General Science: 60+ Most Important Science Lists

Question 1. List at least eight different types of energy.
Energy: potential energy (or specific kinds, like gravitational and spring), kinetic energy (including rotational), activation energy, ionization energy, heat energy (or specifically endothermic and exothermic) or thermal energy, ground state energy, binding energy, wind energy, solar energy, Gibbs free energy, mechanical energy, vibrational energy, zero-point energy, Fermi energy, relativistic energy, nonconservative work (energy lost to friction, air drag, etc.), and the list goes on.

Question 2. List at least three types of physical changes.
Physical changes: thermal expansion, evaporation, any phase transition (such as boiling or freezing), crumpling paper, magnetizing iron, cutting cardboard, etc.

Question 3. List at least three types of chemical changes.
Chemical changes: you just need to mention or describe one of numerous chemical reactions, like combustion, the hydrolysis of water, rusting of iron, forming salt, etc.

Question 4. List at least three animals that are amphibians.
Amphibians: frogs and toads, salamanders and newts, and caecilian.

Question 5. List at least eight different types of forces.
Forces: weight (but not mass), tension, friction, normal force, air drag, restoring force (or spring force), centripetal force, centrifugal force, electric force, magnetic force, Lorentz force, buoyant force, drive force, net force, strong and weak nuclear forces, etc. (but not speed, acceleration, torque, impulse, or other quantities where the SI unit isn’t a Newton).

Question 6. List at least five different species (not classes) of minerals that aren’t pure elements.
Mineral species: quartz, calcite, pyrite, opal, topaz, talc, amethyst, feldspar, etc. (but not pure elements like copper, silver, etc., including forms of carbon like diamond or graphite). Note that silicates, carbonates, oxides, etc. are classes, not species.

Question 7. List at least four different types of nonrenewable resources.
Nonrenewable resources: fossil fuels (including crude oil, natural gas, and coal; okay to list separately), nuclear fuels (like uranium), minerals, metal ores, etc.

Question 8. List at least five different types of renewable resources.
Renewable resources: solar energy, wind, water (but with exceptions), timber, geothermal energy, biomass, etc.

Question 9. List at least four sources of error that are sometimes good to identify in a lab report.
Viable sources of error: air resistance (if there is motion), rotational inertia (if there are wheels), limited precision of the measuring device (but only if the device tolerance is significant compared to the percent error), approximation made in the theory (assuming an ideal gas, for example), non-uniformity of the material used, calibration issues (especially, if you took time to substantiate this during lab), etc.

Question 10. List at least five sources of error that are generally not good to identify in a lab report.
Problematic sources of error: round-off error (avoidable by keeping additional digits and only rounding the final answer), calculator error (seldom are more digits needed than a calculator provides), bumping the apparatus (simply redo the measurement), procedural mistakes (pay better attention or repeat the experiment), parallax error (you can avoid it), human error (it’s okay for the error to be human in origin, but this term is way too broad; be specific), equipment malfunction (get it fixed and it won’t impact the results), partners or the TA weren’t helpful (could be true, but it probably won’t get you points to mention it), hypothetical statements (better to base your idea on something that you actually observed during the lab), etc.

Question 11. Give at least four rules regarding proper chemistry lab attire.
Chemistry lab attire: wear safety goggles or glasses, wear a lab coat, wear a shirt that covers the belly, wear pants that cover the knees and lower legs, wear shoes that cover the feet completely, keep hair from blocking the eyes, clothing should not hang loosely (ties, scarves, straps, etc.), etc.

Question 12. List at least three names of galaxies.
Galaxies: Milky Way, Andromeda, Cygnus A, Magellanic Clouds, Whirlpool, Sombrero, Cartwheel, Centaurus A, Antennae, Cigar, etc.

Question 13. List at least eight moons in the earth’s solar system.
Moons of Earth: Luna (or “the moon”). Moons of Mars: Phobos, Deimos.
Moons of Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, Io, Europa, Himalia, Amalthea, Thebe, etc.
Moons of Saturn: Titan, Rhea, Lapetus, Dione, Tethys, Enceladus, Hyperion, etc.
Moons of Uranus: Titania, Oberon, Umbriel, Ariel, Miranda, etc.
Moons of Neptune: Triton, etc. (As a dwarf planet, Pluto’s moons don’t count.)

Question 14. List at least one liquid that forms a convex meniscus in a glass container.
Convex meniscus: mercury is the main answer.

Question 15. List at least three inverse-square laws.
Inverse-square laws: Newton’s law of gravity, Coulomb’s law (or Gauss’s law), the intensity of light radiated from a star, pressure of sound radiated from a point source in air.

Question 16. List at least five important cycles taught in science courses.
Important cycles in science: water, cell, rock, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, recycling, thermodynamic (Carnot, Otto, etc.), etc.

Question 17. List at least six functions performed by cell organelles.
Cell organelle functions: store materials (vacuoles), protection (wall), division (centrioles), control center (nucleus), breakdown (lysosomes), synthesize proteins (ribosomes), transport (endoplasmic reticulum), convert solar energy to chemical energy (chloroplasts), convert chemical energy (mitochondria), package (Golgi), etc.

Question 18. List at least four elemental forms of carbon.
Forms of carbon: diamond, graphite, charcoal, graphene, carbon nanotube, etc.

Question 19. List at least ten measuring devices common in first-year chemistry or physics labs.
Measuring devices: scale (weight), stopwatch (time), thermometer (temperature), graduated cylinder (volume), meterstick (length), protractor (angle), litmus test (pH), Vernier calipers (length), micrometer (length), calorimeter (heat), compass (earth’s magnetic field), ammeter (current), voltmeter (potential difference), electroscope (charge), mass spectrometer (chemical composition), photogate (speed), etc.

Question 20. List at least five things that a single lowercase m or uppercase M may represent.
m or M: mass (m), meter (m, as a unit), milli (m, as a prefix), mega (M, as a prefix), molarity (M), molality (m), magnetization (M), etc.

Question 21. List at least six quantities that are vectors.
Vectors: velocity, displacement (or directed distance), acceleration, force, weight, momentum, angular momentum, angular velocity, torque, electric field, magnetic field, current density, etc.

Question 22. List at least eight quantities that are scalars.
Scalars: speed, time, length, mass, work, energy, power, angular speed, period, wavelength, frequency, charge, capacitance, electric potential, inductance, flux, etc. (We will accept moment of inertia, though it is technically a second-rank tensor.)

Question 23. List at least six words for the babies of different types of farm animals.
Baby farm animals: chick (chicken), foal, colt, filly (horse), calf (cow), piglet (pig), lamb (sheep), kid (goat), gosling (goose), etc.

Question 24. List at least six fields, branches, or other categories of engineering.
Engineering: mechanical, industrial, electrical, civil, structural, software, chemical, biomedical, aerospace, metallurgy, etc.

Question 25. List at least five common substances that are less dense than liquid water.
Less dense than water: hydrogen, helium, air, wood, ice, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, lithium, ammonia, benzene, etc. (especially gases).

Question 26. List at least three strong acids.
Strong acids: H2SO4, HNO3, HCl, HI, HClO3, HClO4, HBr, etc.

Question 27. List at least three strong bases.
Strong bases: NaOH, Ba(OH)2, KOH, Ca(OH)2, LiOH, etc.

Question 28. List at least three different digestive enzymes.
Digestive enzymes: Amylase, lactase, sucrase, pepsin, trypsin, lipase, maltase, etc.

Question 29. List at least three waves that are mostly transverse.
Mostly transverse: ripples in water, electromagnetic wave, pulse along a string, S wave in seismology, etc.

Question 30. List at least two waves that are mostly longitudinal.
Mostly longitudinal: sound wave, a wave traveling along the axis of a spring, P wave in seismology, etc.

Question 31. List at least four alkali metals.
Alkali metals: lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium.

Question 32. List at least three dwarf planets.
Dwarf planets: Pluto, Ceres, and Eris. We’ll accept Makemake and Haumea.

Question 33. List at least five elements that tend to form diatomic gases.
Diatomic gases: H2, N2, O2, F2, Cl2 (and Br2 and I2, but these aren’t gases at STP).

Question 34. List at least three animals that experience metamorphosis.
Metamorphosis: butterfly, frog/toad, beetle, salamander, grasshopper, etc.

Question 35. List at least five bacterial diseases.
Bacterial diseases: tuberculosis, tetanus, cholera, leprosy, meningitis, diphtheria, streptococcus, Lyme disease, salmonellosis, whooping cough, etc.

Question 36. List at least five viral diseases.
Viral diseases: common cold, influenza, chicken pox, smallpox, measles, warts, hepatitis B, rabies, mumps, polio, West Nile Virus, HIV, Ebola, rubella, etc.

Question 37. List at least eight chemical formulas that are primarily covalent (or molecular).
Covalent/molecular: H2, H2O, CO, CO2, CH4, NH3, NO, NO2, O2, SO2, HCl, etc.

Question 38. List at least eight chemical formulas that are primarily ionic.
Ionic: NaCl, MgCl2, LiF, MgO, CaCl2, K2S, Fe2O3, CuCl2, Na2O, BaS, CuSO4, etc.

Question 39. List at least four different types of weathering.
Mechanical weathering: frost wedging, sheeting, salt crystal growth, thermal expansion, plant roots, burrowing animals. Chemical weathering: oxidation, hydrolysis, dissolution, spheroidal. We’ll also accept differential weathering.

Question 40. List at least three polar liquids.
Polar liquids: water, ammonia, ethanol, methanol, hydrochloric acid, etc.

Question 41. List at least three nonpolar liquids.
Nonpolar liquids: gasoline, fats, oil, turpentine, toluene, etc.

Question 42. List at least three types of fungi.
Fungi: mold, mildew, mushroom, yeast, chytrids, etc.

Question 43. List at least three types of protists.
Protists: algae, amoeba, kelp, euglena, etc. We’ll accept slime mold.

Question 44. List the names of at least eight organic compounds.
Organic compounds: methane, ethane, propane, butane, hexane, octane, ethanol, methanol, ester, ether, glucose, sucrose, cellulose, cholesterol, caffeine, acetic acid, etc.

Question 45. List at least five common redox reactions.
Redox reactions: combustion, corrosion (such as the rusting of iron), metal displacement, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, electrochemical cells, etc.

Question 46. List at least three forms of cell transport.
Passive cell transport: diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis. Active cell transport: protein pumps, endocytosis, exocytosis.

Question 47. List at least three strong electrolytes.
Strong electrolytes: H2SO4, HNO3, HCl, HI, HClO3, HClO4, HBr, NaOH, KOH, Ba(OH)2, etc.

Question 48. List at least four types of psychological therapy.
Psychological therapy: psychoanalysis, group, behavior, cognitive, family, self-help, operant conditioning, humanistic, exposure, psychotherapy, drug, etc.

Question 49. List at least two processes where sublimation occurs in nature.
Sublimation: dry ice (solid carbon dioxide), snow (to some extent in certain cases of direct sunlight), comets (passing near enough to the sun).

Question 50. List at least three types of sedimentary rock.
Sedimentary rock: limestone, sandstone, coal, chalk (form of limestone), shale, etc.

Question 51. List at least two different forms of radiation that aren’t electromagnetic.
Non-electromagnetic radiation: cosmic radiation, alpha radiation (a form of nuclear radiation), beta radiation, neutron radiation, gravitational radiation, etc. (but not radio, microwaves, x-rays, gamma rays, IR, UV, which are electromagnetic).

Question 52. List at least four types of anxiety disorders.
Anxiety disorders: panic, phobia, obsessive-compulsive (OCD), post-traumatic stress (PTSD), and generalized are the five main kinds.

Question 53. List at least three types of gene mutations.
Gene mutations: point, substitution, insertion, deletion, frameshift, chromosomal, duplication, inversion, translocation.

Question 54. List at least four types of shapes of molecules that aren’t similar to cubes.
Shapes of molecules (that aren’t cubic): linear, bent, planar, trigonal, pyramid, bipyramidal, tetrahedral, octahedral, etc. (but not simple cubic, bcc, fcc).

Question 55. List at least three types of geological features associated with plate boundaries.
Plate boundaries’ features: fault, trench, ridge, mountain range, rift valley, etc.

Question 56. List at least two examples of solids classified as molecular crystals.
Molecular crystals: dry ice, methane, ammonia, argon, etc.

Question 57. List at least two examples of solids classified as covalent crystals.
Covalent crystals: diamond, quartz, graphite, silicon carbide, etc.

Question 58. List at least two examples of solids classified as ionic crystals.
Ionic crystals: NaCl, KF, KCl, NaF, KI, etc.

Question 59. List at least three rain forests found on earth.
Rain forests: Amazon, Congo, Daintree, Valdivian, Bosawas (Nicaragua), etc.

Question 60. List at least four observatories.
Observatories: Mauna Kea, Palomar, SoHO, Chacaltaya, Mt. Wilson, VLA, etc.

Question 61. List at least four thermodynamic processes where one variable is held constant.
Thermodynamic processes where one variable is held constant: adiabatic (no heat exchange), isothermal (constant temperature), steady state (constant internal energy), isobaric (constant pressure), isentropic (constant entropy), etc.

Question 62. List at least two detritivores.
Detritivores: earthworms, dung flies, dung beetles, slugs, millipedes, etc.

Question 63. List at least two applications of the Doppler effect.
Doppler effect: police radar, echocardiogram, Doppler radar, redshift of stars, etc.

Question 64. List at least three applications of Faraday’s law.
Faraday’s law: electric generator, motor, induction cooktop, transformer, etc.

Question 65. List at least three applications of spectroscopy.
Spectroscopy: chemical composition, structure of molecules, properties of stars, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, etc.

Question 66. List at least three applications of electrochemical cells.
Electrochemical cells: 1.5-Volt, car, or rechargeable battery, fuel cell, etc.

Question 67. List at least three applications of nuclear radiation.
Nuclear radiation: nuclear medicine, radiometric dating, nuclear energy (fission of uranium), hydrogen bomb (nuclear fusion), etc.

Question 68. List at least three applications of genetic engineering.
Genetic engineering: modified crops, growth hormones, gene therapy, developing vaccines, creating antibodies, etc.

Question 69. List at least three applications that use silicates.
Silicates: glass, ceramics, microchips, piezoelectricity, watches, etc.