ACT Science : Chemistry

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT Science

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store varsity tutors ibooks store

Example Questions

Example Question #151 : Chemistry

A student performed the following procedures to study various photosynthetic pigments (light-absorbing chemicals) in tree leaves and the wavelengths of light they absorb.

Experiment 1:

The student obtained samples of leaves from oaks, maples, ashes, sycamores, and poplars. Each leaf sample was ground separately with a mortar and pestle to release the pigments, and then each sample was suspended in water to make a colored solution of the pigment. The student then measured the absorption spectrum (a graph of how much light is absorbed by a pigment at varying wavelengths of light) of each solution in a device called a spectrophotometer. The setup of a spectrophotometer is shown below in Diagram 1.

 

 Spectrophotometer

 

The light source emits white light, which is split into its various wavelengths by the prism. Next, a slit, which can be moved up or down to select a particular wavelength, is used to transmit just a single wavelength to the sample. The sample absorbs a fraction of this light that is characteristic to the pigment in the sample, and the rest is transmitted to the detector for a readout. Using the spectrophotometer, the student found the λmax (the wavelength of light in nanometers (nm) that the pigment absorbs most intensely, for each sample) and recorded the results in Table 1. Table 1 also shows the transmittance and absorbance values at λmax. Transmittance, T, is defined as the fraction of light, expressed as a decimal, which passes through the sample. Absorbance, A, is given by:

                                    A = –log(T)   or  10–A = T

 

 Spectrophotometer_table_1

 

Experiment 2:

A student is given a leaf from an unknown source. She crushes and extracts the pigment according to the procedure in Experiment 1. Measuring the absorbance spectrum in the spectrophotometer produces the following readout, shown in Diagram 2.

       Leaf_absorbance

                                                     Diagram 2

A standardized sample of a pigment often found in plant leaves, called Chlorophyll A, was placed into the spectrophotometer and found to have a λmaxof 425 nm. The leaves of which tree most likely have a high concentration of Chlorophyll A?

Possible Answers:

Oak

Popular

Sycamore

Maple

Correct answer:

Maple

Explanation:

Table 1 shows that maple leaves have a λmaxat 425 nm. Thus, we can assume that this is most likely caused by the presence of Chlorophyll A as it has the same λmax, and the value of λmax is characteristic of a particular pigment.

Example Question #53 : How To Find Synthesis Of Data In Chemistry

A student wanted to study the kinetics, or rates of a chemical reaction based on the concentrations of its reactants and products, of the reaction shown below.

 

This reaction is easy to monitor using a spectrophotometer, which measures how much light of a particular wavelength is absorbed by a solution. The deep purple potassium permanganate, or , absorbs light of a 550 nm wavelength in proportion to its concentration in the reaction solution. Manganese sulfate, or , is pale pink and absorbs light of a 500 nm wavelength in proportion to its concentration in the reaction solution. All other reactants and products are colorless and do not absorb visible light and thus cannot be monitored using the spectrophotometer.

 

Experiment 1:

The student constructed a standard curve, or a graph of the absorbance of solutions of varying concentrations of potassium permanganate, to quantify the relationship between concentration and absorbance. To prepare five sample of increasing concentration, he labeled five test tubes A, B, C, D, and E, weighed out 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 grams of potassium permanganate into each, respectively, and added 1 milliliter (mL) of water to each test tube to dissolve. Then, he used the spectrophotometer to determine the absorbance at 550 nm of each sample. The data is graphed in Figure 1 below.

Kinetics_figure_1 

                                                        Figure 1

  

Experiment 2: 

The student then studied potassium permanganate in the presence of oxalic acid, , to observe the reaction. Monitoring both the absorbances of potassium permanganate and manganese sulfate, he was able to determine the reaction rate using a special setting on the spectrophotometer. The reaction rate at various concentrations of reactants is shown below in Table 1.

Kinetics_table_2

The rate constant, , for a chemical reaction involving two reactants is given by the following equation: 

What is the rate constant for the reaction studied in Experiment 2?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

We can obtain the value of the rate constant by plugging in values to this equation. Using the top row of data of Table 1, we can see that a rate of 2.5 occurs when concentrations of both potassium permanganate and oxalic acid are 0.5 grams/ml. Plugging this into our equation, we see that

or,

.

By dividing, we see that  must be 10.

Example Question #831 : Act Science

A student wanted to study the kinetics, or rates of a chemical reaction based on the concentrations of its reactants and products, of the reaction shown below.

 

This reaction is easy to monitor using a spectrophotometer, which measures how much light of a particular wavelength is absorbed by a solution. The deep purple potassium permanganate, or , absorbs light of a 550 nm wavelength in proportion to its concentration in the reaction solution. Manganese sulfate, or , is pale pink and absorbs light of a 500 nm wavelength in proportion to its concentration in the reaction solution. All other reactants and products are colorless and do not absorb visible light and thus cannot be monitored using the spectrophotometer.

 

Experiment 1:

The student constructed a standard curve, or a graph of the absorbance of solutions of varying concentrations of potassium permanganate, to quantify the relationship between concentration and absorbance. To prepare five sample of increasing concentration, he labeled five test tubes A, B, C, D, and E, weighed out 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 grams of potassium permanganate into each, respectively, and added 1 milliliter (mL) of water to each test tube to dissolve. Then, he used the spectrophotometer to determine the absorbance at 550 nm of each sample. The data is graphed in Figure 1 below.

Kinetics_figure_1 

                                                        Figure 1

  

Experiment 2: 

The student then studied potassium permanganate in the presence of oxalic acid, , to observe the reaction. Monitoring both the absorbances of potassium permanganate and manganese sulfate, he was able to determine the reaction rate using a special setting on the spectrophotometer. The reaction rate at various concentrations of reactants is shown below in Table 1.

Kinetics_table_2

Reaction rate is given by the following equation:

Imagine that  for this particular reaction. If a student uses concentrations of 2.0 grams/mL for both of the reactants, what should he expect the rate to be?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

As we saw in Question 3, the rate is given by:

We are told in the question stem to assume that k=24 for this particular reaction. If we plug in 2 for both reactant concentrations, we get:

Example Question #831 : Act Science

The Ideal Gas Law is as follows:

               

 is pressure as measured in Pascals,  is volume as measured in cubic meters,  is the number of moles of the gas,  is the gas constant known as 8.314 Joules per mole times Kelvin, and  is the temperature measured in Kelvin.

 

A class of students began studying the Ideal Gas Law and how the Pressure and the Volume relate to one another.  They took 20 moles of a sample gas and kept the room at a temperature of 300 Kelvin.  They then used different sized containers of the gas to limit and expand the volume.  At each different volume, they measure the pressure of the gas on its container.  The table they made from their results is seen in table 1.

 

Volume of the container

Pressure Measured in Pascals

1 cubic meter

49,884 Pascals

2 cubic meters

24,942 Pascals

3 cubic meters

16,628 Pascals

4 cubic meters

12,471 Pascals

5 cubic meters

 9,976.8 Pascals

6 cubic meters

 8,314 Pascals

7 cubic meters

 7,126.2 Pascals

TABLE 1 

 

And they graph their findings in Figure 1.

Img021

FIGURE 1

If the Kelvin temperature were to rise, what would happen to the pressure?

Possible Answers:

The temperature has no predictable effect on the pressure because there are too many other variables

Pressure increases

Pressure decreases

Pressure increases but only until Kelvin reaches 500, and then it decreases

Pressure remains constant

Correct answer:

Pressure increases

Explanation:

As the temperature increases, the pressure a gas puts on its container increases.  Warmer temperature means more molecule movement, which makes the pressure higher.  

Example Question #831 : Act Science

The Ideal Gas Law is as follows:

               

 is pressure as measured in Pascals,  is volume as measured in cubic meters,  is the number of moles of the gas,  is the gas constant known as 8.314 Joules per mole times Kelvin, and  is the temperature measured in Kelvin.

A class of students began studying the Ideal Gas Law and how the Pressure and the Volume relate to one another. They took 20 moles of a sample gas and kept the room at a temperature of 300 Kelvin. They then used different sized containers of the gas to limit and expand the volume. At each different volume, they measure the pressure of the gas on its container. The table they made from their results is seen in table 1.

 

Volume of the container

Pressure Measured in Pascals

1 cubic meter

49,884 Pascals

2 cubic meters

24,942 Pascals

3 cubic meters

16,628 Pascals

4 cubic meters

12,471 Pascals

5 cubic meters

 9,976.8 Pascals

6 cubic meters

 8,314 Pascals

7 cubic meters

 7,126.2 Pascals

TABLE 1 

 

And they graph their findings in Figure 1.

Img021

FIGURE 1

Would Figure 1 be the same for 1 mole of hydrogen gas as it would be for 1 mole of oxygen gas?

Possible Answers:

No, hydrogen is a heavier gas than oxygen.

Yes. There is no place in the equation to include the type of gas, only the number of moles available. The equation is for any gas.

Yes, but it only works for hydrogen and oxygen, as they are the most common gases.

No, oxygen is a heavier gas than hydrogen.

No, the Ideal Gas Law works for neither because they are both solids at room temperature.  

Correct answer:

Yes. There is no place in the equation to include the type of gas, only the number of moles available. The equation is for any gas.

Explanation:

Moles is a measure of the amount of any type of gas; the Ideal Gas Law does not need or have a place for a variable type of gas. The number of moles of any type of gas fits into the equation.

Example Question #832 : Act Science

The Ideal Gas Law is as follows:

               

 is pressure as measured in Pascals,  is volume as measured in cubic meters,  is the number of moles of the gas,  is the gas constant known as 8.314 Joules per mole times Kelvin, and  is the temperature measured in Kelvin.

A class of students began studying the Ideal Gas Law and how the Pressure and the Volume relate to one another. They took 20 moles of a sample gas and kept the room at a temperature of 300 Kelvin. They then used different sized containers of the gas to limit and expand the volume. At each different volume, they measure the pressure of the gas on its container. The table they made from their results is seen in table 1.

 

Volume of the container

Pressure Measured in Pascals

1 cubic meter

49,884 Pascals

2 cubic meters

24,942 Pascals

3 cubic meters

16,628 Pascals

4 cubic meters

12,471 Pascals

5 cubic meters

 9,976.8 Pascals

6 cubic meters

 8,314 Pascals

7 cubic meters

 7,126.2 Pascals

TABLE 1 

 

And they graph their findings in Figure 1.

Img021

FIGURE 1

What would the pressure be if the volume was 100 cubic meters?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

One can plug 100 cubic meters into the equation, but the equation is measured in pascals.  To find it in the SI unit kilopascals, one must divide by 1000.  

Example Question #834 : Act Science

The Ideal Gas Law is as follows:

               

 is pressure as measured in Pascals,  is volume as measured in cubic meters,  is the number of moles of the gas,  is the gas constant known as 8.314 Joules per mole times Kelvin, and  is the temperature measured in Kelvin.

 

A class of students began studying the Ideal Gas Law and how the Pressure and the Volume relate to one another.  They took 20 moles of a sample gas and kept the room at a temperature of 300 Kelvin.  They then used different sized containers of the gas to limit and expand the volume.  At each different volume, they measure the pressure of the gas on its container.  The table they made from their results is seen in table 1.

 

Volume of the container

Pressure Measured in Pascals

1 cubic meter

49,884 Pascals

2 cubic meters

24,942 Pascals

3 cubic meters

16,628 Pascals

4 cubic meters

12,471 Pascals

5 cubic meters

 9,976.8 Pascals

6 cubic meters

 8,314 Pascals

7 cubic meters

 7,126.2 Pascals

TABLE 1 

 

And they graph their findings in Figure 1.

Img021

FIGURE 1

If the same 20 moles of the same gas were taken to sea level (at a pressure of 100,000 Pascals) and heated to 300 Kelvin, how large would the volume of the container be to hold it at its new pressure?

Possible Answers:

Not enough information

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Pressure increases as volume decreases. For the gas to be put at the air pressure at sea level, which is approximtely , the volume must decrease.  The equation leads us to , or approximately .

Example Question #1 : How To Find Conflicting Viewpoints In Chemistry

During digestion, the energy in food is converted to energy the body can use. Scientists use calorimetry experiments to measure the calories, or energy, provided by food when it is digested or burned. 

The relationship used to find the heat transferred energy  is given by , where  is the mass of the material,  is the given specific heat capacity, and  is the change in temperature of the material. 

In this experiment, food was burned over a Bunsen burner under a can of 200 ml of water. The temperature change of the water and mass change of the food can be used to determine the calories in four different food items.

Table 1 shows the values of the change of mass of the food items, the change in temperature of the water and the energy. Table 2 shows the energy to mass ratio of three of those food items.

                                                    Table 1

                                  Roasted Peanut  Peanut    Cracker    Cheese Puff

Water Temp. Initial         23.9 °C           33.2 °C     40.3 °C      53.9 °C

Water Temp. Final           30.0 °C           40.9 °C     55.9 °C      62.8 °C

Food Mass Initial             0.69 g             0.61 g       3.21 g        1.22 g

Food Mass Final               0.38 g             0.21 g       0.91 g        0.48 g

Energy                            1.22 Cal          1.54 Cal     3.12 Cal     1.78 Cal

 

                           Table 2

Sample         Energy to Mass Ratio (Cal/g)

     1                                 1.36

     2                                 3.93

     3                                 2.40

Based on the results shown in Table 1 from the experiment, what is the relationship between the mass change of the food sample and the calories in the food?

Possible Answers:

Option3

Option1

Option2

Option4

Correct answer:

Option2

Explanation:

Given the information in Table 1 along with the equation to calculate heat energy, one can see that mass change and energy are directly proportional. That is that as mass change increases, so does the energy. 

Example Question #2 : How To Find Conflicting Viewpoints In Chemistry

Two students are studying hydrocarbon combustion, or the burning of compounds containing carbon and hydrogen in the presence of oxygen gas. Both students express their views on this phenomenon. 

Student 1: Hydrocarbons are high in energy and therefore naturally burn in order to release that energy. That energy is released in the form of light and heat. If water is thrown onto a fire, it will extinguish it because it cuts the combustion from the oxygen gas required for it to burn.

Student 2: Hydrocarbons are compounds at a greater energy state than the compounds produced when they burn. This excess energy changes to heat when hydrocarbons burn. Lastly, hydrocarbons require a spark to initiate the combustion. 

Which of the following statements would both students be most likely to agree?

Possible Answers:

Hydrocarbons produce light when they burn.

Hydrocarbons are high energy compounds.

Hydrocarbons burn naturally. 

The products of combustion are low in energy.

The products of hydrocarbons do not burn.

Correct answer:

Hydrocarbons are high energy compounds.

Explanation:

The correct answer is that hydrocarbons are high energy compounds. The other answers are not statements explicitly expressed by both students. 

Example Question #1 : How To Find Conflicting Viewpoints In Chemistry

Two students are studying hydrocarbon combustion, or the burning of compounds containing carbon and hydrogen in the presence of oxygen gas. Both scientists express their views on this phenomenon.

Student 1: Hydrocarbons are high in energy and therefore naturally burn in order to release that energy. That energy is released in the form of light and heat. If water is thrown onto a fire, it will extinguish it because it cuts the combustion from the oxygen gas required for it to burn. 

Student 2: Hydrocarbons are compounds at a greater energy state than the compounds produced when they burn. This excess energy changes to heat when hydrocarbons burn. Lastly, hydrocarbons require a spark to initiate the combustion. 

Which of the following statements would Student 2 be most likely to agree with and not Student 1?

Possible Answers:

The energy produced by combustion comes directly from the products of combustion.

The energy released by combustion takes multiple forms.

Oxygen is necessary for combustion.

Hydrocarbons store high levels of energy.

Hydrocarbons require an initial amount of energy in order for combustion to occur.

Correct answer:

Hydrocarbons require an initial amount of energy in order for combustion to occur.

Explanation:

The correct answer is that hydrocarbons require an initial amount of energy for combustion to occur. This is the only answer that Student 2 explicitly states and that Student 1 either does not mention or contradict.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors