ACT Science : Chemistry

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for ACT Science

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Example Questions

Example Question #61 : How To Find Data Representation In Chemistry

Current high levels of fossil fuel use, including coal-burning power plants and gasoline-powered automobiles, have helped contribute to the high concentrations of sulfur trioxide, SO3, found in the atmosphere. When sulfur trioxide and water interact, they can undergo the following chemical reaction to produce sulfuric acid, which is the main contributor to acid rain worldwide: 

 

Acid rain showers are particularly common near coal-burning power plants and large cities. These showers are responsible for significant economic damage to sidewalks, roads, and buildings. Scientists interested in studying the effects of acid rain often use basic substances like calcium carbonate, the main component of limestone buildings, and expose them to varying volumes of acid rain to determine what volume of acid rain is necessary to begin to erode a building. A sample graph of one scientist’s experiment is replicated below:

 Passage_ii_-_main_passage

Measuring acid and base levels is commonly done with a scale called pH, which uses the concentration of hydrogen ions to determine the acidity. Hydrogen ions are in a balance with hydroxide ions to give a scale with a range from 0 to 14. Values equal to or between 0 and 6.9 represent the acidic range where hydrogen ions predominate and values equal to or ranging from 7.1 and 14 represent the basic range where hydroxide ions predominate. Thus, the more hydrogen ions present, the more acidic the solution.

Scientists can tell when a titration (pH) experiment passes a certain pH using compounds called indicators. Indicators are usually colorless at pH levels below that of their specified color change. A table of indicators used by the above scientists and the pH at which they change colors is presented below. 

Passage_ii_table

What is the pH of a solution containing calcium carbonate and sulfuric acid when 15 mL of sulfuric acid have been added?

Possible Answers:

10

5

Correct answer:

10

Explanation:

This question asks us to use the provided figure to estimate the pH of a solution given an amount of acid added. Using the curve, we can see that a 15 mL addition of sulfuric acid corresponds to a pH of roughly 10. While we not be able to determine the exact number, we can use process of elimination with the answer choices to see which of the options presented is close to the number represented on the figure.

Example Question #61 : Chemistry

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

 

Will the pressure of a gas ever be ?

Possible Answers:

Yes. If the number of moles is 0 or if the temperature would ever reach 0 Kelvin.   

Yes, but only if the volume is 0 cubic meters.

Yes, when the volume of a gas is less than 0.5 cubic meters.

No, because nothing is divisible by 0.

No, because R will never be 0.

Correct answer:

Yes. If the number of moles is 0 or if the temperature would ever reach 0 Kelvin.   

Explanation:

The only way a gas can have a pressure of  is if there is no gas (0 moles) or if the temperature is 0 Kelvin. 0 Kelvin is absolute 0 and would mean that all movement of molecules has stopped and there is no pressure. Volume cannot be 0. If volume is 0, the equation cannot be solved because nothing is divisible by 0.

Example Question #63 : How To Find Data Representation In Chemistry

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

Will the graph ever cross the y-axis (the axis on which pressure is measured)?

Possible Answers:

Yes, when the controlled variable of the number of moles is changed to 40.

Yes, when volume is 0 cubic meters.

No, because in order for it to do that, Volume would have to be 0. Volume will never be 0 because an equation cannot be solved if it requires being divided by 0.

Yes, but it will cross at less than .

No, it would only cross the y-axis if the volume was infinite, and it is not possible to create a container with an inifinite number of cubic meters.

Correct answer:

No, because in order for it to do that, Volume would have to be 0. Volume will never be 0 because an equation cannot be solved if it requires being divided by 0.

Explanation:

The lower the volume, the closer to the  y-axis the graph will get, but it can never reach 0.  If volume is measured at 0, the equation would have to be divided by 0.  An equation cannot be divided by 0.  

Example Question #64 : How To Find Data Representation In Chemistry

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 is the pressure at temperature 0 Kelvin?

Possible Answers:

The answer cannot be determined from the data available.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The temperature and pressure are directly proportional to one another. If the temperature reaches 0 Kelvin (which is absolute 0, the temperature at which molecules no longer move at all), there will be  of pressure because anything multiplied by 0 is 0.

Example Question #1 : How To Find Experimental Design In Chemistry

The rate of a reversible chemical reaction depends on many factors, including concentrations of the reactants and products, temperature, and presence of enzymes called catalysts. In the forward reaction, two reactants combine to form one product. However, in a reverse reaction, the product is broken down into the two reactants.

 

In order for a forward reaction to occur, the reactants moving around in the test tube must physically interact with each other. The more often reactants interact with each other, the more produce is formed in the same amount of time. The speed at which reactants combine into products (the rate of the reaction) can be calculated by dividing the amount of a chemical produced in a reaction (often measured in moles) by the time it takes to produce that amount.

 

In order to determine the effects of reactant and product concentration, temperature, and presence of catalysts on the rate of a reaction, a scientist studied the following reaction:

 

 

The scientist varied the conditions of the experiment and measured the rate of the reaction. The results are outlined in Table 1. The units of concentration are moles per liter.

 

Table_1

In a further experiment, intead of using 5 or 10 moles for the amount of acid covertase, the scientist uses 20 moles. What is the expected rate of reaction?

Possible Answers:

160 

80 

40 

120 

Correct answer:

160 

Explanation:

Using Table 1 and Experiments 2 and 3, we can see that doubling the moles of acid convertase doubles the rate. Thus, using 20 moles instead of 10, we would expect to see a double in the rate of 80 to 160 moles per liter per second.

Example Question #1 : How To Find Experimental Design In Chemistry

The rate of a reversible chemical reaction depends on many factors, including concentrations of the reactants and products, temperature, and presence of enzymes called catalysts. In the forward reaction, two reactants combine to form one product. However, in a reverse reaction, the product is broken down into the two reactants. If the reverse reaction is running at a quick rate, the overall rate of product formation will be lowered.

 

In order for a forward reaction to occur, the reactants moving around in the test tube must physically interact with each other. The more often reactants interact with each other, the more produce is formed in the same amount of time. The speed at which reactants combine into products (the rate of the reaction) can be calculated by dividing the amount of a chemical produced in a reaction (often measured in moles) by the time it takes to produce that amount.

 

In order to determine the effects of reactant and product concentration, temperature, and presence of catalysts on the rate of a reaction, a scientist studied the following reaction:

 

 

The scientist varied the conditions of the experiment and measured the rate of the reaction. The results are outlined in Table 1. The units of concentration are moles per liter.

Table_1

Why might doubling the number of moles of HCl decrease the rate of HCl production?

Possible Answers:

Cannot Be Determined

The acid convertase enzyme has become inactive

The acid convertase enzyme is converting HCl back into H+ and Cl-

No more H+ or Cl- exists to be converted 

Correct answer:

The acid convertase enzyme is converting HCl back into H+ and Cl-

Explanation:

The passage helps us understand that the purpose of an enzyme is to allow for the conversion of reactant to product and product back to reactant. According to Table 1, when the moles of HCl starting the reaction are doubled (Experiments 1 and 7), we see a 50% decrease in the rate of the reaction. It is reasonable that this decrease in the rate of HCl production is due to some of the HCl being driven back to H+ and Cl- according to information contained in the passage, where it says, "if the reverse reaction is running at a quick rate, the overall rate of product formation will be lowered."

Example Question #61 : Chemistry

The rate of a reversible chemical reaction depends on many factors, including concentrations of the reactants and products, temperature, and presence of enzymes called catalysts. In the forward reaction, two reactants combine to form one product. However, in a reverse reaction, the product is broken down into the two reactants.

 

In order for a forward reaction to occur, the reactants moving around in the test tube must physically interact with each other. The more often reactants interact with each other, the more produce is formed in the same amount of time. The speed at which reactants combine into products (the rate of the reaction) can be calculated by dividing the amount of a chemical produced in a reaction (often measured in moles) by the time it takes to produce that amount.

 

In order to determine the effects of reactant and product concentration, temperature, and presence of catalysts on the rate of a reaction, a scientist studied the following reaction:

 

 

The scientist varied the conditions of the experiment and measured the rate of the reaction. The results are outlined in Table 1. The units of concentration are moles per liter.

 

Table_1

According to Table 1, how would halving the moles of H+ used change the rate of the reaction?

Possible Answers:

Decrease by Two Times

Decrease by 4 Times

Increase by 4 Times

Increase by Two Times

Correct answer:

Decrease by Two Times

Explanation:

Comparing Experiments 1 and 4 in Table 1, we can see that halving the moles of H+ used in the reaction would drop the rate of the reaction by two times (i.e. halving it).

Example Question #1 : How To Find Experimental Design In Chemistry

The rate of a reversible chemical reaction depends on many factors, including concentrations of the reactants and products, temperature, and presence of enzymes called catalysts. In the forward reaction, two reactants combine to form one product. However, in a reverse reaction, the product is broken down into the two reactants.

 

In order for a forward reaction to occur, the reactants moving around in the test tube must physically interact with each other. The more often reactants interact with each other, the more produce is formed in the same amount of time. The speed at which reactants combine into products (the rate of the reaction) can be calculated by dividing the amount of a chemical produced in a reaction (often measured in moles) by the time it takes to produce that amount.

 

In order to determine the effects of reactant and product concentration, temperature, and presence of catalysts on the rate of a reaction, a scientist studied the following reaction:

 

 

The scientist varied the conditions of the experiment and measured the rate of the reaction. The results are outlined in Table 1. The units of concentration are moles per liter.

 

Table_1

The passage implies that doubling the moles of Cl- used would:

Possible Answers:

Double the Rate of the Reaction

Quadruple the Rate of the Reaction

Triple the Rate of the Reaction

No Change in the Rate of the Reaction

Correct answer:

Quadruple the Rate of the Reaction

Explanation:

Using Table 1 and comparing Experiments 1 and 6, we can see that doubling the moles of Cl- used would quadruple the rate of the reaction from 10 to 40.

Example Question #1 : How To Find Experimental Design In Chemistry

The rate of a reversible chemical reaction depends on many factors, including concentrations of the reactants and products, temperature, and presence of enzymes called catalysts. In the forward reaction, two reactants combine to form one product. However, in a reverse reaction, the product is broken down into the two reactants.

 

In order for a forward reaction to occur, the reactants moving around in the test tube must physically interact with each other. The more often reactants interact with each other, the more produce is formed in the same amount of time. The speed at which reactants combine into products (the rate of the reaction) can be calculated by dividing the amount of a chemical produced in a reaction (often measured in moles) by the time it takes to produce that amount.

 

In order to determine the effects of reactant and product concentration, temperature, and presence of catalysts on the rate of a reaction, a scientist studied the following reaction:

 

 

 

The scientist varied the conditions of the experiment and measured the rate of the reaction. The results are outlined in Table 1. The units of concentration are moles per liter.

 

Table_1

According to Table 1, the function of acid convertase must be to:

Possible Answers:

Increase the Temperature of the Reaction

Increase the Rate of Reaction

Decrease the Rate of Reaction

Not Enough Information to Determine

Correct answer:

Increase the Rate of Reaction

Explanation:

Based on the passage and Table 1, we can see that in Experiments 2 and 3, the increase in acid convertase moles serves to increase the rate of the reaction. Additionally, between Experiments 1 and 2, we see that the addition of acid convertase increases the rate of reaction by four times. Thus, the function of acid convertase must be to increase the rate of the reaction.

Example Question #6 : How To Find Experimental Design In Chemistry

The Millikin oil drop experiment is among the most important experiments in the history of science.  It was used to determine one of the fundamental constants of the universe, the charge on the electron. For his work, Robert Millikin won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1923.

Millikin used an experimental setup as follows in Figure 1. He opened a chamber of oil into an adjacent uniform electric field.  The oil droplets sank into the electric field once the trap door opened, but were then immediately suspended by the forces of electricity present in the field.

Figure 1:

Millikin

By determining how much force was needed to exactly counteract the gravity pulling the oil droplet down, Millikin was able to determine the force of electricity.  This is depicted in Figure 2.

Using this information, he was able to calculate the exact charge on an electron.  By changing some conditions, such as creating a vacuum in the apparatus, the experiment can be modified. 

Figure 2:

Millikin_drop

When the drop is suspended perfectly, the total forces up equal the total forces down.  Because Millikin knew the electric field in the apparatus, the force of air resistance, the mass of the drop, and the acceleration due to gravity, he was able to solve the following equation: 

Table 1 summarizes the electric charge found on oil drops in suspension.  Millikin correctly concluded that the calculated charges must all be multiples of the fundamental charge of the electron.  A hypothetical oil drop contains some net charge due to lost electrons, and this net charge cannot be smaller than the charge on a single electron.

Table 1: 

Trial #

Electric Charge Calculated in Coulombs (C)

Vacuum Used?

1

1.602176487 x 10-8

No

2

1.602176487 x 10-2

Yes

3

1.602176487 x 10-6

No

4

1.602176487 x 10-4

Yes

 

The electric force experienced by oil drops will vary directly with the magnitude of charge on the drop.  A scientist is measuring two different drops in two different experimental apparatuses, but each in perfect suspension and not moving.  Drop 1 has a greater net charge than does drop 2.  The magnitude of the net total force:

Possible Answers:

May be greater on either drop 1 or drop 2

Is greater on drop 2 than drop 1

Is the same on both drops

Is greater on drop 1 than drop 2

Is initially greater on drop 1, but then is greater on drop 2

Correct answer:

Is the same on both drops

Explanation:

The question specifies that both drops are suspended and not moving.  Thus, the net force on both drops must be the same.

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