Master the STAAR Science Test

Use the chart below to answer the following question. A student is given the chart above and is told to identify an unknown mineral. The student observes that the mineral has a glassy luster and a hardness less than 3. What is the identity of the mineral?

• Actmite

• Cobaltite

• Jadeite

• Talc

Scientists test for the hardness of a mineral by doing which of the following?

• Measuring the mass of the mineral, and comparing it against other minerals.

• Observing how light reflects off the mineral and how the mineral look as a result.

• Observing the color of a mineral and comparing it against other minerals.

• Scratching the mineral against other substances of known hardness.

The chart provided gives some information about four energy sources. Which energy resource would be best for a city that has a limited amount of open space and wants to use an efficient source of energy?

• Solar energy

• Wind energy

• Natural gas

• Biomass

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NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

If a community is choosing between solar and wind energy, which advantage would make wind energy the better option?

• A backup system is necessary when there are cloudy days or no wind to power the turbines.

• Wind energy is the less inexpensive energy source and it be limitless.

• Locations for turbines are limited because obstructions block the wind.

• The electricity generated by wind often varies due to fluctuations in wind speed.

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• Oxygen‚ O, and neon, Ne

• Fluorine, F, and neon, Ne

• Silicon, Si, and phosphorus, P

• Beryllium, Be, and boron, B

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NGSS.MS-PS1-1

• Trees with broad leaves will be more healthy than trees with needlelike leaves.

• Trees with leaves that have waxy coverings will be more healthy than trees without wax-covered leaves.

• Trees with broad leaves will be more healthy than trees with small, flat leaves.

• Trees with leaves without any hairlike structures will be more healthy than trees with leaves covered by hairlike structures.

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• Convergent boundary

• Subduction boundary

• Transform boundary

• Divergent boundary

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When a coin is tossed in the air, it travels upward, gradually slows down, momentarily reaches zero speed, then moves back downward with increasing speed. Which statement best explains this change in the coin’s motion?

• The force of gravity causes the coin to change its velocity

• The coin’s inertia decreases on the way up and increases on the way down.

• The action-reaction force pair of gravity and the applied force cancel each other.

• The coin remains in its state of upward motion until the force of friction acts upon it.

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• The vinegar took the shape of the container in step 1.

• The steel wool sank into the vinegar in step 3.

• The temperature of the vinegar increased during step 4.

• The steel wool changed shape during step 6.

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NGSS.MS-PS1-2

If a fluorine atom has a mass number of 19, how many neutrons are in the atom?