WGU C165 OA EXAM INTEGRATED PHYSICAL
SCIENCES OA EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
(Hydrologic) Water Cycle: - ANSWERContinuous water cycle within the hydrosphere
driven by solar radiation and gravity.
Acceleration: - ANSWERChang in an object's velocity; occurs when an object:
*speeds up
*slows down &/or
*changes direction
Air Density: - ANSWERThe spacing between air particles; mass-(divided by)-per unit of
volume; SI unit=kg/m(3); air density decreases as you go higher.
Air Mass: - ANSWERA large volume of warm or cold air that has approximately uniform
temperature, humidity, and pressure over hundreds or thousands of miles horizontally
and up to about 16 km vertically.
Alloy: - ANSWERA mixture of two or more metals held together by metallic bonds.
Ex: brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
Amplitude: - ANSWERThe vertical distance from the equilibrium to the crest; can also
be measured from the equilibrium to the trough.
Analog: - ANSWERA close approximation of the long term behavior of materials and
processes found in a geological feature; geologists use it to determine how rocks were
formed.
Anticyclone: - ANSWERA weather system in which air pressure is high relative to
surrounding its location; motion circulates clockwise (northern hemisphere) and
counterclockwise (southern hemisphere); associated with calm, fine weather.
Asteroid: - ANSWERVery small, rocky, celestial bodies that orbit the sun.
Astronomy: - ANSWERThe study of the moon, stars, and other objects in space.
,Atmosphere: - ANSWERThe layer of gases that surround Earth (and other planets);
divided into five layers-troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere,
exosphere.
Atmospheric Pressure: - ANSWERThe pressure and weight air molecules have at the
surface of the Earth; pressure increases as humidity decreases.
Atom: - ANSWERBasic unit of matter; 92 different types of atoms occur naturally on
Earth.
Atomic Number: - ANSWERThe number of protons for an atom of any given element;
neutral atoms of any given element gives the total number for electrons found within the
electron clouds.
Atomic Symbol: - ANSWERA one or two letter abbreviation for an element..
Axis of Rotation: - ANSWERAn imaginary line from the north pole to the south pole that
the Earth rotates around in a 24 hour period.
Balanced Forces: - ANSWERForces that combine to produce a net force of zero.
Base Quantities: - ANSWERSeven designated physical quantities (sets) from which all
other SI quantities can be derived.
(1) Meter (m)-length
(2) Kilogram (k)-mass
(3) Second (s)-time
(4) Kelvin (K)-temperature
(5) Amperes (A)-"amp"-electric current
(6) Candela (cd)-light intensity
(7) Moles (mol)-amount of substance
Blizzard: - ANSWERA severe snowstorm characterized by very strong winds, and a
large amount of snowfall; forms when a warm air mass moves over a cold air mass.
Carbon Cycle: - ANSWERThe cycle or movement of carbon through reservoirs-oceans,
land, and atmosphere; carbon in the ocean and atmosphere exists primarily carbon
dioxide, while carbon in the soil and in living organisms exists primarily as organic
carbon.
Cenozoic Era (Phanerozoic Eon): - ANSWER"New Life"; current and most recent of the
three Phanerozoic geological eras. 66 million years ago-present day; final era of this
eon; evolution of hominids occurred during this era; known as the age of mammals.
Centi: - ANSWERMetric prefix 1/100th or 10^(-2) (0.01). Unit symbol (c).
, Change of State: - ANSWERThe change of a substance from one physical state to
another.
Chemical Bonds: - ANSWERAttractive forces that hold atoms together.
Chemical Change: - ANSWERA change in matter that produces one or more new
substances.
Chemical Equation: - ANSWERChemical formulas and symbols used to indicate the
reactants and products of a chemical reaction.
Chemical Potential Energy: - ANSWEREnergy that is stored in the chemical bonds in a
substance.
Ex: food, gasoline.
Chemical Reaction: - ANSWERA process where chemical bonds are formed or broken
when a chemical change occurs; atoms are rearranged to form new substances.
Chemical Weathering: - ANSWERA physical process that occurs when a rock's
composition changes due to a chemical reaction of weather.
Chemical: - ANSWERA substance that contains one type of atom or a group of atoms in
a fixed ratio.
Chemistry: - ANSWERThe study of atoms and molecules, their structures, and their
interactions to form various substances.
Climate Change: - ANSWERA natural process that has occurred many times in Earth's
history, resulting in temperatures that are sometimes warmer/colder than they today.
Cold Front: - ANSWERThe leading edge of a moving mass of cold air that pushes into
an area of warm air; because cold air is denser, it pushes under the warm air.
Combined Forces: - ANSWERTwo or more forces acting in the same direction on the
same object. They add to produce a net force that is stronger than any one of the
forces.
Comet: - ANSWERSmall, icy, dusty celestial bodies that travel around the sun in very
elliptical orbits.
Compound: - ANSWERA chemical that contains at least two different types of atoms in
a fixed ratio.
Compression: - ANSWERProduced when particles are pushed together in longitudinal,
mechanical waves.
SCIENCES OA EXAM QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
(Hydrologic) Water Cycle: - ANSWERContinuous water cycle within the hydrosphere
driven by solar radiation and gravity.
Acceleration: - ANSWERChang in an object's velocity; occurs when an object:
*speeds up
*slows down &/or
*changes direction
Air Density: - ANSWERThe spacing between air particles; mass-(divided by)-per unit of
volume; SI unit=kg/m(3); air density decreases as you go higher.
Air Mass: - ANSWERA large volume of warm or cold air that has approximately uniform
temperature, humidity, and pressure over hundreds or thousands of miles horizontally
and up to about 16 km vertically.
Alloy: - ANSWERA mixture of two or more metals held together by metallic bonds.
Ex: brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
Amplitude: - ANSWERThe vertical distance from the equilibrium to the crest; can also
be measured from the equilibrium to the trough.
Analog: - ANSWERA close approximation of the long term behavior of materials and
processes found in a geological feature; geologists use it to determine how rocks were
formed.
Anticyclone: - ANSWERA weather system in which air pressure is high relative to
surrounding its location; motion circulates clockwise (northern hemisphere) and
counterclockwise (southern hemisphere); associated with calm, fine weather.
Asteroid: - ANSWERVery small, rocky, celestial bodies that orbit the sun.
Astronomy: - ANSWERThe study of the moon, stars, and other objects in space.
,Atmosphere: - ANSWERThe layer of gases that surround Earth (and other planets);
divided into five layers-troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere,
exosphere.
Atmospheric Pressure: - ANSWERThe pressure and weight air molecules have at the
surface of the Earth; pressure increases as humidity decreases.
Atom: - ANSWERBasic unit of matter; 92 different types of atoms occur naturally on
Earth.
Atomic Number: - ANSWERThe number of protons for an atom of any given element;
neutral atoms of any given element gives the total number for electrons found within the
electron clouds.
Atomic Symbol: - ANSWERA one or two letter abbreviation for an element..
Axis of Rotation: - ANSWERAn imaginary line from the north pole to the south pole that
the Earth rotates around in a 24 hour period.
Balanced Forces: - ANSWERForces that combine to produce a net force of zero.
Base Quantities: - ANSWERSeven designated physical quantities (sets) from which all
other SI quantities can be derived.
(1) Meter (m)-length
(2) Kilogram (k)-mass
(3) Second (s)-time
(4) Kelvin (K)-temperature
(5) Amperes (A)-"amp"-electric current
(6) Candela (cd)-light intensity
(7) Moles (mol)-amount of substance
Blizzard: - ANSWERA severe snowstorm characterized by very strong winds, and a
large amount of snowfall; forms when a warm air mass moves over a cold air mass.
Carbon Cycle: - ANSWERThe cycle or movement of carbon through reservoirs-oceans,
land, and atmosphere; carbon in the ocean and atmosphere exists primarily carbon
dioxide, while carbon in the soil and in living organisms exists primarily as organic
carbon.
Cenozoic Era (Phanerozoic Eon): - ANSWER"New Life"; current and most recent of the
three Phanerozoic geological eras. 66 million years ago-present day; final era of this
eon; evolution of hominids occurred during this era; known as the age of mammals.
Centi: - ANSWERMetric prefix 1/100th or 10^(-2) (0.01). Unit symbol (c).
, Change of State: - ANSWERThe change of a substance from one physical state to
another.
Chemical Bonds: - ANSWERAttractive forces that hold atoms together.
Chemical Change: - ANSWERA change in matter that produces one or more new
substances.
Chemical Equation: - ANSWERChemical formulas and symbols used to indicate the
reactants and products of a chemical reaction.
Chemical Potential Energy: - ANSWEREnergy that is stored in the chemical bonds in a
substance.
Ex: food, gasoline.
Chemical Reaction: - ANSWERA process where chemical bonds are formed or broken
when a chemical change occurs; atoms are rearranged to form new substances.
Chemical Weathering: - ANSWERA physical process that occurs when a rock's
composition changes due to a chemical reaction of weather.
Chemical: - ANSWERA substance that contains one type of atom or a group of atoms in
a fixed ratio.
Chemistry: - ANSWERThe study of atoms and molecules, their structures, and their
interactions to form various substances.
Climate Change: - ANSWERA natural process that has occurred many times in Earth's
history, resulting in temperatures that are sometimes warmer/colder than they today.
Cold Front: - ANSWERThe leading edge of a moving mass of cold air that pushes into
an area of warm air; because cold air is denser, it pushes under the warm air.
Combined Forces: - ANSWERTwo or more forces acting in the same direction on the
same object. They add to produce a net force that is stronger than any one of the
forces.
Comet: - ANSWERSmall, icy, dusty celestial bodies that travel around the sun in very
elliptical orbits.
Compound: - ANSWERA chemical that contains at least two different types of atoms in
a fixed ratio.
Compression: - ANSWERProduced when particles are pushed together in longitudinal,
mechanical waves.
