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Example Questions
Example Question #33 : Chemistry
Nanoparticles are fabricated by vigorously mixing the constituent components of the particle in solution. A scientist has four different compositions that she has tested: Composition A, Composition B, Composition C, and Composition D. All of these compositions were observed under similar laboratory conditions using different mixing times. The average particle size for each scenario was recorded in the provided table.
If the scientist requires nanoparticles larger than for another experiment, then which two compositions should she use?
Composition B and Composition C
Composition B and Composition D
Composition A and Composition B
Composition A and Composition C
Composition A and Composition D
Composition A and Composition B
The scientist requires nanoparticles that have a radius greater than . The largest recorded particle radii occurred at a mixing time of for all of the nanoparticles in the study. Looking at this column in the table, it can be seen that only Composition A and Composition B can produce nanoparticles with radii greater than .
Example Question #721 : Act Science
Nanoparticles are fabricated by vigorously mixing the constituent components of the particle in solution. A scientist has four different compositions that she has tested: Composition A, Composition B, Composition C, and Composition D. All of these compositions were observed under similar laboratory conditions using different mixing times. The average particle size for each scenario was recorded in the provided table.
The scientist wants to make the nanoparticles that are all the same size. If the minimum mixing time required to make nanoparticles is , then how can this be achieved?
Mix all of the compositions for
Increase the mixing times for Composition A, B, and C past , while mixing Composition D for
It cannot be determined from the given information
It cannot be achieved
Mix Composition A for and mix the rest of the compositions for
It cannot be achieved
A method to solve this question is the process of elimination. Increasing the mixing time after did not change particle size; thus, this implies that increasing the mixing time past will not decrease particle size. Therefore, the choice that suggests increasing the mixing times for Compositions A, B, and C, while mixing Composition D for is eliminated. Mixing Composition A for , while mixing all other Compositions for will not produce particles of the same size either. This is supported by looking at the column and noticing that the nanoparticles possess different sizes. Likewise, choosing to mix all of the particles for would be incorrect because this produces particles of different sizes as seen in the column. As a result, the choices of "It cannot be determined from the given information" and "It cannot be achieved" are left. The question can be determined using the given information; thus, the choice stating otherwise can be eliminated. This is possible to determine because the largest particle radius that Composition D can achieve is at , which is while the smallest particle radius that Composition A can achieve, , is at , , or (there is no significant difference in radii size after ). The smallest radius for Composition A is much larger than the largest possible radius for Composition D; therefore, the scientist's goal of uniform size is unachievable.
Example Question #721 : Act Science
The Environmental Protection Agency compiled the following information about heavy metals in drinking water. Heavy metals are toxic, and thus must be monitored very closely. All amounts are given in parts per billion (ppb), a common measurement of concentration for trace contaminants. Figure 1 shows total heavy metal contamination in each city as a makeup of various percentages of specific contaminants. Figure 2 shows specific amounts of contaminants (with the same color coding) in ppb as well as total contamination level in ppb.
Figure 1
Figure 2
For each total amount of contamination in each city, which has the highest percent cadmium?
Seattle
Chicago
Miami
Boston
Chicago
Remember that pie charts show percentages of a total best. Figure 1's pie charts shows that cadmium, shown in yellow, is present in the highest percentage of any total in Chicago.
Example Question #722 : Act Science
A scientist decided to use high-tech equipment to measure the electronegativity, an atom's attraction to electrons, of the second period on the periodic table. The results of her measurements are in the chart below. Z is equal to the atomic number of the specified atom and the number of protons in that atom.
According to the experimenter's measurements, what is the apparent relationship between number of protons and the electronegativity of an atom?
Positive exponential relationship
Negative linear relationship
There is no clear relationship
Negative exponential relationship
Positive linear relationship
Positive linear relationship
The correct answer is that it is a positive linear relationship. We can see that as we increase one proton, the electronegativity tends to increase consistently by about 0.5 Debyes.
Example Question #722 : Act Science
A scientist decided to use high-tech equipment to measure the electronegativity, an atom's attraction to electrons, of the second period on the periodic table. The results of her measurements are in the chart below. Z is equal to the atomic number of the specified atom and the number of protons in that atom.
What is the apparent relationship between an atom's atomic number Z and its likelihood to attract electrons from a source of electrons?
Lower atomic number indicates a higher likelihood of attracting electrons
Higher atomic number indicates a lower likelihood of attracting electrons
Higher atomic number indicates a higher likelihood of attracting electrons
There is no discernible relationship
Lower atomic number indicates a lower likelihood of attracting electrons
Higher atomic number indicates a higher likelihood of attracting electrons
As defined in the passage, higher electronegativity implies a greater ability to attract electrons. Therefore, we can discern that there is a direct relationship between the two variables. As one goes up, so does the other.
Example Question #43 : How To Find Data Representation In Chemistry
Solutions are made by dissolving a solute into a solvent. Different types of solvents have varying levels of solubility, or ability to dissolve certain substances.
A student decided to conduct an experiment to compare the solubilities of different solvents at different temperatures using table salt (sodium chloride) as a solute. The student would keep an amount of solvent at the specified temperature and add solute until no more solute would dissolve. This is amount or solute is called the point of saturation. The amount added to each solvent at saturation was recorded. The results of the experiment are shown in the tables:
Table 1:
Table 2:
Based on the data, which solvent involved in the experiment has the greatest solubility?
Dichloromethane
Ethanol
Hexane
Water
More information is necessary
Water
The correct answer is water. We see that at both temperatures, water is able to dissolve more salt than the other solvents. Therefore, it has the highest solubility.
Example Question #44 : How To Find Data Representation In Chemistry
A free energy reaction diagram shows the energy of a chemical reaction as it progresses from start to finish. In Example 1 below, the reactants (at point A) start with a certain energy. Energy is then applied to initiate the reaction (this is called activation energy) and the reaction progresses to point B. Lastly, energy is released in the reaction leading to point C. If the net change in free energy of a reaction is positive, the reaction is called a nonspontaneous reaction, meaning that it takes more energy to initiate it than the energy released. If the net change in free energy of a reaction is negative, it is called spontaneous, meaning that the energy released is more than the energy needed to initiate the reaction.
Example 1:
What can we conclude about Example 1 above given the information in the passage?
The net change of the free energy is negative
The reaction is spontaneous
The reaction releases more energy than is required to initiate it
The reaction is nonspontaneous
The activation energy is negative
The reaction is nonspontaneous
The correct answer is that it is nonspontaneous. As the energy at the end of the reaction is higher than where it began, we know that the net change in energy was positive. Therefore, according to the information in the passage, the reaction is nonspontaneous.
Example Question #43 : Chemistry
Solutions are made by dissolving a solute into a solvent. Different types of solvents have varying levels of solubility, or ability to dissolve certain substances.
A student decided to conduct an experiment to compare the solubilities of different solvents at different temperatures using table salt (sodium chloride) as a solute. The student would keep an amount of solvent at the specified temperature and add solute until no more solute would dissolve. This is amount or solute is called the point of saturation. The amount added to each solvent at saturation was recorded. The results of the experiment are shown in the tables:
Table 1:
Table 2:
What is the apparent relationship between temperature and solubility?
Direct, linear relationship
Direct relationship
Direct, exponential relationship
No discernible relationship
Inverse relationship
Direct relationship
This is a tricky question because it not only involves identifying the apparent positive correlation between temperature and solubility (amount of solute dissolved at saturation), but it also involves recognizing that we do not have enough information to determine whether the relationship is exponential or linear.
First, we see that as we increase the temperature, the amount of solute that can dissolve at saturation increases. This tells us that there is a direct relationship. However, to determine with certainty whether the relationship is exponential or linear, we would need another set of data showing whether the increases themselves were increasing. That is, at a proportionally higher temperature than 35 degrees Celsius, whether or not the increase in solubility would be the same as the first temperature increase.
Therefore, the answer is that there is a direct relationship.
Example Question #724 : Act Science
A chemist has mixed up the labels on some of his chemical compounds. To try to determine the compounds, the chemist dissolves the compounds in pure water. He notes the pH, corrosiveness and the color of each solution.
Assume that all of the substances can clean surfaces. Which of the substances will clean most surfaces without wrecking the surface?
B and D
C and B
A and C
B only
A and B
A and C
Corrosive substances can destroy the surface of whatever is being cleaned. The chemist wants to select the solutions that are not corrosive, which are solutions A and C.
Example Question #42 : Chemistry
If a drug is taken orally, then the concentration of that drug in the blood will rise to a peak concentration. Immediately afterwards, the elimination phase begins and the concentration of the drug in the body will fall exponentially. Each drug has a half-life (i.e. the time required for the drug's concentration in the blood to fall to half of its original value). Once the elimination phase has initiated, it typically takes four half-lives until the drug has been entirely eliminated from the body.
If an individual is given multiple doses of a drug over time, then the blood concentration of the drug will rise and fall periodically. This creates a graph of drug’s concentration versus time that will resemble a wave. The rising peaks of the graph occur immediately after administration of a dose, whereas the falling valleys occur as the drug is being eliminated. The inter-dose interval, represented by the letter , is defined as the time (in hours) between doses of the drug.
Experiment 1
A 125-milligram oral dose of a drug known as Cyclosporin A (CsA) was administered to an individual. The CsA blood concentration for this individual was then measured at various times over the next 24 hours. A graph of CsA concentration versus time was obtained.
Experiment 2
An individual was given multiple doses of CsA over a 60-hour period. The CsA blood concentration was monitored continuously. A graph of CsA concentration versus time was obtained.
Based on the results of Experiment 2 and information in the passage, what was the inter-dose interval of CsA?
The inter-dose interval is defined as the time (in hours) between doses of the drug. The passage states that rising portions of the graph occur immediately after administration of a dose. Since rising portions begin at 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours, we can conclude that the inter-dose interval is as follows: