Wisconsin Forward Exam Science — Grade 4

A student rolls a heavy toy truck down a ramp at two different heights. At the higher height, the truck moves faster at the bottom of the ramp. What can the student conclude about the relationship between speed and energy?

• AThe faster an object moves, the more kinetic energy it possesses.
• BThe speed of an object does not change its total kinetic energy.
• CA slower object always has more energy than a faster object.
• DEnergy is only present when an object is completely at rest.

During a science activity on energy, a student strikes a drumhead with a wooden mallet. The drumhead vibrates and produces a loud sound. How was energy transferred in this system?

• ALight energy from the room converted directly into electrical energy.
• BMechanical energy from the mallet transferred to sound energy through air vibrations.
• CThermal energy from the drum transferred into chemical energy in the stick.
• DStored nuclear energy in the drum converted into potential height energy.

A marble rolling across a smooth tile floor hits a stationary marble of the same size. What happens to the energy of the first marble during the collision?

• AAll energy vanishes completely from the entire system.
• BThe first marble gains additional speed while the second marble stays frozen.
• CSome motion energy transfers from the first marble to the second marble.
• DThe energy transforms entirely into gravitational potential energy.

Students build a simple electrical circuit using a battery, copper wires, a switch, and a small light bulb. Which energy transformation occurs when the switch is closed?

• ASound energy converts into stored gravitational potential energy.
• BLight energy converts into magnetic energy inside the wire.
• CMechanical energy converts into wind energy inside the battery.
• DElectrical energy converts into light energy and thermal energy in the bulb.

A student drops a pebble into a calm pond in Wisconsin and observes concentric ripples spreading outward across the water surface. What do water waves transport across the pond surface?

• AEnergy moves across the water while water particles move mostly up and down.
• BWater molecules are carried all the way from the center to the shore.
• CSound vibrations destroy all surrounding water molecules.
• DLight particles travel through the mud at the bottom of the pond.

Why is a person able to see a book resting on a wooden desk inside a illuminated classroom?

• AThe eye projects visible light beams directly onto the pages of the book.
• BLight from a source reflects off the book and enters the person's eye.
• CThe book absorbs all light rays completely and radiates thermal heat into space.
• DDarkness travels from the wall to create a shadow around the book.

Two friends use flashlight pulses to send secret messages across a dark camp field using short and long light signals. What type of information transfer are they using?

• AContinuous chemical fluid transfer
• BGravitational wave displacement
• CPatterned digitized light signals
• DThermal heat conduction

Which surface material would reflect the highest percentage of light rays shining from a beam of light?

• ARough black felt cloth
• BCoarse dark brown garden soil
• CDull charcoal brick wall
• DFlat polished glass mirror

A student plugs an electric toaster into a wall outlet and pushes down the lever. Which forms of energy does the toaster produce from electrical energy?

• AThermal energy and light energy
• BSound energy and chemical nuclear energy
• CGravitational energy and magnetic water energy
• DSolar energy and wind kinetic energy

When sound waves travel through air, what is happening to the air particles?

• AAir particles evaporate into outer space instantly.
• BAir particles vibrate back and forth, passing energy to neighboring particles.
• CAir particles freeze into solid ice crystals.
• DAir particles flow in a continuous straight river around the globe.

A sugar maple tree in a Wisconsin forest has broad green leaves. What primary function do green leaves perform to help the tree survive?

• AThey absorb soil nutrients directly through air pores.
• BThey anchor the tree trunk deep into rocky underground soil.
• CThey capture sunlight to produce food energy for the plant.
• DThey attract soil earthworms during cold winter freezing spells.

White-tailed deer in Wisconsin have large, moveable outer ears. How does this external structure help the deer survive in the wild?

• AIt helps the deer store excess body water during dry summer months.
• BIt enables the deer to detect sound direction and hear predators approaching.
• CIt absorbs sunlight to warm up internal body organs on cloudy days.
• DIt secretes sticky sap to trap flying insect pests.

Which plant structure is responsible for absorbing water and dissolved minerals from the soil?

• APetals
• BStems
• CRoots
• DSeeds

A raccoon touches a sharp thorn on a bush in a park. Sensory nerves in its paw send a signal. Where does this signal travel to process the feeling of pain?

• ATo the animal's stomach muscles
• BTo the animal's liver
• CTo the animal's tail fur
• DTo the animal's brain

Many prairie flowers have bright petals and sweet scents. What function do these structures serve in the plant's life cycle?

• AThey attract bees and butterflies to help pollinate flowers.
• BThey repel all insects to protect leaf stomata from damage.
• CThey pump groundwater up into high cloud layers.
• DThey store freezing ice during cold winter months.

A snowshoe hare in northern Wisconsin changes its coat color from brown in summer to white in winter. How does this structural adaptation aid its survival?

• AIt allows the hare to fly above snowdrifts.
• BIt provides camouflage against snow, hiding it from predators.
• CIt reduces the hare's need to breathe oxygen in winter.
• DIt turns the hare into a cold-blooded reptile.

Which organ system in an animal's body includes the heart and blood vessels to transport oxygen and nutrients?

• ADigestive system
• BCirculatory system
• CNervous system
• DSkeletal system

When a dog smells food cooking in a kitchen, which sensory organ receives the chemical odor stimulus?

• AInner ear canal
• BRetina of the eye
• CNose olfactory receptors
• DSkin nerve endings

What internal structure in vertebrate animals provides rigid support for the body and protects internal organs?

• AEpidermal fur
• BOuter cuticle layer
• CFat tissue
• DSkeleton (bones)

A tree root grows downward into soil while the stem grows upward toward light. Which environmental stimulus guides the stem's upward growth?

• ASunlight
• BSound waves
• CEarthquake vibrations
• DMagnetism

A geologist examines a rock outcrop in southern Wisconsin and finds fossilized trilobites and seashells. What does this evidence reveal about Wisconsin's ancient environment?

• AThe area was once a dry desert with tall sand dunes.
• BThe area was once covered by a shallow ocean or sea.
• CThe area was covered by solid volcanic lava fields.
• DThe area had no living organisms at all.

Water enters cracks in a rock during autumn, freezes into ice during a Wisconsin winter, expands, and splits the rock apart. What process has occurred?

• AVolcanic eruption
• BMagma intrusion
• CPhysical (mechanical) weathering
• DDeep crust subduction

Rainwater flowing down a bare hillside carries topsoil into a nearby stream. What is the movement of eroded sediment from one place to another called?

• APhotosynthesis
• BCondensation
• CEvaporation
• DErosion

Which energy resource is considered renewable because it is naturally replenished continuously by natural earth processes?

• AWind energy
• BCoal fuel
• CPetroleum oil
• DNatural gas

Looking at a map showing mountain ranges and earthquake zones around the world, what pattern is observed about where most earthquakes occur?

• AEarthquakes are randomly scattered with equal density everywhere.
• BEarthquakes occur primarily along tectonic plate boundaries and ocean trenches.
• CEarthquakes only occur in the middle of smooth, flat farmland.
• DEarthquakes only occur at the North and South Poles.

A topographic map uses contour lines to represent land surface features. What do closely spaced contour lines indicate on a topographic map?

• AA very flat grassy plain
• BA deep ocean abyss
• CA steep hill or cliff slope
• DA wide, slow-moving river

Which natural phenomenon is a winter weather hazard common in Wisconsin that can cause dangerous road conditions and power outages?

• ATropical hurricane
• BVolcanic lava flow
• CBlizzard with heavy snow and ice
• DDesert dust storm

Students want to design a protective container that keeps a fresh egg from cracking when dropped from a height of 2 meters. What is the first step in the engineering design process?

• ABuild a final prototype out of metal immediately.
• BDefine the problem, constraints, and criteria for success.
• CThrow eggs against a wall without planning.
• DPublish a scientific textbook on bird biology.

An engineering team builds three different models of a cardboard bridge and tests how much weight each can hold before bending. What is the purpose of testing multiple design solutions?

• ATo waste testing materials before school ends
• BTo prove that all cardboard bridges perform identically
• CTo compare performance and identify which design best solves the problem
• DTo change the rules of gravity in the classroom

Why do engineers modify and refine their prototype models after conducting initial failure tests?

• ATo confuse rival research teams
• BTo make the design heavier and more expensive
• CTo improve weaknesses and optimize performance based on test evidence
• DTo avoid using mathematical measurement tools

A student sets up an experiment with two identical toy cars, Car A (mass 100 g) and Car B (mass 200 g). Both cars are released from the top of the same ramp. At the bottom, Car B knocks a wooden block twice as far as Car A. Which explanation best accounts for this observation?

• ACar B possessed more kinetic energy at the bottom due to its greater mass moving at simil…
• BCar A lost all its gravitational potential energy before starting down the ramp.
• CCar B traveled in a vacuum where friction forces were doubled.
• DCar A generated light energy that repelled the block away.

A flashlight battery powers a small electric motor connected to a fan blade. When the circuit is closed, the fan turns and blows air. Which path describes the sequence of energy transformations occurring in this device?

• ANuclear energy -> Sound energy -> Light energy
• BChemical energy -> Electrical energy -> Mechanical energy (motion)
• CThermal energy -> Gravitational energy -> Magnetic energy
• DSolar energy -> Water energy -> Chemical energy

Two steel pendulums hanging from a frame are pulled back to equal heights and released. Pendulum 1 strikes Pendulum 2 directly. Pendulum 1 stops immediately while Pendulum 2 swings upward to nearly the same height. What does this evidence demonstrate?

• AMotion energy was destroyed permanently upon contact.
• BEnergy was created out of nothing by Pendulum 2.
• CNearly all kinetic energy from Pendulum 1 was transferred to Pendulum 2 during the collis…
• DPendulum 1 converted its kinetic energy into electrical currents in air.

A student rubs a plastic balloon vigorously against a wool sweater and holds it near small pieces of paper on a desk. The paper bits jump up and stick to the balloon. What force and energy form cause this interaction?

• AGravitational pull created by high atmospheric pressure
• BMagnetic force created by liquid iron in the balloon
• CNuclear radiation generated by friction heat
• DElectrostatic force resulting from transferred electric charges

Students generate water waves in a long ripple tank by tapping a wooden stick at a constant rhythm. They notice that increasing the tapping frequency makes the wave crests closer together. What wave property changes as a result?

• AWavelength decreases as frequency increases.
• BThe density of water molecules turns into solid ice.
• CLight waves travel backwards through the stick.
• DThe height of the tank increases automatically.

A student stands in a completely pitch-black room with no light sources. A red apple rests on a table 1 meter away. Can the student see the red apple? Why or why not?

• AYes, because human eyes adapt to see objects in total darkness after 5 minutes.
• BNo, because seeing an object requires light from a source to bounce off the object and en…
• CYes, because apples emit their own glowing red light beams constantly.
• DNo, because darkness acts like a solid wall that blocks eye movement.

Why are digital signals (patterns of 1s and 0s) preferred over analog signals (continuous sound waves) for transmitting information reliably over long distances in modern communication systems?

• ADigital signals travel faster than the speed of light.
• BDigital signals require zero electrical power to transmit.
• CDigital signals are less susceptible to noise distortion and can be decoded accurately.
• DDigital signals turn cell phones into solid gold.

A student shines a flashlight beam at a flat glass mirror at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the mirror surface. What will happen to the reflected light beam?

• AThe light beam will bounce off at the exact same opposite angle (45 degrees).
• BThe light beam will turn into liquid water inside the glass.
• CThe light beam will stop completely and sink into the mirror back.
• DThe light beam will bend straight back into the flashlight bulb.

A solar panel mounted on the roof of a Wisconsin school powers an outdoor weather sensor. Which energy conversion takes place in the solar panel?

• AMechanical kinetic energy converts into geothermal steam energy.
• BLight energy from the Sun converts into electrical energy.
• CSound energy from wind converts into coal energy.
• DGravitational potential energy converts into chemical battery acid.

A student places a metal spoon and a wooden spoon into a mug of hot soup. After 3 minutes, the metal spoon handle feels hot while the wooden spoon handle remains cool. What does this reveal about the materials?

• AWood is a superior thermal conductor compared to metal.
• BMetal and wood conduct heat energy at identical rates.
• CMetal is a good thermal conductor, while wood is a thermal insulator.
• DWood creates cold energy that flows into the hot soup.

A group of students test how the height of a ramp affects the distance a toy car travels across a carpet floor. Which variable should be kept constant (controlled) to ensure a fair test?

• AThe height of the ramp
• BThe mass and type of the toy car used in every trial
• CThe distance the car travels across the carpet
• DThe speed of the car at the bottom of the ramp

A guitarist plucks a thick guitar string and a thin guitar string. The thin string vibrates more rapidly (higher frequency). How does the sound produced by the thin string compare to the thick string?

• AThe thin string produces a lower pitch sound.
• BThe thin string produces a higher pitch sound.
• CThe thin string produces no sound waves at all.
• DThe thin string turns into visible sunlight.

A student looks at a green leaf under sunlight. Why does the leaf appear green to the student's eyes?

• AThe leaf absorbs green light and reflects all red and blue light.
• BThe leaf reflects green light wavelengths while absorbing other visible colors.
• CThe leaf emits glowing green light rays from internal batteries.
• DThe leaf turns all surrounding light rays invisible.

How do digitized binary codes (such as barcode scanners or Wi-Fi data) transfer complex information across distances without losing clarity?

• ABy changing data into liquid ink squirted through the air
• BBy converting information into precise patterns of pulses (0s and 1s) that can be sent an…
• CBy heating air until it glows orange in straight lines
• DBy using trained homing pigeons carrying microscopic paper notes

A boy strikes a metal triangle with a beater. He then tightly grips the triangle with his hand. What happens to the sound immediately after he grips the triangle?

• AThe sound becomes twice as loud because hand heat amplifies waves.
• BThe sound stops because gripping stops the metal from vibrating.
• CThe sound pitch changes into an ultra-high whistle.
• DThe triangle transforms into an electric magnet.

Xylem and phloem are specialized internal vascular tissues inside a celery stem. What is the primary function of xylem tissue in a plant?

• ATo produce pollen grains inside flower petals
• BTo reflect excess sunlight away from green leaves
• CTo transport water and dissolved minerals upward from roots to leaves
• DTo capture flying insects for plant nutrition

A porcupine living in a Wisconsin woodland has sharp, stiff quills covering its back and sides. How does this specialized external structure help the porcupine survive?

• AIt acts as a physical defense mechanism to deter predators from attacking.
• BIt allows the porcupine to absorb nutrients directly from rainwater.
• CIt helps the porcupine swim faster across deep lakes.
• DIt stores honey produced during spring flower blooms.

An owl hunts for mice at night in a dark barn. Which structural adaptation of the owl's eyes allows it to see prey in extremely low-light conditions?

• ATiny pupils that block almost all light from entering
• BLarge pupils and a high density of rod light-receptor cells
• CSolid black eyelids that remain closed while flying
• DCompound lenses that shoot flash beams into the dark