Student – GA Milestones Practice – Grade 8 S8P1

GA Milestones Practice – Grade 8: S8P1 (Student)

20 items aligned to S8P1. Use the filters to focus your practice. Answer keys are not included on this page.

DOK1: 4
DOK2: 10
DOK3: 6
Total: 20
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Item ID Standard Stem Answer Choices (A–D) DOK level
S8P1-01 S8P1 Where are electrons located in an atom?
  1. In the nucleus with protons and neutrons
  2. In the electron cloud surrounding the nucleus
  3. Inside neutrons
  4. On rigid circular orbits that touch the nucleus
DOK1
S8P1-02 S8P1 Which is an element?
  1. Aluminum (Al)
  2. Water (Hâ‚‚O)
  3. Table salt (NaCl)
  4. Air
DOK1
S8P1-03 S8P1 What does an element’s atomic number tell you?
  1. The number of protons in each atom
  2. The number of protons + neutrons
  3. Only the number of outer (valence) electrons
  4. The total mass of the atom
DOK1
S8P1-04 S8P1 Which is a physical change?
  1. Rust forming on a steel railing at Amerson River Park
  2. Ice melting in a cooler at Lake Tobesofkee
  3. Burning pecan leaves
  4. Vinegar and baking soda bubbling
DOK1
S8P1-05 S8P1 Why is a glass of sweet tea from a Macon café classified as a solution (homogeneous mixture)?
  1. The dissolved sugar is uniformly distributed and does not settle
  2. It contains only one kind of atom
  3. The sugar crystals are large enough to filter out
  4. Tea reacts with water to form a new compound
DOK2
S8P1-06 S8P1 A sample at the Macon-Bibb Recycling Center is shiny, can be hammered into sheets, and conducts electricity. It is most likely a—
  1. Metal
  2. Nonmetal
  3. Metalloid
  4. Noble gas
DOK2
S8P1-07 S8P1 Embedded data—Rocks collected from the Ocmulgee River near Amerson River Park: Sample A: mass 180 g, volume 90 cm³; Sample B: mass 150 g, volume 60 cm³; Sample C: mass 210 g, volume 70 cm³; Sample D: mass 200 g, volume 100 cm³. Which sample has the greatest density?
  1. Sample A
  2. Sample B
  3. Sample C
  4. Sample D
DOK2
S8P1-08 S8P1 Students sealed vinegar and baking soda in a zipper bag. The bag puffed up. Mass before: 78.5 g; after: 78.5 g. Which statement best explains the result?
  1. Gas escaped so mass stayed the same
  2. Gas was produced but trapped, so total mass stayed the same
  3. Mass was destroyed in the reaction
  4. The scale can’t detect gases
DOK2
S8P1-09 S8P1 On a humid day in Macon, droplets form on the outside of an iced-sweet-tea cup. What process causes the droplets?
  1. Condensation of water vapor from the air on the cold cup
  2. Melting water leaking through the cup
  3. Sublimation of ice directly to gas
  4. Tea molecules diffusing out
DOK2
S8P1-10 S8P1 A mix of sand, table salt, and iron filings spills on the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail. Which sequence best separates all three?
  1. Evaporate water → use magnet → filter
  2. Use magnet → add water and stir → filter → evaporate
  3. Filter → use magnet on wet mixture → evaporate
  4. Add vinegar to dissolve everything, then filter
DOK2
S8P1-11 S8P1 Embedded data—Solubility of sugar (g per 100 g water): 20°C → 203 g; 40°C → 238 g; 60°C → 287 g; 80°C → 339 g. A student tries to dissolve 300 g of sugar in 100 g of water at 40°C. What will happen?
  1. All 300 g will dissolve
  2. About 238 g will dissolve and the rest will remain undissolved
  3. Exactly 300 g will dissolve if the student stirs fast enough
  4. No sugar will dissolve until the water boils
DOK2
S8P1-12 S8P1 Which of the following is a substance made of atoms chemically combined in a fixed ratio?
  1. Carbon dioxide (COâ‚‚)
  2. Air
  3. Sweet tea
  4. Iron + sand mix
DOK2
S8P1-13 S8P1 Element X has atomic number 12 and mass number 25. In a neutral atom of X, how many neutrons and electrons are present?
  1. 12 neutrons and 12 electrons
  2. 13 neutrons and 12 electrons
  3. 12 neutrons and 25 electrons
  4. 13 neutrons and 25 electrons
DOK2
S8P1-14 S8P1 Which material would best complete a simple circuit to light a bulb in a Mercer University lab?
  1. An aluminum foil strip
  2. A plastic straw
  3. Cotton string
  4. A glass rod
DOK2
S8P1-15 S8P1 A steel wool pad (5.00 g) sat outdoors in Macon for a week. After rusting, its mass was 6.20 g. Which explanation best fits the data?
  1. Iron atoms were destroyed, reducing mass
  2. Oxygen from air combined with iron to form a new substance with greater mass
  3. Water condensed on the steel but no chemical change happened
  4. The scale was random so readings don’t matter
DOK3
S8P1-16 S8P1 Element A has 11 protons; Element B has 19 protons. Which statement with reasoning is most accurate about their chemical behavior?
  1. They’re in the same group and tend to form +1 ions because each has one valence electron
  2. They’re in the same period and have the same number of energy levels
  3. Both are noble gases and unreactive because their outer shells are full
  4. They are transition metals that commonly form +2 ions because they have two valence electrons
DOK3
S8P1-17 S8P1 Macon Water Authority tests a clear liquid labeled Sample X. Evidence: it boils at a constant temperature until gone, leaves no residue after evaporation, and fractional distillation yields one component. What conclusion is best and why?
  1. Sample X is a compound (pure substance) because it has a constant boiling point and cannot be separated by physical means
  2. Sample X is a mixture because it is clear
  3. Sample X is an element because it leaves no residue
  4. Sample X is a mixture because constant boiling is evidence of mixtures
DOK3
S8P1-18 S8P1 Embedded data—Heating a solid: Temp rose from 20→60°C during minutes 0–4, stayed at 60°C during minutes 4–8, then rose 60→100°C during minutes 8–12. What best explains what happened during minutes 4–8?
  1. Particles slowed down and lost energy
  2. Added energy was used to overcome attractions during melting, so temperature stayed constant while the state changed
  3. No energy was added to the sample
  4. The thermometer stopped working
DOK3
S8P1-19 S8P1 Constructed Response—Two teams in Bibb County test vinegar + baking soda. Team 1 uses an open cup: mass before = 84.0 g; after = 82.5 g. Team 2 seals the reactants in a zipper bag: mass before = 84.0 g; after = 84.0 g. Explain why the masses are different and what this shows about conservation of mass. Use particle-level reasoning. N/A (constructed response) DOK3
S8P1-20 S8P1 Constructed Response—Design an investigation to compare the densities of a kaolin clay lump, a quartz pebble from the Ocmulgee River, and a small pine wood block. Describe steps, data you’d collect, how you would calculate density, and predict which would float in water. Justify your prediction. N/A (constructed response) DOK3

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Last updated: August 30, 2025 · Exported from ChatGPT · This page has no answer keys.