TExES Exam Science 7-12 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another?
- Newton's First Law
- Law of Conservation of Mass
- First Law of Thermodynamics (Correct answer)
- Boyle's Law
Correct answer: First Law of Thermodynamics
The First Law of Thermodynamics states that the total energy of an isolated system is constant — energy is conserved.
Question 2: A 9th-grade student claims that evolution means individual organisms change during their lifetime. How should the teacher respond?
- Agree — evolution does occur within a single organism
- Correct the misconception: evolution is the change in allele frequencies in a population over generations (Correct answer)
- Avoid correcting the student to preserve confidence
- State that evolution is a matter of opinion
Correct answer: Correct the misconception: evolution is the change in allele frequencies in a population over generations
Evolution refers to changes in allele frequencies across a population over generations, not changes within a single organism's lifetime.
Question 3: Which force holds protons and neutrons together in the atomic nucleus?
- Gravitational force
- Electromagnetic force
- Strong nuclear force (Correct answer)
- Weak nuclear force
Correct answer: Strong nuclear force
The strong nuclear force overcomes electromagnetic repulsion between protons to bind nucleons (protons and neutrons) together in the nucleus.
Question 4: In a food web, organisms that produce their own food through photosynthesis are called:
- Consumers
- Decomposers
- Producers (Correct answer)
- Omnivores
Correct answer: Producers
Producers (autotrophs) are the base of food webs because they convert light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis.
Question 5: Which celestial phenomenon causes the phases of the Moon as seen from Earth?
- Earth's shadow falling on the Moon
- The changing angle of sunlight illuminating the Moon as it orbits Earth (Correct answer)
- Clouds blocking the Moon's surface
- The Moon rotating on its own axis
Correct answer: The changing angle of sunlight illuminating the Moon as it orbits Earth
Moon phases result from the changing angle at which the Sun illuminates the Moon's surface as the Moon orbits Earth.
Question 6: Which instructional approach is MOST aligned with the 5E inquiry model in science education?
- Teacher lectures while students take notes
- Students engage in hands-on exploration before formal explanation (Correct answer)
- Students memorize vocabulary before any activity
- Teacher provides all answers at the start of the lesson
Correct answer: Students engage in hands-on exploration before formal explanation
The 5E model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) places hands-on exploration before formal explanation to build conceptual understanding.
TExES Exam Science 7-12 3
Which law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another?