Basic science questions any HS graduate should know the answer to - SFN Version

[RyanJ]

This is acommunity idea as a branch off from this thread. The idea is to make a list of between 10 and 15 basic science questions any HS graduate should know the answer to.

 

If you have any ideas of what should be included please post them here... at the end we can then compare our final results with those presented in the link given by the other thread

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[ecoli]

Are we going to turn this into a poll thing? That would be a good idea... and maybe we can keep a perement link to it on the home page? or something like that.

[Prime-Evil]

OK here are my 10 questions:

 

Part 1 - Physics:

 

1. Classical Mechanics

Would a mass on the surface of the Earth weigh more or less than it does now if the Earth's mass was concentrated at it's core, or of uniform density, or concentrated evenly about the Earth's crust like a hollow shell?

 

2. Quantum Mechanics

What causes gravitational force?

 

3. Relativity

If a quantity of pure matter at rest was able to accellerate itself by consuming its own mass and turning it into energy in a closed system without losses, what would its final velocity be?

 

4. Modern / Theoretical Physics

If two neutrinos were separated alone at rest in deep space at a distance of one light year apart and allowed to accellerate towards one another under the force of gravity and other forces, what velocity would they have when they eventually collide?

 

5. Astronomy and Cosmology

If time and space are relative, did the universe have an actual beginning or only a theoretical one, and will there be an actual end, a theoretical end, or no end?

 

 

Part 2 - Chemistry:

 

6. Inorganic Chemistry

What would be the most useful synthetic liquid fuel for vehicle transportation that is not a hydrocarbon and how might it be produced from sunlight or electricity?

 

7. Organic Chemistry

What would be the most useful synthetic liquid fuel for vehicle transportation that is a hydrocarbon and how might it be produced from sunlight or electricity?

 

 

Part 3 - Biology:

 

8. Evolution, Morphology and Exobiology

What role has viruses played in the evolution and lifespan of complex multicelled plants and animals, including humans, over the past 100,000 years, and particulary in the past 10,000 years with the advance of the human species?

 

9. Ecology and the Environment

What is the best estimate of the historical levels of total global biomass broken down into plants, animals, and dead organic matter, in soil, above ground, and in the oceans over the past 100,000 years, and particulary in the past 10,000 years with the advance of the human species?

 

10. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

What role has inorganic chemicals played in the evolution and lifespan of complex multicelled plants and animals, including humans, over the past 100,000 years, and particulary in the past 10,000 years with the advance of the human species?

 

 

I think when you finish high school you should have more questions than answers, and at least two answers to most questions.

 

Isn't that the real point of science and education after all?

[ecoli]

those are a little tough for a high school grad... have you been in high school recently?

[Royston]

those are a little tough for a high school grad... have you been in high school recently?

 

and then some...what causes gravitational force !?! That's one of, if not the biggest questions in physics.

[YT2095]

What is Science?

 

is my Nomination for entry.

[Royston]

I'll go with (for starters) - what are the three laws proposed by Darwin that constitute natural selection.

 

Then perhaps, what are the other factors that contribute to evolution that are not covered by natural selection.

[Sisyphus]

They shouldn't be too hard. It is what EVERYONE has to know, remember. I would be happy if, for physics, every high school student had a good understanding of Newton's laws and the law of gravitational attraction, and some basic consequences of each. i.e., why the moon doesn't fall, why objects fly in nearly parabolic arcs, etc. Also, what causes the seasons. It's amazing how many adults don't know that.

 

For biology, I'd say the principles of natural selection (and an ability to apply them through a hypothetical), a rough evolutionary history, the basic principle behind genetics, and the basic functions of human organs.

[Royston]

For biology, I'd say the principles of natural selection (and an ability to apply them through a hypothetical), a rough evolutionary history.

 

Good point, a scenario of a given organism over history shows a broader understanding of all the factors at play, rather than just stating the fundamental laws.

[Prime-Evil]

Yeah, I was hoping you would find them tough for high school, since I don't have the answers. I am still not even sure about the first one, though I have a hunch. Still, I think you may have missed my caveat:

 

"I think when you finish high school you should have more questions than answers, and at least two answers to most questions. Isn't that the real point of science and education after all?"

[JustStuit]

Yeah, I was hoping you would find them tough for high school, since I don't have the answers. I am still not even sure about the first one, though I have a hunch.

If all the mass were to be confined to a smaller radius, it would cause the weight to be higher because the average distance between all the mass and you would be less. If compressed far enough, past the Schwarzschild radius, it would become a black hole. So yes, the weight would increase if the distance was lowered. The mass would stay the same.

Think about mass on the other side of the earth from you, it exerts less gravity on you than the earth below your toes. If you brought all the mass as close to you as possible, your weight would increase. Don't think of the earth as one object, think of it as trillions and trillions of atoms.

If all the mass was at the core and you were somehow suspended where the old radius was it would still be higher. All the gravity would pull down whereas before some pulled at an angle (mass close to surface 1/4 of the way around earth in either way.)

[[Tycho?]]

[see my questions in the original thread]

 

If you were standing on top of a mountain so big its peak was as high as the International Space Station, would you be able to stand (ie would you "stick" to the ground)?

 

Yes you would. People have the impression that above the atmosphere gravity just switches off. When in reality you "float" in space because you're in freefall. Thinking back to last year, I'm pretty sure I would have been the only person in my grade 12 physics class to have known that.

 

 

How is oil formed in the Earth?

 

I'm not actually sure about this, since it was only mentioned in grade 6. I think its animal matter that is trapped in the earth, and pressure, heat and time breaks it down into oil. Plant material is coal I think. Huh, well wikipedia says it contains both plant and animal matter. I still think this is a good question though, considering how important oil is in todays world.

 

 

What makes the elements on a stove get hot?

 

This seems incredibly elementry to me, but I bet there are people who dont know the answer. Its just heating due to electric resistance.

 

How does a microwave heat food?

 

The microwaves cause water (and other polar molecules) to move back and forth, heating the food.

 

 

I'm kinda getting off topic here, since I dont think these are necessarly "top 10 questions". I'm just trying to post things which are very basic questions which apply to everyday life, but which many people may not know the answer to.

[ecoli]

I like the microwave question tycho, People should know how a microwave works, but I bet they wont.

[deltanova]

im doing year 11 physics and chem at the moment, so far i can partialy answer 1, 2 and 3 of the questions prime-evil posted, the 4 and 5 i cant, and we have covered nothing that might give us the answer to those specific questions, as for chem i have no idea so far, WAY to hard for me, i cant wait though if i should be able to answer questions like that once im finished.

 

as for the questions in the article on the first post of the original thread, they are pretty easy, if my HSC paper is asking questions like that ill be estatic, the only one i couldnt get was number 10 (and that was i think because i live in australia, i havent even seen snow let alone saw it as a reason to sprinkle the pavement with salt, bad salinity problems here would make it stupid to do something like that anyway.)

[RyanJ]

those are a little tough for a high school grad... have you been in high school recently?

 

Yea I agree, some of those do seem a little hard but some of them are good too

 

@ecoli: Yea we will poll them at the end to see which ones should be used. Thats the only way to decide I think

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[Cloud]

What are stars?

 

I think that's a good one. I have a prediction that many HS people think that there are many stars in the solar system(because you can see them when you look at the night sky - so they must be close)

[RyanJ]

What are stars?

 

I think that's a good one. I have a prediction that many HS people think that there are many stars in the solar system(because you can see them when you look at the night sky - so they must be close)

 

Thats an interesting question, I was surprised that many people in my class when asked this querstion had it wrong too... Good question, like it

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[silkworm]

What is Science?

 

is my Nomination for entry.

 

I second that.

 

A follow up would be, what are the requirements for a scientific theory?

 

I think it's important, as well, that these kids understand completely some fundamental theories of science. Evolution, Plate Tectonics, F=ma (and gravity), Gibbs Free Energy, PV=nRT are not too hard to grasp and essential to not releasing an idiot into the world. I don't think any of those are too heavy to grasp in high school.

 

They also should make it through Calc 1 or not graduate.

[JustStuit]

They also should make it through Calc 1 or not graduate.

That would be nice, but at my school of 2500 we only have 25ish calc students - juniors and seniors. I know most of the people could not handle it.

[timo]

Never went to High School but here´s two questions that spontaneously come to my mind that anyone with a basic education should be able to answer:

 

1) On a hot summer day, you come up with the idea of leaving the door of your fridge open to cool the room. What does this cause?

a) The room will indeed be slightly cooled down

b) No change in temperature but your yogurt starts walking away.

c) That just heats up the room even more

 

2) Can a massive particle accelerate with the speed of light c? Why/why not ?

[[Tycho?]]

People show know basic statistical math. It comes up pretty darn often in real life, although I can't really think of a good question to test this knowledge.

[timo]

'']People show know basic statistical math. It comes up pretty darn often in real life, although I can't really think of a good question to test this knowledge.

Here goes one (although it´s pretty popular so many people will already know the answer):

In a TV show, there´s three closed doors. Behind one, there´s a prize, behind the others, there´s nothing. As the candidate, you may chose a door and grab whatever is behind it. After having chosen a door, the moderator will open a door behind which is nothing - regardless whether your choice was the prize or not. You are then allowed to rethink your decision and chose the other remaining door:

a) Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

b) "No way, my chances of winning are better if I stick with my original decision"

c) Who cares? The chances of winning the prize are the same for both remaining doors.

[[Tycho?]]

Never went to High School but here´s two questions that spontaneously come to my mind that anyone with a basic education should be able to answer:

 

1) On a hot summer day' date=' you come up with the idea of leaving the door of your fridge open to cool the room. What does this cause?

a) The room will indeed be slightly cooled down

b) No change in temperature but your yogurt starts walking away.

c) That just heats up the room even more

 

2) Can a massive particle accelerate with the speed of light c? Why/why not ?[/quote']

 

Ahhh thermodynamics, not many people will get that. But I would say dont have it be multiple choice. People would assume it would cool the room, figure that is too obvious and choose the tricky answer. Which of course would be correct. Can't have any freebies.

[timo]

You don´t really need much thermodynamics to correctly answer the question. And it´s no trick question at all. Also, from my understanding people should be able to correctly answer the question in the sense of also understanding why a particular answer is correct, not in the sense of correctly guessing it. For example in my question 2), I´m pretty sure that almost everyone will have the correct answer while much fewer will have the correct explanation (where the correct explanation is much more important there). To some extend, question 2) is the trick question

[RyanJ]

I second that.

 

Third, its an important question because you should need to know what science is before you can do anything with it

 

@Atheist: Like the questions, common sence yet scentific. Would they need to know the reasoning behind them for the answers though do you think?

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones