Middle School Physical Science : Chemicals and Chemical Reactions

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Middle School Physical Science

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

All Middle School Physical Science Resources

51 Practice Tests Question of the Day Flashcards Learn by Concept

Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Chemicals And Chemical Reactions

Plastics are made from natural materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt and crude oil through something called a polymerisation process. This tells us that plastics are:

Possible Answers:

synthetic materials

toxic

safe

natural resources

Correct answer:

synthetic materials

Explanation:

The answer is "synthetic materials." All synthetic materials are made from natural resources, but do not exist in the world unless they are man-made.

Example Question #2 : Chemicals And Chemical Reactions

Synthetic materials are:

Possible Answers:

created through chemical reactions

bad for the environment

made by the Earth naturally 

always nonrenewable

Correct answer:

created through chemical reactions

Explanation:

Synthetic materials are made by chemical reactions. They are not always bad for the environment and can be renewable. By definition, synthetic materials are man-made and not made by the Earth.

Example Question #3 : Chemicals And Chemical Reactions

Which answer choice is an example of a natural resource?

Possible Answers:

plastic

oil

nylon fiber

gasoline

Correct answer:

oil

Explanation:

The answer is "oil." Natural resources are resources that occur in the natural environment without being man-made.

Example Question #4 : Chemicals And Chemical Reactions

Which answer choice best defines a synthetic material?

Possible Answers:

Synthetic materials are renewable resources.

Synthetic materials do not naturally occur in the world, but are man-made and can be created through chemical reactions.

Synthetic materials are nonrenewable resources.

Synthetic materials occur naturally in the world.

Correct answer:

Synthetic materials do not naturally occur in the world, but are man-made and can be created through chemical reactions.

Explanation:

Synthetic materials are not naturally occurring in the world. They are man-made. 

Example Question #5 : Chemicals And Chemical Reactions

Which answer choice is the best example of a non-renewable natural resource?

Possible Answers:

Oil is made by the Earth over millions of years through the pressurization of organic material under Earth's crust.

Plastics are made from natural materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt and crude oil through a polymerisation.

Nylon fiber is made by combining chemicals in a lab.

Salt exists naturally in the environment but can also be made in a lab.

Correct answer:

Oil is made by the Earth over millions of years through the pressurization of organic material under Earth's crust.

Explanation:

The answer is "Oil is made by the Earth over millions of years through the pressurization of organic material under Earth's crust." This process occurs over millions of years, and is naturally occuring.

Example Question #6 : Chemicals And Chemical Reactions

Which answer choice is NOT a natural resource?

Possible Answers:

sunlight

oil

wood

gasoline

Correct answer:

gasoline

Explanation:

Gasoline is not a natural resource because it is man-made.

Example Question #7 : Chemicals And Chemical Reactions

Which answer choice is NOT an example of a synthetic substance?

Possible Answers:

fibers

glass

water

medicine

Correct answer:

water

Explanation:

The answer is water. Water exists naturally in the environment, therefore it is a natural resource.

Example Question #8 : Chemicals And Chemical Reactions

True or False: The good news about synthetic materials, like plastic, is that we can always make more, no matter how much we need.

Possible Answers:

False. Even though we can make more synthetic materials like plastic, they are made from natural resources which sometimes take a long time for the Earth to make more of.

True. We can make as many plastics as we need with the power of chemical reactions.

True. We can make as many synthetic materials and natural resources as we need.

False. We cannot make more synthetic materials.

Correct answer:

False. Even though we can make more synthetic materials like plastic, they are made from natural resources which sometimes take a long time for the Earth to make more of.

Explanation:

The answer is "False. Even though we can make more synthetic materials like plastic, they are made from natural resources which sometimes take a long time for the Earth to make more of." 

Example Question #9 : Chemicals And Chemical Reactions

Certain types of metals, like gold, are both naturally occurring and can be created in a lab. (This process is not used often because it is expensive and not efficient!) This tells us what about metals like gold?

Possible Answers:

gold is only a synthetic material

gold is only a natural resource 

gold is a natural resource that can sometimes be synthetic

gold is not a natural resource or a synthetic material

Correct answer:

gold is a natural resource that can sometimes be synthetic

Explanation:

The answer is "Gold is a natural resource that can sometimes be synthetic." Some substances can be either natural or synthetic and it depends on how the substance was made.

Example Question #10 : Chemicals And Chemical Reactions

What are some benefits provided by synthetic materials?

Possible Answers:

Synthetic materials help us make medicine and pharmaceuticals.

Synthetic materials help build buildings and homes.

Synthetic materials like plastics and fuel make life more convenient.

All choices are correct

Correct answer:

All choices are correct

Explanation:

Synthetic materials provide all of these benefits.

All Middle School Physical Science Resources

51 Practice Tests Question of the Day Flashcards Learn by Concept
Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors