CSET Multiple Subjects Subtest 2: Science & Mathematics (100 Q&A)
Science Section (Questions 1-50)
1. What is the primary source of energy for most ecosystems?
A) Geothermal heat
B) Chemical energy from nutrients
C) Wind energy
D) The Sun
2. Which process do plants use to convert sunlight into chemical energy?
A) Cellular Respiration
B) Photosynthesis
C) Decomposition
D) Fermentation
3. In the water cycle, what is the process of a liquid turning into a gas?
A) Condensation
B) Precipitation
C) Evaporation
D) Transpiration
4. An organism that breaks down dead matter and returns nutrients to the soil is a:
A) Producer
B) Consumer
C) Decomposer
D) Herbivore
5. Which of the following is a biotic factor in an ecosystem?
A) Sunlight
B) Rainfall
C) Temperature
D) Predation
6. What is the primary difference between a food chain and a food web?
A) A food web is linear; a food chain is complex.
B) A food web shows interconnected food chains.
C) A food chain includes decomposers; a food web does not.
D) A food web only shows herbivores.
,7. Which type of rock is formed from the cooling and solidification of magma or lava?
A) Igneous
B) Sedimentary
C) Metamorphic
D) Mineral
8. The theory that describes the movement of Earth's lithospheric plates is:
A) The Big Bang Theory
B) The Theory of Evolution
C) The Theory of Plate Tectonics
D) The Cell Theory
9. What geological feature is most likely to form at a convergent boundary where two
continental plates collide?
A) A mid-ocean ridge
B) A rift valley
C) A mountain range
D) A volcanic island arc
10. Which layer of the Earth is composed primarily of solid iron and nickel?
A) The Crust
B) The Mantle
C) The Inner Core
D) The Outer Core
11. What is the main cause of the seasons on Earth?
A) The changing distance from the Earth to the Sun
B) The tilt of the Earth's axis
C) The rotation of the Earth on its axis
D) Sunspots
12. Which phase of the moon occurs when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun?
A) New Moon
B) Full Moon
C) First Quarter
D) Waning Crescent
13. A solar eclipse occurs when:
A) The Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon.
B) The Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth.
, C) The Sun passes between the Earth and the Moon.
D) The Moon's shadow falls on the Sun.
14. What is the smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of an element?
A) A molecule
B) An atom
C) A cell
D) A compound
15. Which of the following is a mixture?
A) Water (H₂O)
B) Sodium Chloride (NaCl)
C) Saltwater
D) Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
16. A chemical reaction that absorbs heat energy is called:
A) Exothermic
B) Endothermic
C) Combustion
D) Catalytic
17. Which state of matter has a definite volume but no definite shape?
A) Solid
B) Liquid
C) Gas
D) Plasma
18. Newton's First Law of Motion is often called the Law of:
A) Force and Acceleration
B) Action-Reaction
C) Inertia
D) Universal Gravitation
19. What is the energy of motion called?
A) Potential energy
B) Kinetic energy
C) Thermal energy
D) Chemical energy
20. In a simple electric circuit, what provides the potential difference (voltage) to drive the
current?