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WGU C165 Integrated Physical Sciences Practice Test
Questions and Answers (2022/2023) (Verified Answers)
1.The study of energy and forces of matter✔✔ Physics
2.The study of the properties of matter and how matter changes;
atoms, molecules and their interactions to form substances✔✔
Chemistry
3.the study of the moon, stars, and other objects in space✔✔ astronomy
4.The scientific study of earth and the universe around it including
structure, materials and processes✔✔ Earth Science
5.The experimental factor that is manipulated; the variable whose effect
is being studied.✔✔ independent variable
6.The measurable effect, outcome, or response in which the research
is interested.✔✔ dependent variable
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7.Structures that scientists build to represent something else.✔✔
Physical Mod- el
- a verbal or graphical explanation for how a system works or is
organized-
✔✔ conceptual model
9.A description of a system using mathematical concepts and language
like an equation.✔✔ mathematical model
10.a computer program that models an event or object✔✔ computer
model
11.Only falsifiable statements can be subject to scientific inquiry✔✔
principle of falsification
12.a statement that is worded so that it is falsifiable, or disprovable,
by experimental results✔✔ falsifiable statement
13.Concise statement that summarizes the results of many
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observations and experiments✔✔ Law
14.A well-tested explanation for a wide range of observations or
experimen- tal results.✔✔ scientific theory
15.The theory that the universe originated in a huge explosion that
released all matter and energy.✔✔ Big Bang Theory
16.Sections of the Earth’s crust that move due to convection currents.✔✔
tec- tonic plates
- The hypothesis that the continents slowly move across Earth’s surface.✔✔ continental drift
18.International System of units based on the metric system and units
derived from the metric system✔✔ SI system
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WGU C165 Integrated Physical Sciences – PA
Questions and Answers (Verified Answers)
- A mathematical model is used to predict the trajectory of a bullet fired
from a gun.
Which discipline of physical science is used to develop this
model? Physics
Chemistry
Earth science
Astronomy✔✔✔ Physics - An environmental scientist monitors pollutants in a lake.
Which two disciplines of physical science does this scientist
use? Choose 2 answers
Astronomy
Chemistry
Earth science
Physics✔✔✔ Chemistry & Earth Science
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- Which study involves both Earth science and physics?
Calculating how much energy is associated with a
hurricane Measuring the energy produced by a generator
Comparing the composition of crude oil from different regions
Monitoring changes in phosphorus levels of a lake✔✔✔ Calculating
how much energy is associated with a hurricane - Which question could be answered with a controlled experiment?
Does ice melt faster in an empty glass or in a glass full of water?
Do all planets have the same shape of orbit around the sun?
What is the maximum distance between Earth and Jupiter?
What is the length of the longest river in North America?✔✔✔ Does ice
melt faster in an empty glass or in a glass full of water? - Which topic would be appropriate for a controlled experiment?
Determining how fast different chemical pollutants dissolve in
water Comparing the elements present in different stars
Measuring how fast a river flows
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Predicting the path of a tornado✔✔✔ Determining how fast different
chemical pollu- tants dissolve in water
- Which question requires a controlled experiment to answer?
Which type of rock contains the most
calcium? Which planet has the most moons?
Which elements are found in Earth’s atmosphere?
Which fossils formed earliest in Earth’s history?✔✔✔ Which type of rock
contains the most calcium? - Sir Isaac Newton discovered that the force of gravity between two
masses increases if the masses increase, and decreases if the distance
between the masses increases. No experiments have ever contradicted
this relationship.
Which type of scientific statement is
this? Hypothesis
Theory
Law
Prediction✔✔✔ Law - The well-accepted scientific explanation for many characteristics of
Earth’s crust states that the crust is broken into several large plates. These
plates move slowly over the mantle below because of convection and
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WGU C165 Integrated Physical Sciences Exam
Questions and Answers (Verified Answers)
1.A mathematical model is used to predict the trajectory of a bullet
fired from a gun. Which discipline of physical science is used to
develop this model✔✔✔ Physics
2.An environmental scientist monitors pollutants in a lake. Which two
disci- plines of physical science does this scientist use? Choose 2
answers: Chem- istry
Earth Science
3.Which study involves both Earth science and physics✔✔✔
Calculating how much energy is associated with a hurricane
4.Which question could be answered with a controlled experiment✔✔✔
Does ice melt faster in an empty glass or in a glass full of water?
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5.Which topic would be appropriate for a controlled experiment✔✔✔
Determin- ing how fast different chemical pollutants dissolve in water
6.Sir Isaac Newton discovered that the force of gravity between two
masses increases if the masses increase, and decreases if the distance
between the masses increases. No experiments have ever contradicted
this relationship. Which type of scientific statement is this✔✔✔ Law
7.The well-accepted scientific explanation for many characteristics of
Earth’s crust states that the crust is broken into several large plates. These
plates move slowly over the mantle below because of convection and
other processes. Earthquakes and volcanoes are most common at places
where the plates interact. Evidence from physics, chemistry, and geology
supports this explanation. Which type of scientific idea is this explanation
an example of✔✔✔ Theory
8.Which question requires a controlled experiment to answer✔✔✔
Which type of rock contains the most calcium?
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9.A student proposes that sugar will dissolve faster in rubbing alcohol
than in water. The student reasons that sugar and rubbing alcohol both
contain carbon so they will mix more easily. Which type of scientific idea is
the student’s proposal an example of✔✔✔ Hypothesis
10.Why was the shrinking Earth idea replaced by the theory of plate
tecton- ics✔✔✔ Plate tectonics explained observations about Earth
that the shrinking Earth idea could not explain.
- Astronomers have long accepted that plate tectonics exists
nowhere in our solar system except on Earth. In 2011, a scientist
analyzed 100
NASA-space-mission photographs of Valles Marineris on Mars, the longest
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known series of canyons in the solar system. The scientist found that
Valles Marineris showed features found only in locations on Earth where
major tectonic plates divide. What would be the appropriate response of
scientists to this information✔✔✔ Carry out further research to gain
more understanding of possible plate tectonics on Mars
12.According to the theory of plate tectonics, volcanoes are especially
likely to form along plate boundaries because of rising magma. New
satellite data mapping the ocean floor reveals thousands of seamounts,
which are small volcanoes. Some of the seamounts are in lines that could
correspond to past or present plate boundaries, but many are not aligned in
this way. How should scientists appropriately respond to the idea that
some new mechanism of forming the volcanoes is involved✔✔✔ Carry
out more research to understand better how the seamounts form
13.For many decades, scientists thought they understood how ozone
breaks down in the stratosphere, creating ozone holes. However, new data
show significantly lower reaction rates than can be explained by the longheld model. What is the appropriate scientific approach for dealing with
this contradiction✔✔✔ Conduct additional experiments to confirm the
new data
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WGU C165 Integrated Physical Sciences Vocabulary
1.Physics: The study of forces, energy, motion
2.Chemistry: The study of atoms and molecules, their structures, and
their inter- actions to form substances
3.Earth science: The study of the Earth’s structure and
composition, and processes that change Earth
4.essential attributes of science: Studies the natural
world Uses testable ideas
Relies on data from
observations/experiments Presented for
evaluation by other scientists Leads to
further questions/research
5.variables: The changing quantities in an experiment
6.independent variable: What you change in an experiment on purpose
7.dependent variable: The variable that changes because of an
independent variable
8.control variable: The variable(s) you don’t want to study, need to
be either eliminated or kept constant
9.observational study: When systems are observed as they appear in
nature, researchers do not attempt to change them
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10.physical model: A model of a physical phenomenon, such as a
planetary system
11.conceptual model: A model used to visualize things that cannot be
seen, such as atoms
12.mathematical model: A model that treats physical
objects/phenomena using mathematical methods
13.computer model: A detailed, complex model calculated by a
computer
14.principle of falsification: Principle that only falsifiable statements
can be subject to scientific inquiry
15.hypothesis: A testable statement about how something in nature
works
16.law: A concise statement that is supported by scientific evidence
and repeated experiments, describes a widespread pattern in nature
(what)
17.theory: A statement that explains a wide range of observations,
supported by a large body of scientific evidence (how/why)
18.meter: Base unit of length
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19.kilogram: Base unit of mass
20.second: Base unit of time
21.kelvin: Base unit of temperature
22.Derived units: What is produced when the base units/quantities are
combined
23.Speed: The name for the distance traveled divided by an interval of
time
24.Volume: Term for the amount of space an object occupies
25.Liquid displacement: Method of determining the volume of an
object by measuring the amount of liquid it displaces
26.direct relationship: A relationship between two variables where
increasing one increases the other, and vice versa
27.inverse relationship: A relationship between two variables where
increasing one decreases the other, and vice versa
28.Velocity: A combination of speed and direction
29.Acceleration: Term for any change in an object’s speed and/or
direction
30.Force: Term for a push or a pull with direction and magnitude. You
may not feel it.
31.Net force: The sum of all forces acting on an object
32.balanced forces: Term for forces that combine to produce a net forceof 0
WGU C165 Integrated Physical Sciences Study Guide
Questions and Answers (Verified Answers)
- WHY DOES STEAM BURN YOUR SKIN✔✔
Water vapor releases heat as it condenses on the skin, which damages the tissue. - WHAT IS AN EXAMPLE OF A SUBSTANCE
EVAPORATING✔✔ Water turns to steam when it
hits a hot stovetop. - AURORAS ARE BURSTS OF LIGHT THAT HAPPEN WHEN CHARGED PARTICLES FROM THE SUN
INTERACT WITH EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD AND ATOMS AND MOLECULES IN OUR
ATMOSPHERE.- WHICH PHYSICAL SCIENCE IS BEST SUITED EXPLAIN THE INTERACTIONS OF
THE CHARGED PARTICLES WITH EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD✔✔
Chemistry. - THE OBSERVATIONAL BALLOON IS FILLED WITH HELIUM AND VENTED TO THE ATMOSPHERE.
THE HEIGHT TI REACHES DEPENDS ON THE CHANGES OF THE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE DURING
THE DAY AND NIGHT CYCLE. THE SCIENCE BEST FOR STUDYING THE DAILY WARMING AND
COOLING OF THE ATMOSPHERE IS .
Earth science - WHICH PHYSICS TOPIC WOULD BE TH EMOST IMPORTANT IN CHEMISTRY✔✔
How atoms bond to each other because of electric attraction of oppositely charged
electrons and nuclei - WHICH TERM BEST DESCRIBES A RESEARCH PROJECT THAT INVOLVES SENDING A SPACE
PROBE TO A DISTANT ASTEROID TO LAND ON IT AND COLLECT DATA✔✔
A field study - WHICH FIELD DEPENDS THE MOST ON OBSERVATIONAL
STUDIES✔✔ Chemistry - IN WHAT SENSE WAS RUTHERFORDS PLANETARY MODEL OF THE ATOM A
MODEL✔✔ It was an ideal atom for other atoms to imitate - ISSAC NEWTON WAS REPORTEDLY THINKING ABOUT THE MOTION OF THE MOON WHEN HE
NOTICED AN APPLE FALL, AND GOT THE IDEA THAT THE SAME FORCE OF GRAVITY PULLING
THE APPLE TOWARD EARTH CONTROLS THE MOTION OF THE MOON. BEFORE NEWTON HAD
TESTED THIS IDEA BY DOING CALCULTATIONS AND COMPARING THEM WITH ASTRONOMICAL
DATA. NEWTONS IDEA WOULD MOST ACCURATLEY BE CALLED A ✔✔
Hypothesis
- WHAT STATEMENT MOST ACCURATELY DESCRIBES HOW OUR PRESENT KNOWLEDGE OF
THE STRUCTURE OF ATOMS, AS BEING COMPOSED OF ELECTRONS, PROTONS, AND
NEUTRONS, DEVELOPED✔✔
Our understanding of atoms came piece by piece from many different scientific
researchers - WHAT MAY CHANGE DURING A PHYSICAL
CHANGE✔✔ The spacing between atoms
or molecules - HYDROGEN(H) AND CHLORINE (CI) CAN REACT TO FORM HYDROCHLORIC ACID ACCORDING
TO THE FOLLOWING BALANCED CHEMICAL EQUATION: H2+ CI2 -> 2HCI 2g+70 g.
IF 2g OF H2, AND 70g OF CI2 MOLECULES REACT, WHAT MASS OF HCI WILL FORM✔✔
72g - WHICH TYPE OF EMELMENT IS LOCATED TOWARD THE LEFT ON THE PERIODIC
TABLE✔✔ Metals
WGU C165 Integrated Physical Sciences Test Prep
Questions and Answers (Verified Answers)
INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Question 1 of 14
Auroras are bursts of light that happen when charged particles from the sun interact with Earth’s
magnetic field and atoms and molecules in our atmosphere.
Which physical science is BEST SUITED explain the interactions of the charged particles with
Earth’s magnetic field?
life science
physics
chemistry
Physics can explain the interactions of charged particles with the Earth’s magnetic field because
magnetic fields are forces.
Question 2 of 14
The physical science that is BEST for finding the best locations to drill for the petroleum used
to make the candles is Earth Science.
Earth science is best suited to study Earth’s structure, including the mechanisms and likely
locations for petroleum reservoirs to collect.
Question 3 of 14
The science BEST for studying how hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide react is Chemistry.
Chemistry focuses on the study of atoms and molecules, their structures, and their interactions
to form various substances.
Question 4 of 14
The science BEST for studying photosynthetic bacteria is Life science.
Life science focuses on environments, biological entities, and many other related fields.
Question 5 of 14
Which of the following terms best describes a research project that involves sending a space
probe to a distant asteroid to land on it and collect data?
a controlled experiment
a field study
a laboratory experiment
Even though the scientists are not on the asteroid, they are conducting data collection in the
field.
Question 6 of 14
A main reason to do a field study rather than a laboratory experiment is if
Question 7 of 14
Which of these fields depends the MOST on observational
studies? physics
Earth science
chemistry
While scientists today have many techniques and procedures to replicate unique experiments
that answer can answer questions about the Earth, most of the data collected is still
observed.
Question 8 of 14
The kinetic theory of gases is based on the assumption that the molecules that form the gas are
in random motion and bounce off the walls of their container and off each other as if they
were billiard balls. The forces between real molecules are more complicated.
This is an example of
An observational study focuses on collecting data and observing phenomena in the field
or laboratory.
Question 9 of 14
Why can’t astronomers carry out a scientific research study to determine which visible star,
other than our sun, is the nicest?
The Hubble telescope has better uses.
Existing telescopes aren’t powerful enough.
There is no way to prove any answer wrong.
A project of that sort cannot get funding.
“Nicest” is subjective. Consider the people who like summer versus winter, or vice versa.
Question 10 of 14
Galileo found that when air resistance can be ignored, heavier and lighter objects fall in the
same way. He tested this rule and confirmed it was consistent with all available data.
The rule Galileo found can BEST be described as a
The rule Galileo found was a tested conclusion describing something very specific that happens,
and was supported by all available data.
Question 11 of 14
Which of these describes a statement that has usually NOT yet been
tested? a hypothesis
a model
a theory
a law
A hypothesis is a testable statement about how something in nature works. It is typically the
best tentative assumption that researchers can make based on the evidence they already have at
that point.