Nursing Elites

1. A keystone species plays a critical role in an ecosystem because its removal would:

• A. Lead to a decrease in competition among other species
• B. Cause a slight increase in primary productivity
• C. Have a minimal impact on the overall ecosystem structure
• D. Disrupt the food web and cause cascading effects on other populations

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Rationale: Keystone species are species that have a disproportionately large effect on their environment relative to their abundance. They play a critical role in maintaining the structure and function of an ecosystem. If a keystone species is removed from an ecosystem, it can disrupt the food web by causing imbalances in predator-prey relationships. This disruption can lead to cascading effects on other populations within the ecosystem, potentially causing population declines or even extinctions. Therefore, the removal of a keystone species would have significant impacts on the overall ecosystem structure, making option D the correct answer.

2. What is the least common multiple (LCM) of 4 and 6?

• A. 24
• B. 12
• C. 6
• D. 3

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The LCM is the smallest number that is a multiple of both 4 and 6. We can find this by listing out the multiples of each number until we find a common value. In this case, 12 is the first number divisible by both 4 (4 x 3) and 6 (6 x 2).

3. 12 is a/an:

• A. even number
• B. odd number
• C. prime number
• D. composite number

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Even numbers are integers divisible by 2 without a remainder. Since 12 divided by 2 equals 6 with no remainder, 12 is even.

4. What term describes the maximum displacement of particles from their rest position in a wave?

• A. Frequency
• B. Wavelength
• C. Amplitude
• D. Velocity

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The term that describes the maximum displacement of particles from their rest position in a wave is called the amplitude. Amplitude is a measure of the strength or intensity of a wave and is represented by the height of the wave from the rest position to the crest (or trough) of the wave. Frequency (A) refers to the number of complete wavelengths that pass a point in a given time, wavelength (B) is the distance between two consecutive crests (or troughs) of a wave, and velocity (D) is the speed of the wave.

5. Elements tend to gain or lose electrons to achieve stable electron configurations like those of noble gases. Their group number often indicates the number of electrons gained/lost and the resulting ionic charge, providing a good starting point for prediction.

• A. Ionic bonds involve electron sharing, while metallic bonds involve electron transfer
• B. Ionic bonds are weak and directional, while metallic bonds are strong and non-directional
• C. Ionic bonds exist between metals and non-metals, while metallic bonds exist only between metals
• D. Ionic bonds form discrete molecules, while metallic bonds form extended structures

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Ionic bonds involve complete electron transfer between atoms, creating strong, non-directional electrostatic attraction. Metallic bonds involve a delocalized "sea" of electrons shared across all metal atoms, resulting in a strong, extended structure.

6. Which of the following numbers is the greatest common factor (GCF) of 12 and 18?

• A. 2
• B. 3
• C. 6
• D. 9

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The GCF is the largest number that is a factor of both 12 and 18. We can factor each number to find common factors: 12 = 2 x 2 x 3 and 18 = 2 x 3 x 3. The greatest common factor that appears in both factorizations is 6 (2 x 3).

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