ACT Science : ACT Science
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT Science
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Example Questions
Example Question #161 : Earth And Space Sciences
Glaciers move, on average, 1 meter per day, although many are known to move faster or slower depending on their size. Whether they are alpine glaciers, which form high in the mountains, or continental glaciers that cover huge areas of land near the poles, glaciers are responsible for breaking up rock and moving sediment as they move across the land.
Below is a chart of average speed of movement of an alpine glacier per year, as well the amount of sediment displaced by the glacier.
|
Year |
Average Glacial Movement |
Sediment movement per year (tons) |
|
1995 |
1.1 m/day |
2.2 |
|
1996 |
1.3 m/day |
2.6 |
|
1997 |
1.5 m/day |
3.0 |
|
1998 |
1.3 m/day |
2.2 |
|
2000 |
1.1 m/day |
1.8 |
|
2005 |
1.0 m/day |
1.6 |
|
2010 |
0.9 m/day |
1.5 |
Two scientists have done research on an alpine lake that lies in the path of the glacier. Each took five samples of sediment from the lake.
Scientist 1 believes that the glacier is beginning to melt as it moves lower in elevation, releasing some of the sediment it has carried into mountain streams and springs, causing the makeup of sediments in the lake to change. He notes that the sediment from the lake bed contains brown chert, a rock that can only be found in elevations higher than that of the lake. Scientist 1 took his sample from the sediments that washed ashore on the beach of the lake.
Scientist 2 believes the glacier is not melting, but displacing rock beds so that the sediment loosens and breaks free of the bedrock and then is carried by wind and other erosive elements to the lake. He notes that the sediment from the lake bed contains only trace amounts of the brown chert, not enough to suggest the glacier is melting. Scientist 2 took his samples from sediment deposits at the bottom of the lake.
Below is a chart of the sediment collection samples and the percentage of brown chert found in each.
|
Sample # |
Scientist 1: % Brown Chert |
Scientist 2: % Brown Chert |
|
1 |
5.2 |
0.9 |
|
2 |
7.1 |
1.2 |
|
3 |
6.3 |
0.4 |
|
4 |
6.5 |
0.8 |
|
5 |
5.8 |
1.0 |
What could account for the slow decrease in average movement per year since 1998?
All of the answers could be true.
The ground could be leveling out, causing the glacier to slow down.
There could be a mountain in the path of the glacier, slowing it down.
The glacier could be freezing more, therefore adding more mass and slowing down.
The glacier could be melting, therefore decreasing the mass and slowing down.
The glacier could be melting, therefore decreasing the mass and slowing down.
All of the answers are possibilties, but the idea that the glacier could be melting is the best. Glaciers move so slowly and are so heavy that objects in the way or leveling of the ground would not affect movement. The only thing that would would be a change in the mass of the glacier itself and melting would decrease the mass and therefore the momentum of the glacier.
Example Question #161 : Earth And Space Sciences
Glaciers move, on average, 1 meter per day, although many are known to move faster or slower depending on their size. Whether they are alpine glaciers, which form high in the mountains, or continental glaciers that cover huge areas of land near the poles, glaciers are responsible for breaking up rock and moving sediment as they move across the land.
Below is a chart of average speed of movement of an alpine glacier per year, as well the amount of sediment displaced by the glacier.
|
Year |
Average Glacial Movement |
Sediment movement per year (tons) |
|
1995 |
1.1 m/day |
2.2 |
|
1996 |
1.3 m/day |
2.6 |
|
1997 |
1.5 m/day |
3.0 |
|
1998 |
1.3 m/day |
2.2 |
|
2000 |
1.1 m/day |
1.8 |
|
2005 |
1.0 m/day |
1.6 |
|
2010 |
0.9 m/day |
1.5 |
Two scientists have done research on an alpine lake that lies in the path of the glacier. Each took five samples of sediment from the lake.
Scientist 1 believes that the glacier is beginning to melt as it moves lower in elevation, releasing some of the sediment it has carried into mountain streams and springs, causing the makeup of sediments in the lake to change. He notes that the sediment from the lake bed contains brown chert, a rock that can only be found in elevations higher than that of the lake. Scientist 1 took his sample from the sediments that washed ashore on the beach of the lake.
Scientist 2 believes the glacier is not melting, but displacing rock beds so that the sediment loosens and breaks free of the bedrock and then is carried by wind and other erosive elements to the lake. He notes that the sediment from the lake bed contains only trace amounts of the brown chert, not enough to suggest the glacier is melting. Scientist 2 took his samples from sediment deposits at the bottom of the lake.
Below is a chart of the sediment collection samples and the percentage of brown chert found in each.
|
Sample # |
Scientist 1: % Brown Chert |
Scientist 2: % Brown Chert |
|
1 |
5.2 |
0.9 |
|
2 |
7.1 |
1.2 |
|
3 |
6.3 |
0.4 |
|
4 |
6.5 |
0.8 |
|
5 |
5.8 |
1.0 |
What do you predict will be the average movement per year of the glacier in 2020?
1.7 m/day
0.7 m/day
1.3 m/day
0.9 m/day
1.1 m/day
0.7 m/day
The speed of the glacier has steadily been decreasing for over a decade. Following the pattern of an approximately 0.1 m/day decrease every five years or so, the speed of the glacier in 2020 would be around 0.7 m/day
Example Question #161 : Earth And Space Sciences
Glaciers move, on average, 1 meter per day, although many are known to move faster or slower depending on their size. Whether they are alpine glaciers, which form high in the mountains, or continental glaciers that cover huge areas of land near the poles, glaciers are responsible for breaking up rock and moving sediment as they move across the land.
Below is a chart of average speed of movement of an alpine glacier per year, as well the amount of sediment displaced by the glacier.
|
Year |
Average Glacial Movement |
Sediment movement per year (tons) |
|
1995 |
1.1 m/day |
2.2 |
|
1996 |
1.3 m/day |
2.6 |
|
1997 |
1.5 m/day |
3.0 |
|
1998 |
1.3 m/day |
2.2 |
|
2000 |
1.1 m/day |
1.8 |
|
2005 |
1.0 m/day |
1.6 |
|
2010 |
0.9 m/day |
1.5 |
Two scientists have done research on an alpine lake that lies in the path of the glacier. Each took five samples of sediment from the lake.
Scientist 1 believes that the glacier is beginning to melt as it moves lower in elevation, releasing some of the sediment it has carried into mountain streams and springs, causing the makeup of sediments in the lake to change. He notes that the sediment from the lake bed contains brown chert, a rock that can only be found in elevations higher than that of the lake. Scientist 1 took his sample from the sediments that washed ashore on the beach of the lake.
Scientist 2 believes the glacier is not melting, but displacing rock beds so that the sediment loosens and breaks free of the bedrock and then is carried by wind and other erosive elements to the lake. He notes that the sediment from the lake bed contains only trace amounts of the brown chert, not enough to suggest the glacier is melting. Scientist 2 took his samples from sediment deposits at the bottom of the lake.
Below is a chart of the sediment collection samples and the percentage of brown chert found in each.
|
Sample # |
Scientist 1: % Brown Chert |
Scientist 2: % Brown Chert |
|
1 |
5.2 |
0.9 |
|
2 |
7.1 |
1.2 |
|
3 |
6.3 |
0.4 |
|
4 |
6.5 |
0.8 |
|
5 |
5.8 |
1.0 |
What is the approximate relationship between the speed of the glacier and the amount of sediment displaced each year?
inverse
logarithmic
direct
indirect
exponential
direct
On average, as the speed of the glacier increases or decreases, so does the amount of sediment displaced, indicating that the amount of sediment displaced is directly related to the speed of the glacier.
Example Question #162 : Earth And Space Sciences
Above is the deer population of Routt County National Forest between 1905 and 2005. The First White-tail deer were introduced to the forest for hunting in 1905. They are not native to the area, though they thrived in the environment.
White tailed deer eat the seeds of coniferous trees, berries, and an assortment of other plants. They tend to roam in small family herds and stick to areas where water is abundant and is unlikely to freeze completely in the winter.
In 1995, an environmental scientist watched a small herd of deer for ten days, recording their movements and taking note of herd size and stopping place. Below is a chart of his results.
|
Day |
Travel distance (mi) |
Herd size |
Stopping place |
|
1 |
21 |
13 |
Bear Creek |
|
2 |
15 |
13 |
Yampa Valley |
|
5 |
19 |
13 |
Bear Creek |
|
8 |
11 |
10 |
Gilpin Lake |
|
10 |
22 |
10 |
Yampa Valley |
|
Yampa Valley |
What could have caused the sudden spike in population after the deer were introduced?
Quick breeding and acclimation to the environment.
Over-hunting and acclimation to the environment.
Quick breeding and over-hunting.
Acclimation to the environment and a cold winter.
Quick breeding and acclimation to the environment.
For the population to grow so rapidly, there had to have been both quick breeding as well as a lack of environmental hazards which only would have come from acclimation to the environment. Population growth relies on a stability in te environment that would allow for safe breeding as well as a low infant death rate among the animals. There must also, though, be breeding in quick enough cycles to replace the animals lost to age, diease and predators. Over-hunting and cold winters would only hinder population growth
Example Question #163 : Earth And Space Sciences
Above is the deer population of Routt County National Forest between 1905 and 2005. The First White-tail deer were introduced to the forest for hunting in 1905. They are not native to the area, though they thrived in the environment.
White tailed deer eat the seeds of coniferous trees, berries, and an assortment of other plants. They tend to roam in small family herds and stick to areas where water is abundant and is unlikely to freeze completely in the winter.
In 1995, an environmental scientist watched a small herd of deer for ten days, recording their movements and taking note of herd size and stopping place. Below is a chart of his results.
|
Day |
Travel distance (mi) |
Herd size |
Stopping place |
|
1 |
21 |
13 |
Bear Creek |
|
2 |
15 |
13 |
Yampa Valley |
|
5 |
19 |
13 |
Bear Creek |
|
8 |
11 |
10 |
Gilpin Lake |
|
10 |
22 |
10 |
Yampa Valley |
The deer population could have declined after 15 years because of
an increase in the wolf population.
the melting of snow into lakes and streams.
a large and sudden wildfire.
a decade of long springs and summers.
an increase in the wolf population.
An increase in the wolf population, a predator to deer, would cause the deer to be preyed on in larger numbers, decreasing their population. It is not a wildfire because that would cause a sudden drop in population. The population decline is gradual, suggesting some element is causing a few more deer each season to be lost. Being hunted by wolves would account for this greater loss better than the other options, which would show a sudden decline but, ultimately, recovery.
Example Question #21 : How To Find Data Representation In Earth And Space Sciences
Above is the deer population of Routt County National Forest between 1905 and 2005. The First White-tail deer were introduced to the forest for hunting in 1905. They are not native to the area, though they thrived in the environment.
White tailed deer eat the seeds of coniferous trees, berries, and an assortment of other plants. They tend to roam in small family herds and stick to areas where water is abundant and is unlikely to freeze completely in the winter.
In 1995, an environmental scientist watched a small herd of deer for ten days, recording their movements and taking note of herd size and stopping place. Below is a chart of his results.
|
Day |
Travel distance (mi) |
Herd size |
Stopping place |
|
1 |
21 |
13 |
Bear Creek |
|
2 |
15 |
13 |
Yampa Valley |
|
5 |
19 |
13 |
Bear Creek |
|
8 |
11 |
10 |
Gilpin Lake |
|
10 |
22 |
10 |
Yampa Valley |
Which of the following statements could be correct, given the graph above?
In 2000 deforestation reached its peak in Routt National Forest, affecting wildlife.
from 1955 to 1965 the winters were too cold and too long to allow plants to grow properly, especially berries.
In 1955 the Parks Service issued a protection notice allowing hunters to hunt wolves out of season but disallowed the hunting of white-tailed deer entirely.
From 1955 to 2005 hunting in Routt National Forest grew more popular and the Parks Serivce issued more hunting licenses for white-tailed deer.
In 1955 the Parks Service issued a protection notice allowing hunters to hunt wolves out of season but disallowed the hunting of white-tailed deer entirely.
The statement must match the changes in population that occured during that time. The only statement that correctly connects to the population change is the statement concerning hunting changes for deer and wolves, which would decrease the wolf population and account, then, for the rise in deer population.
You must consider first the year in question and then acount for the particular trend occuring in that year. From 1955-1965, the population is increasing, which would not correlate with a harsh winter. The same is true for 1955-2005; more deer hunting would not see an increase in population.
Example Question #21 : How To Find Data Representation In Earth And Space Sciences
Above is the deer population of Routt County National Forest between 1905 and 2005. The First White-tail deer were introduced to the forest for hunting in 1905. They are not native to the area, though they thrived in the environment.
White tailed deer eat the seeds of coniferous trees, berries, and an assortment of other plants. They tend to roam in small family herds and stick to areas where water is abundant and is unlikely to freeze completely in the winter.
In 1995, an environmental scientist watched a small herd of deer for ten days, recording their movements and taking note of herd size and stopping place. Below is a chart of his results.
|
Day |
Travel distance (mi) |
Herd size |
Stopping place |
|
1 |
21 |
13 |
Bear Creek |
|
2 |
15 |
13 |
Yampa Valley |
|
5 |
19 |
13 |
Bear Creek |
|
8 |
11 |
10 |
Gilpin Lake |
|
10 |
22 |
10 |
Yampa Valley |
What was the deer population in 1980, approximately?
300,000
300
3 million
157,000
300,000
This is a simple matter of interpolating the data, or reading the graph carefully. 1980 would be 75 years after the population was introduced (note the graph begins in 1905 and not 1900), or halfway between the 50 and 100 year mark. The closest answer is 300,000 (notice the population is counted in thousands). Be carefuly when considering units of measurement; consider every piece of data the graph gives you. In this case it is that 1980 is the 75 year mark, and that the population is counted in thousands.
Example Question #22 : How To Find Data Representation In Earth And Space Sciences
Above is the deer population of Routt County National Forest between 1905 and 2005. The First White-tail deer were introduced to the forest for hunting in 1905. They are not native to the area, though they thrived in the environment.
White tailed deer eat the seeds of coniferous trees, berries, and an assortment of other plants. They tend to roam in small family herds and stick to areas where water is abundant and is unlikely to freeze completely in the winter.
In 1995, an environmental scientist watched a small herd of deer for ten days, recording their movements and taking note of herd size and stopping place. Below is a chart of his results.
|
Day |
Travel distance (mi) |
Herd size |
Stopping place |
|
1 |
21 |
13 |
Bear Creek |
|
2 |
15 |
13 |
Yampa Valley |
|
5 |
19 |
13 |
Bear Creek |
|
8 |
11 |
10 |
Gilpin Lake |
|
10 |
22 |
10 |
Yampa Valley |
Given the current trend in population, what will the deer population likely be in 2015?
505,000
600,000
470,000
510
505,000
The deer population is just under 500 thousand in 2005, and steadily increasing, though not too rapidly. It would stand to reason that ten years later the population will be just over 500,000, given this trend.
This question requires an inference based on data extrapolation, or consdering the current trend and assuming nothing drastic will happen to change that trend. In this case, the data suggests the deer population will continue to gently increase into 2015 and, saving a drastic population drop, will be around 500,000 at that time.
Example Question #21 : How To Find Data Representation In Earth And Space Sciences
A scientist has observed a new planet, Planet H. It was discovered that Planet H has water on its surface. As a result, it is being investigated to determine if it is possible for Planet H to sustain human life. Futhermore, observations revealed that Planet H has four moons: Moon J, Moon K, Moon L, and Moon M. Each moon's radius, distance to Planet H, and time to orbit Planet H have been recorded in the provided table.
On Earth the moon has a large effect on ocean tides. If it was found that the moons have a tidal affect on Planet H, then which of Planet H's moons would have the largest affect on its oceans?
All of the moons have an equal affect on Planet H's oceans
Moon L
It cannot be determined from the given information
Moon J
Moon K
It cannot be determined from the given information
It is not stated what causes moons to affect the tides on the planet's oceans. The mass of the moon, radius of the moon and distance from Planet H to each moon could impact the affect on the oceans due to the moons. However, it is not stated how each parameter will affect each moon's impact on the tides on Planet H. For example, the mass of the moon could be the largest determining factor or the distance from planet H to each moon could be the largest determining factor on the impact of each moon's affect on the tides. Therefore, the answer cannot be determined from the given information.
Example Question #1101 : Act Science
Researchers have discovered a new planet, Planet Z. This planet is orbited by several comets, A, B, C and D. Researchers have calculated the time it takes each comet to orbit Planet Z, the closest the comet gets to Planet Z and the diameter of the comet.
What is the relationship between comet diameter and orbit time?
The larger the diameter, the shorter the orbit time
The larger the comet's diameter, the longer the orbit time
There is no relationship between diameter and orbit time
The smaller the diameter, the longer the orbit time
The larger the comet's diameter, the longer the orbit time
Comet A has the largest diameter at 11.3km and the longest orbit time at 82.3 years. This suggests a direct relationship. Comet B has the shortest diameter of 5.2km and the shortest orbit time at 47.8 years. This also suggests a direct relationship and this trend can be seen in the other two comets. The correct answer is the larger the diameter, the longer the orbit time.
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