BCTE MSE COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔Leeward side - ✔✔Side of the mountain protected from the wind.
✔✔What is the rain shadow effect? - ✔✔Mountains push moist air to higher altitudes
where it cools, and water vapor condenses to form rain or snow that only falls on the
windward side.
✔✔Can the gemstone sapphire be scratched by quartz? Why? - ✔✔No, because it is a
variety of corundum, which ranks a very high 9 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
Quartz is a 7 on the scale.
✔✔Where is lignite on the Mohs scale of hardness? - ✔✔It is a very soft form of coal, so
it is low.
✔✔Where is talc on the Mohs scale of hardness? - ✔✔It is a 1; it can be scratched with
your fingernail.
✔✔The liver is an organ in the ____________ system? - ✔✔Digestive. The liver
provides bile and other enzymes for the digestion of dietary fats.
✔✔What are the rectus abdominus? - ✔✔Muscles of the torso.
✔✔Where is the pituitary gland located, and what does it do? - ✔✔It is located in the
brain and it secretes a variety of hormones.
✔✔Intense heat and pressure transform limestone into what? - ✔✔Marble.
✔✔What kind of rock is limestone? - ✔✔Sedimentary rock.
✔✔Anthracite is a form of what? - ✔✔Coal.
, ✔✔What is formica? - ✔✔A man-made materiel invented in 1913.
✔✔What is halite? - ✔✔rock salt
✔✔Would xenon be a good choice to fill a balloon with? - ✔✔It wouldn't hurt anything,
but xenon is heavier than air.
✔✔What gas would be dangerous to fill a balloon with? - ✔✔Hydrogen. It is highly
reactive.
✔✔Would nitrogen be a good choice to fill a balloon with? - ✔✔It wouldn't hurt anything
but it would approximate the weight of air and look like a "tired" helium balloon.
✔✔Neutrals have a pH value of - ✔✔greater than 7 to 14
✔✔If a substance is corrosive to metal and turns litmus paper red, it is _________ -
✔✔an acid. Acids have characteristics of being sour, like lemon juice and vinegar.
✔✔If a substance feels slippery and turns litmus paper blue it is ________ - ✔✔a base.
Examples are baking soda and ammonia.
✔✔Acids have a pH value of - ✔✔0 - 6 Battery acid is at 0.
✔✔what features are only found in plant cells? - ✔✔cell wall and chloroplasts.
✔✔Neutrals have a pH value of - ✔✔zero. water, for example.
✔✔Animal cells have _____ instead of cell walls? - ✔✔cell membranes
✔✔Why don't animal cells need chloroplasts for photosynthesis? - ✔✔Because animals
do not get their energy from light.
✔✔What factor would hinder the normal development of a plant? - ✔✔Stress - from
things like soil conditions and restricted growing space would stunt plant growth.
✔✔What was Darwin's major contribution to the scientific world? - ✔✔Natural Selection
(along with Alfred Russell Wallace)
✔✔What was Linnaeus' major contribution to the scientific world? - ✔✔Taxonomic
classification (he was an 18th century Swedish scientist) He laid the foundation for our
hierarchical scheme for classifying plants and animals.
ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔Leeward side - ✔✔Side of the mountain protected from the wind.
✔✔What is the rain shadow effect? - ✔✔Mountains push moist air to higher altitudes
where it cools, and water vapor condenses to form rain or snow that only falls on the
windward side.
✔✔Can the gemstone sapphire be scratched by quartz? Why? - ✔✔No, because it is a
variety of corundum, which ranks a very high 9 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
Quartz is a 7 on the scale.
✔✔Where is lignite on the Mohs scale of hardness? - ✔✔It is a very soft form of coal, so
it is low.
✔✔Where is talc on the Mohs scale of hardness? - ✔✔It is a 1; it can be scratched with
your fingernail.
✔✔The liver is an organ in the ____________ system? - ✔✔Digestive. The liver
provides bile and other enzymes for the digestion of dietary fats.
✔✔What are the rectus abdominus? - ✔✔Muscles of the torso.
✔✔Where is the pituitary gland located, and what does it do? - ✔✔It is located in the
brain and it secretes a variety of hormones.
✔✔Intense heat and pressure transform limestone into what? - ✔✔Marble.
✔✔What kind of rock is limestone? - ✔✔Sedimentary rock.
✔✔Anthracite is a form of what? - ✔✔Coal.
, ✔✔What is formica? - ✔✔A man-made materiel invented in 1913.
✔✔What is halite? - ✔✔rock salt
✔✔Would xenon be a good choice to fill a balloon with? - ✔✔It wouldn't hurt anything,
but xenon is heavier than air.
✔✔What gas would be dangerous to fill a balloon with? - ✔✔Hydrogen. It is highly
reactive.
✔✔Would nitrogen be a good choice to fill a balloon with? - ✔✔It wouldn't hurt anything
but it would approximate the weight of air and look like a "tired" helium balloon.
✔✔Neutrals have a pH value of - ✔✔greater than 7 to 14
✔✔If a substance is corrosive to metal and turns litmus paper red, it is _________ -
✔✔an acid. Acids have characteristics of being sour, like lemon juice and vinegar.
✔✔If a substance feels slippery and turns litmus paper blue it is ________ - ✔✔a base.
Examples are baking soda and ammonia.
✔✔Acids have a pH value of - ✔✔0 - 6 Battery acid is at 0.
✔✔what features are only found in plant cells? - ✔✔cell wall and chloroplasts.
✔✔Neutrals have a pH value of - ✔✔zero. water, for example.
✔✔Animal cells have _____ instead of cell walls? - ✔✔cell membranes
✔✔Why don't animal cells need chloroplasts for photosynthesis? - ✔✔Because animals
do not get their energy from light.
✔✔What factor would hinder the normal development of a plant? - ✔✔Stress - from
things like soil conditions and restricted growing space would stunt plant growth.
✔✔What was Darwin's major contribution to the scientific world? - ✔✔Natural Selection
(along with Alfred Russell Wallace)
✔✔What was Linnaeus' major contribution to the scientific world? - ✔✔Taxonomic
classification (he was an 18th century Swedish scientist) He laid the foundation for our
hierarchical scheme for classifying plants and animals.
