GRADE 8 - Science Administered April 2014

GRADE 8

Science

Administered April 2014

RELEASED

written permission from the Texas Education Agency.

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Updated Spring 2011

10 11

Al Si P S Cl Ar

B C N O F Ne

Mass numbers in parentheses are those of

the most stable or most common isotope.

Silicon

Symbol

Atomic number

Name

28.086Atomic mass

In I

K Ca

Na Mg

Li Be

Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru

Cs Ba Hf Ta W Re Os

Fr Ra Rf Db

110

13 14 15 16 17 18

567891

19 20

11 12

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

55 56 72 73 74 75 76

87 88 104 105 106 107 108 109

4.003

26.982 28.086

30.974

32.066 35.453 39.94822.990 24.305

10.812 12.011 14.007 15.999 18.998 20.1806.941 9.012

1.008

65.3863.54658.693 69.723 72.64 74.922

78.96

79.904

83.798

39.098

40.078

44.956 47.867

50.942 51.996

54.938 55.845

58.933

(281)

(223) (226)

(267)

(268) (271) (272) (270) (276)

112.412107.868

106.42

114.818 118.711

121.760

127.60 126.904 131.29485.468 87.62

88.906 91.224 92.906

95.96 (98)

101.07 102.906

200.59196.967

195.085

204.383 207.2 208.980

(209)

(210) (222)

132.905 137.328 178.49

180.948 183.84

186.207

190.23 192.217

Lanthanide Series

Actinide Series

Ytterbium

Nobelium

Thulium

Mendelevium

Erbium

Fermium

Holmium

Einsteinium

Dysprosium

Californium

Terbium

Berkelium

Gadolinium

Curium

Europium

Americium

Praseodymium

Protactinium

Neodymium

Uranium

Promethium

Neptunium

Samarium

Plutonium

Cerium

Thorium

102

101

100

173.055

(259)

168.934

(258)

167.259

(257)

164.930

(252)

162.500

(251)

158.925

(247)

157.25

(247)

151.964

(243)

140.908

231.036

144.242

238.029

(145)

(237)

150.36

(244)

140.116

232.038

Helium

Aluminum Silicon Phosphorus Sulfur Chlorine ArgonSodium Magnesium

Boron Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen Fluorine NeonLithium Beryllium

Hydrogen

ZincCopperNickel Gallium Germanium Arsenic Selenium Bromine KryptonPotassium Calcium Scandium Titanium Vanadium Chromium Manganese Iron Cobalt

CadmiumSilverPalladium Indium Tin Antimony Tellurium Iodine XenonRubidium Strontium Yttrium Zirconium Niobium Molybdenum Technetium Ruthenium Rhodium

MercuryGoldPlatinum Thallium Lead Bismuth Polonium Astatine Radon

Cesium Barium Hafnium

Tantalum Tungsten Rhenium

Osmium Iridium

Francium Radium

Rutherfordium

Dubnium

Seaborgium

Bohrium

Hassium Meitnerium

Darmstadtium

Roentgenium

111

(280)

(227)

138.905

Lanthanum

Actinium

Lutetium

Lawrencium

103

174.967

(262)

Page 4

SCIENCE

Page 5

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DIRECTIONS

Read each question carefully. For a multiple-choice question, determine the

best answer to the question from the four answer choices provided. For a

griddable question, determine the best answer to the question. Then fill in

the answer on your answer document.

1 A student lets a toy car roll four times down a ramp that is 1 m long. Each time the student

covers the surface of the ramp with a different material. The student measures the time it

takes the car to roll down the ramp and records the results in the table below.

Material

Time to

Complete Ramp

(s)

W 4

X 8

Y 7

Which of these would be the best conclusion based on the data in the table?

A Different surfaces affect how fast a toy car accelerates.

B Different toy cars travel at different speeds.

C Gravity has little effect on the speed of toy cars on different surfaces.

D Air resistance is the greatest factor in limiting the acceleration of different toy cars.

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2 The diagram below models Mercury and Venus orbiting the sun.

Sun

Mercury

Venus

Orbits of Mercury and Venus

What force causes Venus to travel along a curved path instead of moving in a straight line as

indicated by the dashed line in the diagram?

F Electromagnetic attraction between the sun and Venus

G Gravitational attraction between the sun and Venus

H Electromagnetic attraction between Mercury and Venus

J Gravitational attraction between Mercury and Venus

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3 Before the Industrial Revolution in England, the peppered moth was commonly found on tree

trunks that had light-colored lichen on the bark. Most of the peppered moths were a light

gray-brown color similar to that of the lichen. A few of the moths had a mutation that made

them a dark gray-brown color.

During Industrial Revolution

Light moths

Dark moths

Dark tree

Before Industrial Revolution

Light tree

During the Industrial Revolution, coal-burning factories produced black soot that covered the

trees and killed the lichen in and near cities. In these areas the number of dark peppered

moths increased, while the number of light peppered moths decreased. What contributed to

this change?

A The soot-covered trees camouflaged the dark moths.

B The dark moths preyed on the light moths.

C Bird populations increased in the areas near the factories.

D The dark moths laid fewer eggs than the light moths.

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4 Four students were asked to classify the activities of the people in the picture below as

examples of either potential or kinetic energy.

Which student correctly classified the activities?

Student 1

Activity

Observed

Girl swimming

laps

Boy on diving

board

Girl hitting

volleyball

Boy holding

volleyball

Classification

of Activity

Potential energy

Kinetic energy

Student 2

Activity

Observed

Girl swimming

laps

Boy on diving

board

Girl hitting

volleyball

Boy holding

volleyball

Classification

of Activity

Potential energy

Kinetic energy

Potential energy

Kinetic energy

Student 3

Activity

Observed

Girl swimming

laps

Boy on diving

board

Girl hitting

volleyball

Boy holding

volleyball

Classification

of Activity

Kinetic energy

Potential energy

Kinetic energy

Potential energy

Student 4

Activity

Observed

Girl swimming

laps

Boy on diving

board

Girl hitting

volleyball

Boy holding

volleyball

Classification

of Activity

Kinetic energy

Potential energy

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5 The Prairies Region and the Cross Timbers are located in north-central Texas. The graph

below shows information about eating habits of white-tailed deer in these regions.

Source: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Shrubs,

vines

36%

Weeds

20%

Seeds,

fruit

20%

Grass

12%

Crops

Feed

Typical Diet of White-Tailed Deer

in the Prairies Region and the Cross Timbers of Texas

99%

A Cross Timbers rancher is concerned about competition between the ranch animals and the

deer. Based on the graph, which ranch animals compete for the most food with white-tailed

deer?

A Cattle that eat grass and feed

B Goats that eat weeds and shrubs

C Turkeys that eat seeds and fruit

D Hogs that eat fruit, seeds, and feed

6 Many processes occur in the digestive system. Which process is best classified as a physical

change?

F Saliva converting the starch molecules in crackers into simple sugars

G Digestive enzymes breaking down proteins into smaller fragments

H Bacteria converting lactose into simple sugars in the intestines

J Teeth grinding an almond into smaller pieces in the mouth

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803D

7 When Charles Darwin visited the Galápagos Islands in the 1800s, he observed many types of

organisms that were similar but lived on different islands. The four species of mockingbirds

found on the Galápagos Islands are shown below. Each species lives on a different island.

Galápagos

mockingbird

Chatham

mockingbird

Charles

mockingbird

Hood

mockingbird

These species are very similar, but the Hood mockingbird has a longer beak than the other

three species. Which of the following best explains this difference?

A The Hood mockingbird needs a longer beak for defense against predators.

B The Hood mockingbird originated from a different type of bird than the other species.

C The Hood mockingbird’s longer beak is an adaptation to the food available in the bird’s

habitat.

The Hood mockingbird’s beak stretched to reach its food, and the longer beak was passed

down to its offspring.

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8 A Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is shown below.

Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

Spectral Class

OBAFGKM

–4

–2

Luminosity

SupergiantsSupergiants

GiantsGiants

White dwarfsWhite dwarfs

Main sequenceMain sequence

Supergiants

Giants

White dwarfs

Main-sequence

stars

Based on this diagram, which type of stars would belong to spectral class M and have the

highest luminosity?

F Main-sequence stars

G Giants

H White dwarfs

J Supergiants

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9 When a lion eats a zebra and then uses the energy from the zebra to run, the lion’s body

converts —

A chemical energy to mechanical energy

B electrical energy to chemical energy

C chemical energy to light energy

D mechanical energy to chemical energy

802E

10 Some students in a chemistry lab conducted an investigation in which they added

four different solid substances to separate beakers of water. They stirred the mixtures

for one minute and then recorded their observations in the table below.

Student Observations

Substance

Observation

1 The substance dissolved.

2 The substance caused bubbles to form.

3 The substance sank to the bottom.

4 The substance floated on top.

Which substance most likely caused a new substance to be formed when mixed with water?

F Substance 1

G Substance 2

H Substance 3

J Substance 4

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11 Which of these correctly describes a relationship between organisms in the soil food web

below?

Plants

Organic matter

Small

nematodes

(root-feeders)

Fungi

Bacteria

Small arthropods

Small nematodes

(fungi and bacteria-

feeders)

Protozoa

Large

arthropods

Large

nematodes

Birds

Mammals

A Protozoa get nutrients from small arthropods.

B Mammals are predators of birds.

C Nematodes prey on arthropods.

D Bacteria get nutrients from organic matter.

12 Scientists recently discovered that rocks collected from the Franklin Mountains in West Texas

and rocks collected from mountains in eastern Antarctica were exactly the same age. Further

research showed that the rocks were chemically and geologically the same and came from the

same magma source. This discovery provides evidence of —

F coastal erosion

G plate tectonics

H ocean currents

J glacial melting

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13 Galveston Bay, an estuary in Southeast Texas, is shown below. The amount of salt in the

water changes with the tides. Sometimes the water is mostly freshwater, and sometimes it is

mixed with saltwater. Various plant species live in this environment and provide a habitat for

other organisms.

Estuary plants

To successfully live in an estuary, a plant species must have an adaptation that allows it to —

A produce large amounts of food

B absorb large amounts of water

C store excess gases

D filter excess salt

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803B

14 The flow of energy in some Australian food chains is modeled in the energy pyramid below.

Wedge-tailed

eagles

Chuditch

Woylies

Zamia shrubs

Kangaroo

paw plants

Wisteria

plants

Eucalyptus

trees

Marri trees

Ring-tailed

opossums

Based on the model, which consumers would receive the greatest amount of energy captured

by the producers in their food chains?

F Wedge-tailed eagles

G Chuditch

H Ring-tailed opossums

J Eucalyptus trees

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802E

15 The satellite image below shows a ship channel between South Padre Island and Boca Chica

beach in South Texas.

Ship channel

Sand is sometimes removed from the ship channel through a process called dredging to make

it easier for ships to travel through. Recently sand from the bottom of the channel was moved

to area beaches. Without this transfer of sand, what would most likely occur in this area in

the future?

A The ship channel would become deeper, and the island would move west toward the

mainland.

The ship channel would become shallower, and the beach would become narrower.

C The ship channel would become narrower, and the island would become completely

covered with water.

D The ship channel would become wider, and the island would sink into the Gulf of Mexico.

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16 A student is studying calcium, a highly reactive element that humans need for strong bones.

Which characteristic of calcium is most closely related to its chemical reactivity?

F The 20 protons in each atom of calcium

The density of calcium, which is

15. g4 /cm

H The atomic mass of calcium, which is 40.078 amu

J The 2 valence electrons in each atom of calcium

17 When a space shuttle was launched, the astronauts onboard experienced an acceleration of

29.0 m/s

. If one of the astronauts had a mass of 60.0 kg, what net force in newtons did the

astronaut experience?

Record your answer and fill in the bubbles on your answer document. Be sure to use the

correct place value.

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18 A scientist named Joseph Connell studied two species of barnacles on the shore of a Scottish

island. In the area between the average tide and the neap high tide, he found that the

population of Species A was smaller than that of Species B. He removed Species B from one

area but left both Species A and B in a similar area. The graph below shows the results of this

study.

Population of Species A

Time

Barnacle Study

Species A onlySpecies A only

Species A Species A

and B and B

KEY

Species A without

Species B

Species A with

Species B

Based on these data, which hypothesis was Connell most likely testing?

F The populations of both species of barnacles increase more in warm water than in cool

water.

G Barnacles grow larger when they are isolated from other species.

H The two species of barnacles compete with each other for resources.

J The two species of barnacles are closely related to each other.

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19 A model of a beryllium atom is shown below.

What types of particles are found in the cloud surrounding the atom’s nucleus?

A Positively charged particles and negatively charged particles

B Negatively charged particles only

C Neutral particles and positively charged particles

D Positively charged particles only

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20 A student draws the model shown below.

Sun

Earth

Which of these best compares the conditions at Location X and Location Y?

F It is day at Location X and night at Location Y.

G It is winter at Location X and summer at Location Y.

H There are more hours of daylight at Location X than at Location Y.

J The moon is brighter when viewed from Location X than when viewed from Location Y.

21 Based on its chemical formula, which of the following substances is an organic compound?

Urea, CH N O

Ammonium sulfide, (NH ) S

Silane, SiH

D Sodium chloride, NaCl

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22 In the aquatic food web below, which two organisms have a predator-prey relationship?

Cormorants

Striped bass

Opossum shrimp

Copepods

Phytoplankton

Amphipods

Shad

Blueback herring

Blue crabs

Sturgeons

Rangia clams

F Shad and sturgeons

G Sturgeons and blue crabs

H Blue crabs and rangia clams

J Copepods and amphipods

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23 The graph below shows distance over time.

Time (min)

10 20 30 40 50 60

Distance (km)

Which of these situations could be represented by this graph?

A A student walks 1.5 km to a friend’s house in 40 minutes. The two students then walk

another 1.5 km to school in 20 minutes.

B A student walks 1.5 km to a friend’s house in 20 minutes. The two students then walk

another 1.5 km to school in 40 minutes.

C A student walks 1.5 km to a friend’s house in 30 minutes. The two students then walk

another 1.5 km to school in 30 minutes.

D A student walks 1.5 km to a friend’s house in 20 minutes. The two students then walk

another 1.5 km to school in 60 minutes.

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24 Some students used records from the U.S. Naval Observatory to make the table below of the

percent of the moon that was visible on each night in January 2011.

Percent of Moon Visible in January 2011

Moon Visible (%)

100

Moon Visible (%)

Date Date

Date

Moon Visible (%)

Source: U.S. Naval Observatory

Based on these data, what part of the lunar cycle occurred between January 5 and January 7?

F Waxing crescent moon

G Waning crescent moon

H Full moon

J New moon

heat

CaCO

CaO

3 2

In the chemical reaction shown above, the products are best classified as —

A two elements

B one element and one compound

C two compounds

D two compounds and one element

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26 The diagram below shows a model of the movement of two tectonic plates. When the plates

collide, one plate often moves below the other plate.

Oceanic

crust

Oceanic

crust

Continental

crust

Continental

crust

The rising magma that can result from this type of plate movement may produce —

F fossil layers

G volcanic islands

H deep-sea sediment

J seafloor spreading

27 A student uses a magnet to move a 0.025 kg metal ball. The magnet exerts a force of 5 N,

which causes the ball to begin moving. What is the acceleration of the ball when it begins to

move?

200 m/s

0.125 m/s

5 m/s

5.025 m/s

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28 The diagram below shows four positions in Earth’s orbit around the sun.

Sun

Earth

The Northern Hemisphere experiences the beginning of spring when Earth is in —

F Position 1

G Position 2

H Position 3

J Position 4

29 When people run long distances, their muscles require increased amounts of oxygen. Which

system is responsible for carrying this oxygen to the muscles?

A Nervous

B Respiratory

C Digestive

D Circulatory

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30 The points labeled W and Y on the topographic map below show the campsites of two families.

Each family hiked to the elevation on the map marked X. The arrows show the paths taken by

both families.

500

600

440

Contour interval: 20 m

What was the change in elevation, to the nearest ten meters, for the family that took the

steepest path to Point X?

Record your answer and fill in the bubbles on your answer document. Be sure to use the

correct place value.

31 The chemical formula for sodium sulfate is Na SO . How man

y sulfur atoms are in the formula

for sodium sulfate?

A 1

B 2

C 6

D 7

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32 In 1838 botanist Matthias Schleiden determined that all plants are composed of cells. In 1839

anatomist Theodor Schwann proposed that all animals are composed of cells. In 1855

biologist Rudolph Virchow added to Schleiden’s and Schwann’s observations and proposed

that all living things are composed of cells. Which statement is also part of Virchow’s cell

theory?

F All cells have a cell wall.

G All cells arise from pre-existing cells.

H All cells are capable of photosynthesis.

J All cells can develop into any other type of cell.

33 What is the mass number of a potassium (K) atom that has 20 neutrons?

A 18

B 19

C 20

D 39

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34 What is the difference between the velocity and the speed of an object?

F Velocity is the change in distance over time, while speed is the change in velocity over

time.

G Velocity has a direction associated with it, while speed has no specific direction.

H Velocity has no direction associated with it, while speed has a specific direction.

J Velocity is the change in speed over time, while speed is the change in distance over time.

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35 The moon reflects different amounts of sunlight onto Earth at different times. This reflected

sunlight is commonly called moonlight. The graph below shows the intensity of moonlight at

different times in a lunar cycle.

Intensity of Light

Lunar Cycle

Intensity of Moonlight

During a Lunar Cycle

Which moon phase most likely occurs at the time in the cycle represented by an X on the

graph?

CORBIS

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36 Fish in a lake have to compete for space. Different fish have different optimal temperature

ranges. The graph below shows the temperature ranges of four fish species.

Temperature (°C)

Type of Fish

Lake trout

Largemouth bass

Sunfish

Bullhead

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Optimal Temperature Ranges

of Four Fish Species

At which temperature range will there be the most competition for space among these fish

species?

F 5°C to 10°C

G 10°C to 15°C

H 15°C to 20°C

J 25°C to 30°C

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803B

37 Hurricanes and similar storm systems begin over oceans. The map below shows average

surface temperatures of the oceans in the summer.

Oceanic Surface Temperatures in Summer

KEY

–0.9°C to 12.7°C

12.8°C to 26.3°C

26.4°C to 30.9°C

Source: NASA

Based on the map, which area probably produced the most violent storm systems?

A Area 1

B Area 2

C Area 3

D Area 4

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38 Some students were investigating the speed of a toy car they built. They performed

two trials and recorded their data in the table below.

Toy-Car Trials

Trial 1 Trial 2

Time (s) Distance (m) Time (s) Distance (m)

4.0

5.6 5.0 7.0

What was the average speed of the toy car during the two trials to the nearest tenth

of a m/s?

Record your answer and fill in the bubbles on your answer document. Be sure to use the

correct place value.

39 A scientist performed four investigations using eight different liquids. In each investigation,

the scientist combined two of the liquids under a fume hood and recorded observations in the

table below.

Scientist’s Observations

Investigation

Observations After Two Liquids Are Combined

The temperature of the combined liquids increased,

and a solid substance formed.

The temperature of the combined liquids decreased,

and bubbles formed.

One liquid settled to the bottom of the beaker, and

the other liquid rose to the top.

The combined liquids turned from clear to a bright

purple.

In which investigation is it least likely that the liquids reacted chemically?

A 1

B 2

C 3

D 4

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40 The types of small organisms that live on the bottom of streams can be good indicators of

water pollution. The table below groups some organisms by their tolerance of pollution.

Tole rance o f

Water Pollution

Cannot tolerate pollution

Can tolerate pollution

Stone flies

Sow bugs

Pouch

snails

Riffle

beetles

Dragonflies

Midges

Mayflies

Crayfish

Aquatic

worms

Organisms

Stream Organisms

A certain stream that was historically clear and clean has become increasingly polluted with

fertilizer waste over the years. Which of these describes a likely result of this pollution?

F Mayflies that were previously abundant are no longer present in the stream.

G Stone flies and midges thrive and compete for the same food source.

H Large numbers of crayfish have suddenly died.

J Riffle beetles have become more abundant in the stream.

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41 The diagram below shows a sled moving along a smooth, frictionless track.

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

In which sections of the track will the sled experience an unbalanced force?

A Sections 1 and 3

B Sections 2 and 3

C Sections 2 and 4

D Sections 3 and 4

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42 Four students are asked to describe a nebula and a star. Their responses are shown in the

table below.

Student Responses

Student Description of a Nebula Description of a Star

A collection of hot gases that

sometimes produces light from

nuclear reactions

A sphere of dust and gases that

contains many elements and

produces light from fusion and

fission reactions

A collection of hot gases that

results from stars that have

exploded

A collection of gases from several

nebulae hot enough to cause a

nuclear reaction

A collection of dust and gases

that forms stars or results

from dying stars

A sphere of matter with a density

and a temperature great enough to

cause a nuclear reaction at its

center

A collection of dust and gases

that is found near stars

A collection of hot gases that forms

a sphere but produces no light

Which student described these two celestial bodies correctly?

F Student 1

G Student 2

H Student 3

J Student 4

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43 The masses of four vehicles and the net forces acting on them as they enter a highway are

recorded in the table below.

Vehicles Entering a Highway

Vehicle

Mass

(kg)

Force

(N)

Sedan 1500 4500

Coupe 1200 4500

SUV 1800 4500

Truck 2000 4500

Which vehicle has the greatest acceleration as it enters the highway?

A Sedan

B Coupe

C SUV

D Truck

44 Serotonin is a chemical substance that acts as a neurotransmitter. It helps relay messages in

the human brain. The formula for one molecule of serotonin is shown below.

C H N O

10 12 2

How many atoms in all are in a molecule of serotonin?

Record your answer and fill in the bubbles on your answer document. Be sure to use the

correct place value.

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803B

45 The table below shows the distances of three stars from the sun. Students were asked to

make a model of the three stars and to include the sun and Earth in the model. They chose to

use a scale of 1 meter : 1 light-year.

Star Data

Star

Distance from Sun

(light-years)

X 9.4

Y 10.4

Z 10.8

Which model best represents the data?

ZYX

Sun

Earth

10.8 m

ZYX

Sun

Earth

10.8 m

XZ Y

Sun

Earth

10.8 m

Z Y X

Sun

Earth

10.8 m

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803B

46 A student is studying the ways different elements are similar to one another. Diagrams of

atoms from four different elements are shown below.

Nucleus

Atom 1 Atom 2

Atom 4Atom 3

Which two atoms are of elements in the same group in the periodic table?

F Atom 1 and Atom 2

G Atom 1 and Atom 4

H Atom 2 and Atom 3

J Atom 3 and Atom 4

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47 The African savanna is a grassland scattered with shrubs and small trees. Some of the

organisms that live in the savanna are shown below.

Vultures

Grasses

Elephants

Soil

microbes

Fungi

Term ites

Trees

Zebras

Dung

beetles

Hyenas

Cheetahs

Which two types of organisms have a producer-consumer relationship in this African savanna?

A Zebras and hyenas

B Hyenas and cheetahs

C Trees and elephants

D Fungi and dung beetles

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48 Some students conducted a laboratory investigation to learn more about the physical

properties of different elements. They observed four samples and recorded their observations

in the table below.

Properties of Four Elements

Sample

Appearance Physical Properties

• Dull

• Yellow

• Powdery solid

• Smells like eggs

• Broken by hammer

• Silvery-gray

• Solid

• Shaped into a bar

• Dented by hammer

• Reddish-brown

• Shiny solid

• Shaped into a wire

• Can be stretched

• Dented by hammer

• Silvery-gray

• Solid

• Small round pellets

• Flattened by hammer

Based on these observations, which sample is most likely a nonmetal?

F Sample 1

G Sample 2

H Sample 3

J Sample 4

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49 Four students volunteered to help a librarian move containers of library materials. The graph

shows the amount of force used to lift the containers. The numbers in the bars show the mass

of each container. The results for each student helper are shown in the table.

100

200

300

400

500

Helper

10 kg

5 kg

10 kg

40 kg

Helper

Lifting Force Applied (N)

Helper Result of Lifting Force

The container was raised 1 m to a

shelf.

The container was raised 2.5 m to

the top of a cabinet.

The container was raised 0.5 m to

a tabletop.

The container was too heavy to lift

even after four tries.

Data for Helpers

Based on this information, which student helper did not do any work on a container?

A Helper W

B Helper X

C Helper Y

D Helper Z

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50 The hydra is a very small, simple animal that lives in water. Hydras reproduce asexually by

budding, a process in which a bud breaks off an adult hydra and floats away.

Which of the following best describes a hydra bud?

F A hydra bud contains genetic material from its two parents.

G A hydra bud is genetically identical to the parent hydra.

H A hydra bud has different mutations than the parent hydra.

J A hydra bud has half as much genetic material as the parent hydra.

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51 The table below lists three characteristics of an atom of an element.

Characteristics of an Element

Number of

Protons

Number of

Neutrons

Number of

Valence Electrons

37 48 1

An atom of which element is described by the data in the table?

A Radon (Rn)

B Cadmium (Cd)

C Rubidium (Rb)

D Astatine (At)

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52 The Himalayan mountains are shown on the map below.

Arabian

Sea

IndiaIndiaIndia

ChinaChinaChina

Bay of

Bengal

Four students were asked to identify the geologic process that caused this mountain range to

form. Their responses are shown below.

Student Responses

Student Response

1 Two continental plates converging

2 An earthquake in a subduction zone

3 A tectonic plate moving over a hot spot

4 Movement at a transform fault boundary

Which student correctly identified the geologic process that formed the Himalayan

mountains?

F Student 1

G Student 2

H Student 3

J Student 4

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53 The food webs below model relationships among the organisms in two ecosystems.

Forest Food Web

Grassland Food Web

Which ecosystem would be more likely to survive if a disease killed the grasses?

A The forest ecosystem, because most of the animals can eat other organisms

B The grassland ecosystem, because several predators compete for food

C The forest ecosystem, because it has three top predators

D The grassland ecosystem, because it has many herbivores

Page 47

54 The diagram shows a homemade car being pushed with a force of 25 N.

Force = 25 N

Motion

of car

The force causes the car to move at a constant speed of 3 m/s. What will happen if the force

is changed to 35 N?

F The car will move at a constant speed of 13 m/s.

G The speed of the car will not change.

H The speed of the car will increase.

J The speed of the car will decrease to 1 m/s.

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STAAR

GRADE 8

Science

April 2014

1 2 3 4 5 A B C D E Printed in the USA