In order to turn on the light, a piece of wire needs to be connected from —
1. A to C
2. A to D
3. B to C
4. C to D
(2003) Which of the following is shown in this diagram?
1. Alternating current
2. Short circuit
3. Series circuit
4. Parallel circuit
Insulation materials reduce heat loss because they —
1. are poor conductors
2. block out the sun
3. reduce evaporation
4. promote convection
An electric light bulb is hot to the touch because —
1. current passing through it produces heat
2. its magnetic field produces a large amount of heat
3. evaporation causes an object to heat up
4. its chemical reactions produce heat
According to the data in the table, which sample of matter is most likely a metal?
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
In the diagram, what essential part of an electric circuit is missing at position X?
1. Load
2. On/off switch
3. Wires
4. Source of electric current
(2004) Electric bills are calculated based on the amount of energy consumed. The consumption is measured in units of —
1. newton meters
2. millijoule seconds
3. megavolt minutes
4. kilowatt hours
Which of the following is an example of static electricity?
1. A dry-cell battery connected to wires lights up a light bulb.
2. A balloon sticks to a wall after it is rubbed with a piece of wool.
3. A magnet sticks to a refrigerator door made of metal.
4. A light switch that is turned on runs a ceiling fan.
(2003) Objects with like charges repel and unlike charges attract. The girl’s hair and the comb have —
1. unlike charges
2. like charges
3. neutral charges
4. no charges
Laundry in a clothes dryer often becomes charged with static electricity while drying. Which of these best explains why a clothes dryer often generates static electricity?
1. Short circuits in the dryer charge the laundry.
2. Clothes with metal pieces conduct electricity in the dryer.
3. Electrons are transferred as clothes rub against each other in the dryer.
4. Heat from the dryer charges the air and produces lightning.
(2003) When plants perform photosynthesis, they use sunlight to produce food. This is an example of light energy being converted to —
1. heat energy
2. electrical energy
3. mechanical energy
4. chemical energy
(2004) Which system shows a transformation from chemical to electrical and light energy?
1. A car battery causes the headlights to shine.
2. A candle burns and lights up the room.
3. A display of fireworks in the night sky.
4. An avalanche rolls down a steep mountain.
Which of the following could best be used to demonstrate energy being transformed from electricity to heat?
1. A magnifying glass
2. A triple beam balance
3. A toaster
4. A gas oven
Which energy transformation occurs first in a coal-burning power plant?
1. Chemical energy to thermal energy
2. Thermal energy to mechanical energy
3. Thermal energy to electrical energy
4. Mechanical energy to electrical energy
A burning candle is in the process of transforming —
1. heat energy into chemical energy
2. chemical energy into light and heat
3. chemical energy into mechanical energy
4. chemical energy into nuclear energy
On a sunny morning, students standing in front of a store window noticed an image of themselves in the glass. Why did the students see their image in the glass?
1. Some of the light was reflected off the surface of the glass.
2. Some of the light passed through the glass window.
3. Some of the light was absorbed by the glass surface.
4. Some of the light separated into different colors.
(2004) The area that shows the amplitude of the wave is —
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
The illustration shows a wave. The wave’s wavelength is the distance between points —
1. 1 and 2
2. 1 and 4
3. 2 and 3
4. 2 and 4
During a fireworks show, a family sees the spray of sparkles from an exploding firework high in the sky and, a moment later, hears the pop. Which of these best explains why the pop and spray do not seem to occur at the same time?
1. Light and sound travel through air.
2. Sound travels through a vacuum.
3. Sound travels slower than light.
4. Light and sound travel at the same speed.
(2004) Which diagram best shows the reflection of light?
(2003) The distance between one point on a compression and the corresponding point on the next compression in a sound wave is called a —
1. wavelength
2. rarefaction
3. crest
4. trough
A mixture of iron filings and sulfur can easily be separated by —
1. placing the mixture in water
2. performing a chemical reaction
3. heating the mixture
4. using a magnet
Which of the following is a true statement about the magnetic field between two magnets?
1. The south pole of one magnet is attracted to the south pole of the other magnet.
2. The south pole of one magnet is attracted to the north pole of the other magnet.
3. The north pole of one magnet is attracted to the north pole of the other magnet.
4. The south pole of one magnet is attracted to both poles of the other magnet.
(2003) At which point is the magnetic field the strongest?
1. Point 1
2. Point 2
3. Point 3
4. Point 4
(2003) Which of these has the greatest number of different simple machines?
A car manufacturer reduces the mass of a car by 250 kg. If the new design is otherwise identical to the old design, how will the new car compare to the old car?
1. It will have a greater gravitational attraction to the road.
2. It will require more fuel to operate.
3. It will need less force to move.
4. It will release more gas emissions.
Energy from the Sun is distributed around Earth by —
1. subduction and rift zones
2. radiation and convection
3. tectonic plates
4. solar flares
(2004) Convection is the result of —
1. currents caused by the motion of heated molecules
2. increases in the density of solids
3. colder portions of liquids rising
4. the lack of heat transfer

8th Grade Science Released Tests - Energy