7th Grade Science Final Exam Review Packet-2014-2015
7th Grade Science Final Exam Review Packet-2014-2015
7th Grade Science Final Exam Review Packet-2014-2015
- Measurement:
- The base metric unit for length is the meter (m). In 7th grade, we most
typically used the centimeter (cm, 1/100 of a meter) to measure length.
- The base metric units for temperature are degrees Celsius (°C).
- Weight changes with gravity; mass does not. For example, you would weigh
less on the moon than you do on Earth due to the weaker force of gravity.
However, on the moon, your mass would be the same as it was on Earth.
- Volume: a measure of the amount of space an object or substance takes up. In other
words, it’s how big an object or substance is.
- The base metric unit for solid volume is the cubic centimeter (cm3). The base
metric unit for liquid length is the liter. In 7th grade, we most typically used the
milliliter (mL, 1/1000 of a liter) to measure liquid volume.
- First, pour enough water into the graduated cylinder so that the water
can cover your object, but not so much that it will go higher than the
numbers on the graduated cylinder when you drop your object(s) in. Make
note of the starting volume.
- Second, gently drop the object(s) into the water and measure the
combined volume of the water and the object(s). Record this volume.
- Finally, subtract the starting volume of the water from the combined
volume of the water and the object(s). The difference is equal to the
volume of the object(s). The unit for solid volume is cm3. However, 1 mL = 1
cm3, so you do not have to change the number of your measurement, just
the unit.
- In 7th grade, we most typically used the units g/cm3 and g/mL
- Changing the volume of an object does not change its density. This is because
when you change the volume, you automatically change the mass. For example, 60
cm3 of iron has a mass of 474.0 g. Using the formula for density we would find
that 474.0 g ÷ 60 cm3 = 7.9 g/cm3.
If we cut the iron in half so that we now only have 30 cm3, then the mass would
also be reduced to 237.0 g. Again, using the formula for density, 237.0 g ÷ 30
cm3 = 7.9 g/cm3.
- For example: A wood block has a density of 0.7 g/cm3. Water has a
density of 1.0 g/cm3. Since the density of the wood is less than the density
of water, the wood would float in the water.
- For example: A piece of copper has a density of 8.9 g/cm3. Water has a
density of 1.0 g/cm3. Since the density of copper is greater than the
density of water, the copper would sink in the water.
Scientific Method and Experimental Design
- Scientific method:
- Observations:
- When you make a qualitative observation, you are using your five
senses. A good way to remember this is that a quaLitative observation
is about what something Looks like. But remember, a qualitative
observation can also be what something sounds, feels, tastes or smells
like.
- Inference vs. observation
- An inference is something that you think you know based on observations and
prior knowledge. It is a conclusion based on observation.
- She is hungry.
- Based on the observations from previous page, there are many questions a
scientist could ask.
- For example: Do people with brown hair like candy? Do people usually eat
with their eyes closed? Etc.
- The question we will focus on is: Do people prefer to eat candy instead of
fruit?
- Identifying variables
- The scientist will keep track of which choice the people in the
experiment made.
- Record results:
- In the experiment from the last page, a data table would look
something like this:
- Analyze results
- Based on the data table above, analysis might read like this: When testing
10 subjects to determine if a person would choose to eat candy if given the
choice between candy and fruit, it was found that 7 people chose candy and
3 people chose fruit. Each subject was given the same type of candy and
the same type of fruit and was tested at the same time of day.
- Draw conclusions
- Matter:
- All matter has properties. Properties are the things that distinguish one type
of matter from another.
- Matter is made of tiny particles which cannot be seen by the human eye.
- The tiny particles which make up matter are called atoms and molecules.
- Types of matter:
- Matter can be classified into two categories: mixtures and pure substances.
- Mixture: two or more substances that are mixed together but are NOT
chemically combined
MATTER
HETEROGENEOUS HOMOGENEOUS
MIXTURES MIXTURES ELEMENTS COMPOUNDS
- Solid: a state of matter which has a definite shape and a definite volume
(shape and volume don’t change); it cannot flow and cannot be compressed
- Liquid: a state of matter which has no definite shape but has a definite
volume; it can flow but cannot be compressed
- Gas: a state of matter which has no definite shape or volume; it can flow
and can be compressed
- Changes of state:
- When energy is added to matter, the particles become more active and spread
apart.
- When energy is removed from matter, the particles become less active and
come together.
Add Add
Energy Energy
Subtract Subtract
Energy Energy
- Atom: the smallest part of an element that keeps all of the properties of that
element
- The periodic table is a chart which provides information about all known
elements.
- Each box in the periodic table generally includes the element’s atomic number,
chemical symbol, name, and atomic mass.
- Every atom of the same element will have the same atomic number.
In other words, every single atom of oxygen, no matter where it is
found in the universe, will have an atomic number of 8. Every atom of
Titanium will have an atomic number of 22. And so on.
- Only in an electrically neutral atom (an atom with no charge) will the
atomic number also equal the number of electrons.
- When writing a chemical symbol, the first letter written is always uppercase. If
there is a second letter in the symbol, it is lowercase.
- Atomic mass is not something you will concern yourself with in seventh grade.
Wait until high school. For now, just focus on the atomic number of an element.
- Periods are numbered 1-7 from the top of the table down.
- Group: (also called a family) elements in the same vertical column of the
periodic table
- Elements in the same group have similar properties. For example, most of
the elements in group 2 explode if placed in water.
- Groups are numbered 1-18 from the left of the table to the right.
- Metals, nonmetals and metalloids:
- As you move along period 4 of the periodic table you will notice that you
will encounter thirteen metals, two metalloids and three nonmetals. These
are the three types of elements you can find in the periodic table.
- Metals make up most of the elements. Almost all are solid at room
temperature, except for mercury (Hg), which is a liquid.
- Changes of matter:
- Physical change: a change in a substance that does not alter its identity
(The original substance does not change into another substance.)
- Physical changes are reversible. This means that matter which has
undergone a physical change can be restored to its original form.
- Chemical changes are not reversible. This means that matter which
has undergone a chemical change cannot be restored to its original
form by physical means.
- The symbol(s) are from the periodic table and tell you which
elements are present.
- The subscript(s) tell you how many atoms of an element are in the
formula. Subscripts are written after an element’s symbol. If no
subscript is written after a symbol, it means there is only one atom of
that element present.
- Chemical equations:
Reactant Products
- In word form, this equation would read: When heat is applied to sugar, it
yields (produces) carbon and water.
Traits of Living Things
- All living things have several things in common with each other.
- Every organism on Earth fits into one of the six kingdoms, but the
kingdoms are very general, meaning that organisms in the same kingdom only
share a small number of characteristics. Each taxon below a kingdom
contains organisms which share more and more specific traits.
- To write the scientific name of an organism, you use the genus name and the
species name.
- The genus gets written first and the first letter is capitalized.
- The species gets written second and it is not capitalized.
- Examples: The scientific name for a human being is Homo sapiens. (Homo
is the genus and sapiens is the species.). The scientific name for the
African lion is Panthera leo (Panthera is the genus and leo is the species.).
- A dichotomous key is a tool used to help identify an organism which you are
observing. To use a dichotomous key, you read in step 1 two possible descriptions
of a trait which your organism has. Depending on which trait the organism has,
you follow the directions next to the description.
1 2 3 4
- The cell is the basic unit of life. In other words, a cell is the smallest thing
that is still considered to be a living thing.
- There are many types of cells and they all have specific jobs.
- Cytoplasm: the region between the cell membrane and the nucleus. It is mostly
made of water.
- Nucleus: a cell structure that contains genetic material (DNA), the chemical
instructions that direct all the cell’s activities. It can be considered to be the
“brain” of the cell.
- Cell membrane: a thin, tough band of protein that that controls which
substances can enter or leave the cell. A cell membrane is said to be semi-
permeable.
- Vacuole: a water filled sac inside a cell that acts as a storage area. Vacuoles
are usually much larger in plant cells than they are in animal cells.
- Cell wall: a rigid (hard) layer of nonliving material that surrounds the cells of
plants and some other organisms; the cell wall is always outside the cell
membrane. Cell walls give plant cells strength and support.
- Chloroplast: a structure found in the cells of plants and some other organisms
that captures energy from sunlight and uses it to produce food in a process
called photosynthesis.
Mitochondria
Cytoplasm
Vacuole
Nucleus
Plant Cell
Mitochondria
Cell Wall
Chloroplast
Vacuole
Cell Membrane
Nucleus
Cytoplasm
- Cell division:
- Gene: a specific part of a chromosome which controls a specific trait (like eye
color).
- Mitosis: a process of cell division in which one parent cell produces two
identical daughter cells. After mitosis is completed, the daughter cells have
the same number of chromosomes that the parent cell had.
- Meiosis: a process of cell division in which one parent cell produces four
daughter cells. After meiosis is completed, the daughter cells have half the
number of chromosomes that the parent cell had.
- Meiosis is only used to produce the sex cells, sperm and ova (eggs).
- DNA replication: the copying of the genetic material that takes place
before mitosis and meiosis can occur.
- Mutation: a mistake in the genetic code which can occur during DNA
replication.
- The cell checks for mutations during mitosis and meiosis, but
sometimes, the mistakes go undetected. If this happens the daughter
cells and every cell that comes from the daughter cells will carry this
mistake.
- Due to the process of meiosis which produces sex cells with half of the genetic
information that a normal cell has, organisms which reproduce sexually are able
to pass some of their genetic information on to their offspring. Organisms which
reproduce sexually receive half of their genetic information from the male
“parent” and half from the female “parent.”
- Recessive gene: a gene which always produces a trait which only appears when
BOTH genes from each parent have the recessive trait
- Dominant and recessive genes which control the same type of trait use
the same letter as a symbol. The letter which is used is representative of
the dominant gene.
- A dominant gene symbol uses a capital letter and a recessive gene symbol
uses a lowercase letter.
- Example if a certain plant has a dominant gene for hairy stems and a
recessive gene for smooth stems then the symbols for the genes
would be written as such: “H” for the dominant hairy stem gene and
“h” for the recessive smooth stem gene.
- Since every organism possesses two genes for any given trait
several combinations of genes could exist for stems of this
particular plant.
- Allele: a gene with two different variations for the same trait
- Example: the plant described above has two alleles for stems (hairy and
smooth). The genes control the same trait, but have different results.
- A Punnett square shows how the genes from two “parents” might possibly
combine in their offspring.
- The “parents’” genes get written on the outside of the square. One parent gets
written along the top, the other parent gets written down the left side. Then,
you fill in the squares by matching letters from the top and side. Each square will
have two genes, one from the side and one from the top.
- For example, if two plants reproduce (again using the plants described
earlier in this section), and one plant has a genotype of Hh and the other
has a genotype of hh, this is how the Punnett square would look.
H h
h Hh hh
h Hh hh
- Ecosystem: the living and nonliving things in an area that function as a unit:
- Habitat: the specific place an organism lives and is provided with the
things it needs to survive
- For example, the amount of sunlight and type of soil influence the
plants that can grow in an ecosystem.
- Food web: A food web shows the transfer of energy and nutrients from one
organism to another. These organisms are linked together as energy and nutrients pass
through them.
- Producer: an organism that can make its own food. Most plants and some
bacteria are producers.
- 2nd level consumers eat 1st level consumers (Example: a mouse eats a
grasshopper)
- 3rd level consumers eat 2nd level consumers (Example: a snake eats a
mouse)