Q: I read this background article the other day: A car's gas pedal, like the one in Figure below , is sometimes called the accelerator. That's because it controls the acceleration of the car. Pressing down on the gas pedal gives the car more gas and causes the car to speed up. Letting up on the gas pedal gives the car less gas and causes the car to slow down. Whenever an object speeds up, slows down, or changes direction, it accelerates. Acceleration is a measure of the change in velocity of a moving object. Acceleration occurs whenever an object is acted upon by an unbalanced force. I am facing a new situation today: Eric is driving on a highway. His exit is coming up soon so he let's up on the gas a little and makes a left turn onto the exit. After a short way he pulls into a parking lot reaching his destination. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Given a car is accelerating, is it being acted upon by a balanced or unbalanced force?
A: unbalanced

Q: I read this background article the other day: Species go extinct constantly as environments change, as organisms compete for environmental niches, and as genetic mutation leads to the rise of new species from older ones. Occasionally biodiversity on Earth takes a hit in the form of a mass extinction in which the extinction rate is much higher than usual. A large extinction-event often represents an accumulation of smaller extinction- events that take place in a relatively brief period of time.The first known mass extinction in earth's history was the Great Oxygenation Event 2.4 billion years ago. That event led to the loss of most of the planet's obligate anaerobes. Researchers have identified five major extinction events in earth's history since: I am facing a new situation today: John was studying the history of dinosaurs. He found that dinosaurs were flourishing before 66 million years ago. He labeled it as era A. Then he found that there was a mass extinction around 66 million years ago. He labeled that time period as era B. John found it interesting that many species have evolved in the course of history. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which era would more likely be shorter, era A or era B?
A: era B

Q: I read this background article the other day: Wildfire smoke contains particulate matter that may have adverse effects upon the human respiratory system. Evidence of the health effects of wildfire smoke should be relayed to the public so that exposure may be limited. Evidence of health effects can also be used to influence policy to promote positive health outcomes.Inhalation of smoke from a wildfire can be a health hazard. Wildfire smoke is composed of combustion products i.e. carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapor, particulate matter, organic chemicals, nitrogen oxides and other compounds. The principal health concern is the inhalation of particulate matter and carbon monoxide.Particulate matter (PM) is a type of air pollution made up of particles of dust and liquid droplets. They are characterized into three categories based on the diameter of the particle: coarse PM, fine PM, and ultrafine PM. Coarse particles are between 2.5 micrometers and 10 micrometers, fine particles measure 0.1 to 2.5 micrometers, and ultrafine particle are less than 0.1 micrometer. Each size can enter the body through inhalation, but the PM impact on the body varies by size. Coarse particles are filtered by the upper airways and these particles can accumulate and cause pulmonary inflammation. This can result in eye and sinus irritation as well as sore throat and coughing. Coarse PM is often composed of materials that are heavier and more toxic that lead to short-term effects with stronger impact.Smaller particulate moves further into the respiratory system creating issues deep into the lungs and the bloodstream. In asthma patients, PM2.5 causes inflammation but also increases oxidative stress in the epithelial cells. These particulates also cause apoptosis and autophagy in lung epithelial cells. Both processes cause the cells to be damaged and impacts the cell function. This damage impacts those with respiratory conditions such as asthma where the lung tissues and function are already compromised. The third PM type is ultra-fine PM (UFP). UFP can enter the bloodstream... I am facing a new situation today: Ben visited two states. Washington state, which had many wildfires year-round, and Oregon, state which had almost no wildfires. Ben enjoyed the visit and planned to return. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which state had more people inhaling carbon dioxide from the wildfire smoke?
A: Washington

Q: I read this background article the other day: Hypertension , which is also called "high blood pressure," occurs when a person's blood pressure is always high. Hypertension is said to be present when a person's systolic blood pressure is always 140 or higher, and/or if the person's diastolic blood pressure is always 90 or higher. Having hypertension increases a person's chance for developing heart disease, having a stroke, or suffering from other serious cardiovascular diseases. Hypertension often does not have any symptoms, so a person may not know that he or she has high blood pressure. For this reason, hypertension is often called the "silent killer." Treatments for hypertension include diet changes, exercise, and medication. Foods thought to lower blood pressure include skim milk, spinach, beans, bananas and dark chocolate. I am facing a new situation today: Tom and Jerry were two 50-year-olds which went to high-school together. They recently met and discussed their health problems over coffee. Tom had hypertension and the doc told him to change his diet. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which friend had to start eating beans?
A:
Tom