CSET Multiple Subjects Physical and Earth Science Questions
Published 2026-10-27 · Facts and text checked 2026-10-22 · Questions from our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide · Reviewed by Hana N., Quality Reviewer
These free CSET Multiple Subjects practice questions cover Physical and Earth Science, part of Subtest II: Science on the exam. Matter and mixtures, chemical change, energy, forces and motion, Earth and space. Each question comes from a practice test in our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide and shows the correct answer with an explanation. The full exam has 154 questions.
Matter and mixtures, chemical change, energy, forces and motion, Earth and space. On the exam this is part of Subtest II: Science. Open each answer to read the explanation.
Question 1Medium
Which of the following is a homogeneous mixture?
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Correct answer: D. Salt dissolved in water
A homogeneous mixture has uniform composition throughout. Salt dissolved in water is a solution, which is uniform. Trail mix, sand and water, and oil and vinegar are heterogeneous.
From practice test 5 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 74). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 2Medium
A student measures the mass and volume of a sample of an unknown liquid. The mass is 50 g and the volume is 40 mL. What is the density of the liquid?
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Correct answer: A. 1.25 g/mL
Density is mass divided by volume: 50 g / 40 mL = 1.25 g/mL. 0.8 g/mL is the reciprocal (volume/mass), and the other choices result from incorrect operations.
From practice test 3 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 85). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 3Medium
In a sealed flask, 10 g of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) is heated. After decomposition, the mass of the solid residue (CaO) is found to be 5.6 g, and a gas is collected. According to the law of conservation of matter, what should be the total mass of the gas produced?
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Correct answer: A. 4.4 g
The law of conservation of matter states that mass is neither created nor destroyed. The initial mass of CaCO₃ is 10 g. After heating, the solid CaO has a mass of 5.6 g, so the mass of gas (CO₂) released must be the difference: 10 g - 5.6 g = 4.4 g.
From practice test 4 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 118). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 4Medium
A ball is dropped from rest at a height of 5 meters. Ignoring air resistance, which statement best describes the energy transformation as the ball falls toward the ground?
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Correct answer: B. Kinetic energy increases and gravitational potential energy decreases.
As the ball falls, gravitational potential energy is converted into kinetic energy, so kinetic energy increases and potential energy decreases, while total mechanical energy remains constant. The common error is reversing the change, as in option A.
From practice test 2 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 105). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 5Medium
A student is riding a skateboard and suddenly stops the board with her foot. Her body continues moving forward, and she nearly falls. This is an example of which principle?
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Correct answer: C. Newton's first law of motion
Newton's first law (inertia) states that an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an outside force. The student's body continues forward because no force acts on it to stop it, while the skateboard is stopped by friction.
From practice test 7 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 106). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 6Medium
A person pushes against a wall. Which of the following is the correct action-reaction pair according to Newton's third law?
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Correct answer: B. The person's push on the wall and the wall's push on the person
Newton's third law states that forces always come in equal and opposite pairs acting on different objects. The person exerts a force on the wall, and the wall exerts an equal force back on the person. The other pairs are not action-reaction because they involve different interactions.
From practice test 8 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 40). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 7Medium
A ball is thrown horizontally from the top of a cliff. Ignoring air resistance, which statement correctly describes the horizontal and vertical components of its motion after it is released?
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Correct answer: A. The horizontal velocity remains constant, and the vertical velocity increases at a constant rate.
In projectile motion with no air resistance, the horizontal velocity is constant (no horizontal force), and the vertical velocity increases downward due to gravity at 9.8 m/s².
From practice test 4 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 52). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 8Medium
A student lifts a box with a constant force of 50 N straight upward over a distance of 2 m. How much work is done on the box?
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Correct answer: A. 100 J
Work equals force times distance in the direction of the force: 50 N × 2 m = 100 J. The other options arise from incorrect arithmetic or misunderstanding of work.
From practice test 2 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 97). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 9Hard
An apple slice left on a counter turns brown over time. Which indicator of a chemical change is demonstrated?
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Correct answer: C. Change in color
The browning of an apple is due to the oxidation of phenolic compounds in the fruit, which is a chemical change indicated by a color change from white to brown. While other changes may occur, the primary observable indicator here is color change.
From practice test 3 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 95). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 10Easy
What is the kinetic energy of a 2 kg ball moving at 10 m/s?
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Correct answer: D. 100 J
Kinetic energy is given by KE = ½ mv². Substituting m = 2 kg and v = 10 m/s gives KE = ½ × 2 × 100 = 100 J. The other options result from miscalculating the square or omitting the half.
From practice test 8 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 35). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 11Easy
Why are summers warmer than winters in the Northern Hemisphere?
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Correct answer: C. Sunlight hits the Northern Hemisphere more directly due to Earth's axial tilt.
The tilt of Earth's axis (23.5°) causes more direct sunlight and longer days in summer, not changes in Earth-Sun distance. The Sun's energy output is constant, and rotation speed does not vary seasonally.
From practice test 7 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 128). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 12Easy
In which atmospheric layer does nearly all weather occur?
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Correct answer: C. Troposphere.
The troposphere extends from Earth's surface to about 8-14 km altitude and contains most of the atmosphere's mass and water vapor, making it the site of weather. The stratosphere contains the ozone layer but is stable.
From practice test 7 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 41). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 13Medium
A student uses a lever to lift a heavy rock. The fulcrum is placed 0.5 m from the rock, and the student applies force 2 m from the fulcrum. What is the mechanical advantage of this lever?
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Correct answer: B. 4
Mechanical advantage of a lever is the ratio of the effort arm distance to the load arm distance (2 m / 0.5 m = 4). Option A (0.25) is the inverse ratio, a common error when dividing the load arm by the effort arm.
From practice test 4 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 42). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 14Medium
A student observes the Moon in the evening sky and sees that it appears as a thin crescent. Over the next few nights, the crescent becomes thicker. Which phase is the Moon in during the initial observation?
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Correct answer: C. Waxing crescent
A waxing crescent is the phase after a new moon, where the illuminated portion increases each night. The description 'thin crescent' that becomes thicker over subsequent nights matches the waxing crescent phase. The waning crescent would become thinner each night.
From practice test 6 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 34). Original question, not an official exam item.
Question 15Hard
A 5 kg rock is placed on a shelf 2 m high. What is its gravitational potential energy relative to the floor? (g = 9.8 m/s²)
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Correct answer: B. 98 J
Using PE = mgh: 5 kg × 9.8 m/s² × 2 m = 98 J. The 10 J answer ignores gravity; 49 J ignores height; 196 J uses double the height.
From practice test 2 of our CSET Multiple Subjects study guide (question 113). Original question, not an official exam item.
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