A cold pack gets colder when the chemicals inside it are mixed. What does this show about the process inside the pack?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS1-6: PS1.B, Chemical Reactions
A model shows particles packed closely together. Each one vibrates in place and keeps the same neighbors. What does the model show?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS1-4: PS1.A, Structure and Properties of Matter
A reaction begins with 4 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms, and all of them end up in the products. How many atoms do the products contain?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS1-5: PS1.B, Chemical Reactions
A sample of matter spreads out to take both the shape and the volume of any closed container. Which state of matter is it?NASA Glenn Research Center, "Phases of Matter"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS1-4
A stone has a mass of 78 grams and a volume of 30 cubic centimeters. What is its density?NASA Glenn Research Center, "Kinetic Theory of Gases"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS1-2
Show all 82 questions (77 more)
Atoms, Molecules and Reactions, continued
A water molecule is written H₂O. How many atoms are there in three water molecules?NASA Glenn Research Center, "Phases of Matter"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS1-1
Gasoline is a fuel made of hydrogen and carbon. When it burns, which two substances does its exhaust include?NASA Glenn Research Center, "Combustion"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS1-2
In a sealed container, 12 grams of one substance react completely with 32 grams of another to form a single product. What is the mass of the product?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS1-5: PS1.B, Chemical Reactions
Liquid water freezes into ice. Why do scientists call this a physical change and not a chemical change?NASA Glenn Research Center, "Phases of Matter"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS1-4
New medicines and alternative fuels are synthetic materials. Where do the materials used to make them come from?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS1-3: clarification statement
Thermal energy is added steadily to a pure solid that is still below its melting point. What happens to its particles?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS1-4: clarification statement
Two clear, colorless liquids look the same. Which measurement would best help decide whether they are the same pure substance?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS1-2: PS1.A and the assessment boundary
Two substances are mixed in a beaker. Which observation is the best evidence that a chemical reaction happened?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS1-2: PS1.B, Chemical Reactions
Which three things must be present for combustion to occur?NASA Glenn Research Center, "Combustion"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS1-2
Forces and Motion 15
A box is pushed to the right with 12 newtons while friction pushes on it to the left with 7 newtons. What is the net force on the box?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS2-2: PS2.A, Forces and Motion
A hockey puck slides across ice so smooth that no unbalanced force acts on it. What does the puck do?NASA Glenn Research Center, "Newton's Laws of Motion"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS2-2
A magnet pulls a steel paper clip toward it without touching it. What explains a force that acts across the gap?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS2-5: PS2.B, Types of Interactions
A net force of 18 newtons acts on a sled with a mass of 6 kilograms. What is the acceleration of the sled?NASA Glenn Research Center, "Newton's Laws of Motion"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS2-2
A passenger sits still in a seat on a moving bus. In which reference frame is the passenger at rest?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS2-2: PS2.A, Forces and Motion
A small car and a loaded truck collide head-on. How does the force of the car on the truck compare with the force of the truck on the car?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS2-1: PS2.A, Forces and Motion
A spacecraft travels farther and farther from Earth. What happens to the pull of Earth's gravity on it?NASA Space Place, "What Is Gravity?"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS2-4
A student builds an electromagnet from a battery, a nail and a coil of wire. Which change is a fair way to test what affects its strength?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS2-3: clarification statement and PS2.B
A swimmer pushes backward on the wall of a pool with a force of 80 newtons. What force does the wall exert on the swimmer?NASA Glenn Research Center, "Newton's Laws of Motion"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS2-1
In an electricity generator, what produces the electric current?U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Magnets and electricity"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS2-3
The north pole of one bar magnet is brought close to the north pole of another. What happens?U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Magnets and electricity"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS2-3
Protons have a positive charge and electrons have a negative charge. What force acts between a proton and an electron?U.S. Energy Information Administration, "The science of electricity"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS2-3
The same push is given to an empty cart and to a cart loaded with bricks. Which cart has the greater acceleration?NASA Glenn Research Center, "Newton's Laws of Motion"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS2-2
Two teams pull on a rope in opposite directions, each with a force of 300 newtons. What is the net force on the rope?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS2-2: PS2.A, Forces and Motion
Which statement about gravitational force is correct?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS2-4: PS2.B, Types of Interactions
Energy 15
A ball rolling across a carpet slows down and stops. What happened to its kinetic energy?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS3-5: PS3.B and the clarification statement
A battery, a stretched rubber band, water held high behind a dam and a moving car all have energy. Which one stores chemical energy?U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Forms of energy"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS3-2
A bicycle rider doubles her speed. How does her kinetic energy change?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS3-1: PS3.A, Definitions of Energy
A hot metal spoon is placed in a cup of cold water. Which way is thermal energy transferred?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS3-3: PS3.B, Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer
A rider coasts down a steep hill on a bicycle and picks up speed. Which energy change is taking place?U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Forms of energy"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS3-5
A roller coaster cart stops at four places on its track. At which place does the system of the cart and Earth store the most gravitational potential energy?U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Forms of energy"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS3-2
The handle of a metal spoon left in a pot of hot soup becomes hot. Which kind of heat transfer is this?NOAA, JetStream, "The Transfer of Heat Energy"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS3-3
The same burner heats 100 grams of water and then 500 grams of water for one minute each. Both start at the same temperature. Which sample ends at the higher temperature?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS3-4: PS3.B, Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer
The side of your body that faces a campfire feels warm, although air conducts heat poorly. Which kind of heat transfer warms you?NOAA, JetStream, "The Transfer of Heat Energy"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS3-3
Two balls are thrown at the same speed. One has a mass of 60 grams and the other has a mass of 20 grams. How do their kinetic energies compare?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS3-1: PS3.A, Definitions of Energy
Water circulates in a pot as it boils on a stove. Which kind of heat transfer is this circulation?NOAA, JetStream, "The Transfer of Heat Energy"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS3-3
What does the law of conservation of energy say?U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Laws of energy"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS3-5
What does the temperature of a sample of matter measure?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS3-4: PS3.A, Definitions of Energy
What energy change takes place in a solar photovoltaic cell?U.S. Energy Information Administration, "Laws of energy"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS3-5
Which device is built to keep thermal energy transfer as small as possible?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS3-3: clarification statement
Waves 14
A beam of light hits a smooth mirror and bounces off. What is this behavior called?NASA Science, "Wave Behaviors"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS4-2
A leaf floats on a pond as ripples pass under it. The leaf bobs up and down but stays in about the same place. What does this show?NASA Science, "Anatomy of an Electromagnetic Wave"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS4-1
A ray of light passes from air into water and changes direction at the surface. What causes the ray to bend?NASA Science, "Wave Behaviors"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS4-2
A whistle has a higher pitch than a drum beat. What is different about the whistle's sound wave?National Park Service, "Understanding Sound"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS4-1
In white light, a leaf looks green. What happens to the light that hits the leaf?NASA Science, "Wave Behaviors"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS4-2
Light from the Sun reaches Earth across empty space. What does this show about light waves?NASA Science, "Anatomy of an Electromagnetic Wave"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS4-2
On a drawing of a wave, which measurement gives the wavelength?NASA Science, "Anatomy of an Electromagnetic Wave"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS4-1
On a sunny day, black pavement is hotter than the light-colored sidewalk beside it. Why?NASA Science, "Wave Behaviors"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS4-2
Six wave crests pass a dock post in 2 seconds. What is the frequency of the waves?NASA Science, "Anatomy of an Electromagnetic Wave"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS4-1
Sound travels through air and through water, but not through the vacuum of space. Why?NASA Science, "Anatomy of an Electromagnetic Wave"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS4-2
Two waves cross the same pond. The crests of the first rise twice as high above the rest level as the crests of the second. What does this tell you about the first wave?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS4-1: performance expectation and PS4.A, Wave Properties
Which property of a sound wave do people hear as loudness?National Park Service, "Understanding Sound"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS4-1
White light passes through a glass prism and spreads into the colors of the rainbow. Which color of visible light has the longest wavelength?NASA Science, "Visible Light"; Next Generation Science Standards MS-PS4-2
Why are digitized signals used to send music, text and pictures?Next Generation Science Standards, middle school physical sciences, MS-PS4-3: PS4.C, Information Technologies and Instrumentation
Earth and Space (cumulative) 12
A cliff shows four undisturbed layers of sedimentary rock: W at the bottom, then X, then Y, and Z at the top. Which layer formed first?U.S. Geological Survey, Fossils, Rocks, and Time, "Rocks and Layers"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement E8.4
A solar eclipse can happen only when the Moon is in which position?NASA Science, "Types of Solar Eclipses"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement E8.2
A weather map shows a cold front moving into a town. What is happening there?NOAA, JetStream, "Air Masses"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement E8.13
About how much of Earth's total water is stored in the ocean?National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Water cycle"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement E8.14
An air mass forms over an ocean in the low latitudes. What is it like?NOAA, JetStream, "Air Masses"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement E8.13
In July, Earth is at its farthest point from the Sun, yet it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere. What explains the summer?NASA Space Place, "What Causes the Seasons?"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement E8.12
Liquid water evaporates from the leaves of plants. What is this part of the water cycle called?National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Water cycle"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement E8.14
On a night when the Moon looks like a thin crescent from Earth, how much of the Moon is lit by the Sun?NASA Science, "Moon Phases"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement E8.2
Over the last century, the burning of coal and oil has raised the concentration of which gas in the atmosphere?NASA Science, "The Causes of Climate Change"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement E8.15
What happens at a divergent plate boundary such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?U.S. Geological Survey, This Dynamic Earth, "Understanding plate motions"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement E8.9
Which four planets are the terrestrial planets, small with solid, rocky surfaces?NASA Science, "Solar System: Facts"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement E8.1
Which process pushed up the Himalayas?U.S. Geological Survey, This Dynamic Earth, "Understanding plate motions"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement E8.9
Life Science (cumulative) 12
A mutation happens in one skin cell of a parent. Can it be passed on to the children of that parent?National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary, "Mutation"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement L8.9
How many chromosomes does a human normally have in total, and where do they come from?National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary, "Chromosome"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement L8.9
In a population, individuals whose traits fit their surroundings well leave more offspring than the others. Over many generations, what is the result?National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary, "Evolution"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement L8.11
In an ocean food web, krill eat phytoplankton, which make their own food by photosynthesis. What are the krill?National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Aquatic food webs"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement L8.5
Muscle cells need a lot of energy. Which organelle would you expect them to hold in large numbers?National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary, "Mitochondria"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement L8.3
Nutrients must enter a cell and wastes must leave it. Which part of the cell regulates this traffic?National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary, "Cell Membrane"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement L8.3
On a drawing of an ocean food web, an arrow points from plankton to krill. What does the arrow show?National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Aquatic food webs"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement L8.5
Plants use energy from light to make sugar molecules. Which two substances supply the atoms for the sugar?NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement L8.4; NASA Earth Observatory, "The Carbon Cycle"
Two species live closely together and both benefit. What is this relationship called?NOAA Ocean Exploration, "What is symbiosis?"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement L8.6
What is a mutation?National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary, "Mutation"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement L8.10
What is one difference between a eukaryotic cell and a prokaryotic cell?National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary, "Cell"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement L8.1
Which statement about genes is correct?National Human Genome Research Institute, Talking Glossary, "Gene"; NAEP Science Framework, grade 8 content statement L8.10
How this list was compiled: Our own questions. Outline: the middle school physical science performance expectations of the Next Generation Science Standards (MS-PS1 Matter and Its Interactions, MS-PS2 Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions, MS-PS3 Energy, MS-PS4 Waves), with their clarification statements, assessment boundaries and disciplinary core ideas, read 2026-10-10 in the National Academies Press edition, Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States (2013), "Arranged by Topics", https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/18290/chapter/4. The earth and life questions follow the grade 8 content statements of the Science Framework for the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress, National Assessment Governing Board, https://www.nagb.gov/content/dam/nagb/en/documents/publications/frameworks/science/2019-science-framework.pdf, read 2026-10-10. Each science fact rests on the public page named under its answer, opened 2026-10-10: NASA, NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the National Park Service or the National Human Genome Research Institute of the NIH. Answers that are a calculation were worked out twice from the numbers in the question. Licence: Own work. Questions, answer choices and explanations were written for this site. Nothing is copied or reworded from a state test, a NAEP question, a released form, a sample item, a textbook or another practice test.
How it works
Unofficial eighth grade science practice: 82 questions written for this page. Matter, forces, energy and waves follow the Next Generation Science Standards for middle school, and the earth and life questions make a mixed round cumulative. No school's or state's test is copied.
Read the full guide
What the 82 questions cover
Atoms, molecules and reactions has 14 questions, forces and motion 15, energy 15 and waves 14. Earth and space science and life science have 12 each. Schools teach the middle school topics in different orders, so a class may meet some of these in grade 6 or 7.
How the answers are checked
Under each answer is the standard it practices and the public page the fact was read on: NASA, NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Energy Information Administration, the National Park Service or the National Institutes of Health. Each calculation was worked out twice.
Forces in the same direction add. Forces in opposite directions subtract, and the object follows the larger one.
Doubling the mass doubles the kinetic energy. Doubling the speed multiplies it by four.
Frequency is heard as pitch and amplitude as loudness.
Questions and answers
Is this an 8th grade science final exam practice test?
It works as one. Exam mode draws 30 questions from the whole bank, physical, earth and life science together, and holds the answers until the end. It is not any school's own final, and no school's exam was copied.
Is there a Common Core science 8th grade practice test?
The Common Core has standards for mathematics and English language arts and none for science. This page follows the Next Generation Science Standards for middle school and, for earth and life science, the grade 8 statements of the NAEP science framework.
Can I take an 8th grade science practice test online for free?
Yes. The questions run on this page with no sign-up, and your answers stay in this browser. They also print as a paper test or save as a PDF, with an answer key if you want one.
What do 8th graders learn in science?
It depends on the state and the school. The national standards set physical, earth and life science for grades 6 to 8 as one band. This page leads with physical science, and the 6th grade science practice test gathers earth and space.