ACT Science : ACT Science
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT Science
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Example Questions
Example Question #1111 : 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.
Another comet that orbits Planet Z was found and the comet has a diameter of 4.6km. Which of the following would be the best estimate of orbit time around Planet Z in Earth years?
It can be seen in the data that the smaller the diameter, the shorter the orbit time of each comet. The smallest comet previously observed was Comet B that had a diameter of 5.2km and an orbit time of 47.8 years. Since the new found comet has a smaller diameter than Comet B, it should be estimated that the new comet has a shorter orbit time than Comet B. In other words, the new comet's orbit time should be less than 47.8 years. The correct answer is 41.3 years.
Example Question #26 : How To Find Data Representation In Earth And Space Sciences
Scientists have recorded data in Region A, Region B, Region C and Region D. The data collected include the average daily temperature, the annual rainfall for the past year and the number of fresh water reservoirs. The scientists want to perform an experiment on wild life migration patterns.
If another region was found to have 20 fresh water reservoirs, what could be the amount of annual rainfall for that region in inches?
There is a trend in the data between the number of fresh water reservoirs and annual rainfall. As the amount of annual rainfall increases, so does the number of fresh water reservoirs. In Region B the annual rainfall was 51.3 inches and has the most reservoirs with 16. Since we are looking at region with 20 reservoirs and there is a direct relationship, the possible amount of annual rainfall must be larger than 51.3 inches. The correct answer is 64.3 inches. Note that Region C has more rainfall than Region A, but both have zero fresh water reservoirs. This can be do to that fact that there may be a minimum value of annual rainfall to maintain a fresh water reservoir.
Example Question #1111 : Act Science
Scientists have recorded data in Region A, Region B, Region C and Region D. The data collected include the average daily temperature, the annual rainfall for the past year and the number of fresh water reservoirs. The scientists want to perform an experiment on wild life migration patterns.
What is the relationship between average annual temperature and the number of fresh water reservoirs?
As the temperature increases, the number of water reservoirs increases
As the temperature increases, the number of water reservoirs decreases
As the temperature decreases, the number of water reservoirs increases
There is no relationship
There is no relationship
Region A has the highest average temperature at 102.4 Fahrenheit, while Region C has the lowest average temperature at 0.4 Fahrenheit. Both of these regions have zero fresh water reservoirs. Since Region A has the highest temperature with zero reservoirs and Region C has the lowest temperature with zero reservoirs there is no clear relationship between the temperature and number of fresh water reservoirs in given data.
Example Question #1112 : Act Science
In a specific region, a scientist recorded the rainfall, in inches, during the months of May, June, July and August. The scientist recorded this data in the same spot each month over four years. The purpose of this study was to see how the new factories built in the area impacted the rainfall in that location.
How have the factories impacted the rainfall that was recorded each year?
Each year rainfall has decrease
Each year rainfall has increased
Cannot be determined from the given information
Rainfall increased from Year 1 to Year 2, but decreased afterwards
Cannot be determined from the given information
It is true that the rainfall recorded increases each year. However there is nothing that indicates what is causing this increase. Furthermore it is not noted when the factories were built so it is not possible to determine how the factories affected the rainfall. The answer cannot be determined from the given information.
Example Question #29 : How To Find Data Representation In Earth And Space Sciences
In a specific region, a scientist recorded the rainfall, in inches, during the months of May, June, July and August. The scientist recorded this data in the same spot each month over four years. The purpose of this study was to see how the new factories built in the area impacted the rainfall in that location.
What trend can be noticed in the data?
As the year increases, the rainfall for that year decreases; August has the most rain of any month per year
As the year increases so does the rainfall for that year; July has the most rain of a month per year
As the year increases, the rainfall for that year decreases; July has the most rain of any month per year
As the year increases so does the rainfall for that year; August has the most rain of any month per a year
As the year increases so does the rainfall for that year; July has the most rain of a month per year
Looking at the month with the most rainfall, one will notice in year 1 that July has the most rainfall with 3.8", in year 2 it is also July with 4.1" and so on. Therefore in any year of the given data the month with the most rain is always July. In year 1 the total rainfall for the months was 11.8", in year 2 it was 13.8", in year 3 it was 15.4" and in year 4 it was 18.5" indicating that the rainfall increases each year.
Example Question #31 : 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 |
Aproximately how many deer per year were added to the population between 1905 and 1920, assuming 1905 marks the 'zero hour' when the deer were first introduced?
1,730.
17,300.
135.
19,000.
17,300.
After 15 years the deer population peaked for the first time at around 260,000 deer. 260,000 deer total / 15 years= 17,333. The closest answer is 17,300.
Example Question #181 : Earth And Space Sciences
Researchers are curious about the effects of large amounts of steam released by a power plant. They hypothesize that the large amounts of moisture might affect precipitation in the area. They record yearly rainfall at multiple locations at various distances from the power plant and find the results below:
| Distance from Power Plant (kilometers) | Yearly Rainfall (inches) | |||
| 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | |
| 1 | 40.2 | 44.3 | 45.1 | 38.8 |
| 5 | 38.6 | 42.8 | 44.1 | 37.5 |
| 10 | 37.3 | 41.2 | 43.7 | 37.1 |
| 20 | 36.9 | 40.5 | 42.3 | 36.8 |
At what tested distance from the power plant is rainfall the highest?
Rainfall is equal among the distances tested.
The highest recorded rainfall each year is at a distance of 
Example Question #31 : How To Find Data Representation In Earth And Space Sciences
Explorers have discovered a new planet, Planet K. It is known that Planet K has magnetic poles to similar to those of Earth, so the explorers decide that using a compass to navigate is possible. When navigating Planet K's surface, it is discovered that the compass points north for a distance then flips so that it points north in the opposite direction for a distance, before returning to pointing north in the original direction. It is known that the magnetic poles of the planet flip every 100 years. Weather is recorded on the planet for 250 years.
How does the flipping of the magnetic poles affect the weather on Planet K?
It causes the temperature to decrease, but the precipitation to increase
It causes a sharp temperature decrease and a reduction in precipitation
It causes the temperature to increase, but the precipitation to decrease
It causes the temperature to increase and the amount of precipitation to increase
Cannot be determined from the given information
It causes a sharp temperature decrease and a reduction in precipitation
It can be seen in the data table that in the years 0, 100 and 200 the temperature is well below zero and the precipitation is much less than that recorded in the years 50, 150 and 250. Since the poles flip direction every 100 years it is reasonable to assume that the flipping of the poles causes a decrease in temperature and a reduction in the precipitation.
Example Question #1111 : Act Science
Scientists have long debated the origin of organic molecules on Earth. Organic molecules are those based on the atom carbon, which can form four distinct bonds in contrast to the fewer number allowed in most other non-metals. As a result of this property, carbon can give rise to the enormously complex molecular shapes necessary for life to arise.
Some scientists argue that organic matter was dissolved in water ice on comets, and brought to Earth early in its history. These comets crashed into the early Earth, and deposited carbon-based molecules in copious quantities to the Earth’s surface as their water melted.
In 2014, the first space probe landed on the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Suppose that scientists find the following information from 5 distinct samples after landing on the comet. Each sample was taken at a single geographical location, but 5 meters deeper than the last. Sample 1 was taken at a depth of 1 meter below the surface.
|
Sample # |
Water Ice? |
Concentration of Organics |
|
1 |
No |
N/A |
|
2 |
Yes |
1 mg/L |
|
3 |
No |
N/A |
|
4 |
Yes |
4 mg/L |
|
5 |
Yes |
10 mg/L |
These samples were compared to 5 similar samples from the surface of Mars. Scientists posited that this comparison would be meaningful because we know that life does not exist on Mars the same way that it does on Earth. Thus, they are comparing a known non-biological celestial body, Mars, with another celestial body, the comet, which may be seeding life on suitable plants.
|
Sample # |
Water Ice? |
Concentration of Organics |
|
1 |
No |
N/A |
|
2 |
No |
N/A |
|
3 |
No |
N/A |
|
4 |
No |
N/A |
|
5 |
Yes |
1 mg/L |
On the comet, the best description of the relationship between depth of sampling and the concentration of organics is:
Initially direct, then inverse
Direct
No relationship
Inverse
Direct
In the first table in the passage, there is a roughly direct relationship between the depth of sampling and the concentration of organic matter in the sample.
Example Question #1 : Physics
A physicist performs a series of experiments to determine the relative magnitude of electric charge on four particles. A given particle is considered to have a higher magnitude of charge than another if it will push out (or draw in) a positive test charge farther than the other particle.
A particle that pushes the test charge has positive charge, while a particle that pulls (or draws in) the test charge has negative charge. This is known as the sign of the charge. Magnitude of charge is unrelated to sign.
The experiment is conducted on a horizontal axis that measures from 20m in total: from –10m on the left to +10m on the right, with a measurement of 0m in the middle.
Experiment 1
Particle A is placed at position –5m on the horizontal axis. The test charge has a specific magnitude of charge and is located at +3m on that same axis. The result of the experiment is that the test charge is displaced to +7.5m.
Experiment 2
Particle B is placed at position –8m on the horizontal axis. The test charge has the same magnitude of charge as the previous experiment and is located at 0m on that same axis. The result of the experiment is that the test charge is displaced to –7.5m.
Experiment 3
Particle C is placed at position 0m on the horizontal axis. The test charge has the same magnitude of charge as the previous experiment and is located at +8m on that same axis. The result of the experiment is that the test charge is displaced to +10m.
Experiment 4
Particle D is placed at position –5.5m on the horizontal axis. The test charge has the same magnitude of charge as the previous experiment and is located at +2.5m on that same axis. The result of the experiment is that the test charge is displaced to +7.5m.
It can be inferred from the experiment that __________.
Particle A and particle D have equal sign and magnitude.
All particles are placed an equal distance from the test charge.
Particle A and particle B have equal sign and magnitude.
All particles have an equal charge density.
All particles are placed an equal distance from the test charge.
Subtract the position of the particle from the initial position of the test charge.
In each experiment the result is 8m.
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