ASVAB General Science Practice Test: Physical Science (Chemistry and Physics)
- Physical Science: Chemistry and Physics
- 10 questions
- 8 minutes
These questions cover basic chemistry and physics: states and changes of matter, atoms and elements, force and acceleration, and kinds of energy. A few need a quick calculation with a simple formula.
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Question 1
At sea level, pure water boils at
Correct answer: B
Water boils at 212°F, which is the same as 100°C. The answer 100°F mixes up the two temperature scales, and 32°F is the freezing point.
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Question 2
What is the chemical formula of table salt?
Correct answer: A
Table salt is sodium chloride, NaCl. NaOH is sodium hydroxide (lye), and CaCO3 is calcium carbonate, found in chalk and limestone.
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Question 3
Which of these is a chemical change?
Correct answer: D
Rusting forms a new substance, iron oxide, so it is a chemical change. Melting, boiling and cutting change only the form or state of the material.
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Question 4
In the metric (SI) system, force is measured in
Correct answer: C
The newton is the unit of force. Joules measure energy or work, watts measure power and pascals measure pressure.
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Question 5
A car speeds up from 0 to 20 meters per second in 5 seconds. What is its average acceleration?
Correct answer: A
Acceleration is the change in speed divided by time: 20 ÷ 5 = 4 meters per second squared. Multiplying 20 by 5 gives the wrong answer 100.
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Question 6
An object has a mass of 10 kilograms. Using 9.8 m/s2 for gravity, what is its weight on Earth?
Correct answer: C
Weight is mass times gravitational acceleration: 10 × 9.8 = 98 newtons. The answer 10 newtons confuses mass with weight.
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Question 7
Which particle in an atom has a negative electric charge?
Correct answer: B
Electrons carry a negative charge and move around the nucleus. Protons are positive and neutrons have no charge.
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Question 8
A metal spoon left in a pot of hot soup becomes hot at the handle. This is an example of heat transfer by
Correct answer: D
Conduction moves heat through direct contact, from particle to particle along the spoon. Convection moves heat through the flow of a liquid or gas.
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Question 9
Which of these elements is a noble gas?
Correct answer: B
Neon belongs to the noble gases, which rarely react with other elements. Nitrogen and oxygen are gases too, but they react readily and are not in that group.
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Question 10
A 2-kilogram ball moves at 3 meters per second. What is its kinetic energy?
Correct answer: C
KE = 12mv2 = 12 × 2 × 32 = 9 joules. The answer 18 forgets the 12, and 6 forgets to square the speed.
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