Evaluating Models & Explanations Practice Test

PASSAGE IV

GEOPHYSICS: This passage is adapted from a study on the structure of Earth’s interior using seismic waves.

Seismologists study the interior of the Earth by analyzing the propagation of seismic waves generated by earthquakes. There are two main types of body waves:

•P-waves (Primary waves): Compressional waves that travel through solids, liquids, and gases.

•S-waves (Secondary waves): Shear waves that travel only through solids.

The velocity of these waves depends on the density and physical state (solid or liquid) of the material they travel through. Abrupt changes in velocity indicate boundaries between Earth's layers.

PASSAGE VII

PHYSICS: Data Representation

Introduction

A student investigated the relationship between voltage ($V$), current ($I$), and resistance ($R$) in a simple direct current (DC) electrical circuit.

•Voltage ($V$) is the electrical potential difference provided by a power source, measured in volts (V).

•Current ($I$) is the rate of flow of electrical charge, measured in amperes (A).

•Resistance ($R$) is the opposition to the flow of charge, measured in ohms ($\Omega$).

The student set up a circuit containing a variable voltage power supply, a resistor, and an ammeter (a device used to measure current).

Experiment 1

In the first experiment, the student used a resistor with a constant resistance of $10.0 \ \Omega$. The student varied the voltage supplied to the circuit from 2.0 V to 10.0 V and recorded the resulting current measured by the ammeter. Results are shown in Table 1.

Experiment 2

In the second experiment, the student set the power supply to provide a constant voltage of $12.0 \text{ V}$. The student then swapped out the resistor, testing five different resistors with varying resistance values, and recorded the resulting current for each. Results are shown in Table 2.