Middle School Physical Science : Compare and contrast synthetic materials and natural resources

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Compare And Contrast Synthetic Materials And Natural Resources

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:

toxic

natural resources

safe

synthetic materials

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 : Compare And Contrast Synthetic Materials And Natural Resources

Synthetic materials are:

Possible Answers:

always nonrenewable

made by the Earth naturally 

created through chemical reactions

bad for the environment

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 #2 : Compare And Contrast Synthetic Materials And Natural Resources

Which answer choice is an example of a natural resource?

Possible Answers:

oil

nylon fiber

gasoline

plastic

Correct answer:

oil

Explanation:

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

Example Question #2 : Compare And Contrast Synthetic Materials And Natural Resources

Which answer choice best defines a synthetic material?

Possible Answers:

Synthetic materials are nonrenewable resources.

Synthetic materials are renewable resources.

Synthetic materials occur naturally in the world.

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

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 #3 : Compare And Contrast Synthetic Materials And Natural Resources

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

Possible Answers:

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

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.

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 #5 : Compare And Contrast Synthetic Materials And Natural Resources

Which answer choice is NOT a natural resource?

Possible Answers:

oil

sunlight

gasoline

wood

Correct answer:

gasoline

Explanation:

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

Example Question #6 : Compare And Contrast Synthetic Materials And Natural Resources

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

Possible Answers:

fibers

water

glass

medicine

Correct answer:

water

Explanation:

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

Example Question #4 : Compare And Contrast Synthetic Materials And Natural Resources

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:

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

False. We cannot make more synthetic materials.

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 synthetic materials and natural resources as we need.

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 #5 : Compare And Contrast Synthetic Materials And Natural Resources

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 a natural resource that can sometimes be synthetic

gold is only a natural resource 

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 #9 : Compare And Contrast Synthetic Materials And Natural Resources

What are some benefits provided by synthetic materials?

Possible Answers:

Synthetic materials help build buildings and homes.

Synthetic materials help us make medicine and pharmaceuticals.

All choices are correct

Synthetic materials like plastics and fuel make life more convenient.

Correct answer:

All choices are correct

Explanation:

Synthetic materials provide all of these benefits.

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