8th Grade Science Released Tests

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
Water stored behind a dam is an example of what type of energy?
1. Kinetic
2. Potential
3. Solar
4. Chemical
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
Which of the following is a nonrenewable energy source?
1. Solar collector
2. Wind turbine
3. Fossil fuel
4. Hydroelectric generator
What type of energy does the windmill use to do work?
1. Mechanical
2. Nuclear
3. Chemical
4. Electrical
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.
Which of these is a result of burning fossil fuels?
1. Acid rain
2. Clean water
3. Hydroelectric energy
4. Solar energy
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
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
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
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.
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
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

8th Grade Science Released Tests - Energy Review 1