ACT Science Basics and Strategies
How many questions are on the enhanced ACT Science test?
40
A plant grows 2 cm in Week 1 and 5 cm in Week 2. How much did it grow between the two measurements?
3 cm
What is the variable that a scientist deliberately changes during an experiment called?
Independent variable
What do scientists use to support a scientific claim?
Data and observations
Which branch of science studies living organisms: biology, geology, or physics?
Biology
How many minutes are allowed for the enhanced ACT Science test?
40
A graph shows temperatures of 10°C, 15°C, and 20°C over three days. What is the overall trend?
The temperature increases.
A student tests how the amount of water affects plant growth. What is the independent variable?
Amount of water
A student claims that fertilizer makes plants grow taller. What evidence would best support the claim?
Measurements showing that fertilized plants grew taller than comparable unfertilized plants
Which instrument would be most useful for measuring the mass of a rock: a balance, a thermometer, or a graduated cylinder?
A balance
If you are unsure about a question, should you leave it blank or make your best guess?
Make your best guess; there is no penalty for guessing
A table shows 4, 8, 12, and 16 bacteria colonies at successive time intervals. By how many colonies does the count increase each interval?
4 colonies.
A scientist gives one group of plants fertilizer and another group none. Both groups receive the same sunlight and water. What is the purpose of keeping sunlight and water the same?
To control other factors so the effect of fertilizer can be evaluated.
Two scientists offer different explanations for the same results. What should you examine to evaluate their explanations?
The evidence, data, and assumptions supporting each explanation
A car travels 120 miles in 3 hours at a constant speed. What is its average speed in miles per hour?
40 miles per hour
What should you examine first when interpreting a graph: its title and labels, or the longest paragraph in the passage?
The graph's title and labels
A sample has a mass of 60 g and a volume of 20 cm³. What is its density?
3 g/cm³
In an experiment testing whether light affects plant growth, what is the dependent variable if the scientist measures plant height?
Plant height or growth.
An experiment finds that plants exposed to more sunlight grew taller. Can you conclude that sunlight was the only factor responsible if other conditions were not controlled? Explain.
No. Other uncontrolled factors could have affected growth.
A liquid's temperature rises from 20°C to 35°C. What is the temperature change?
15°C
The enhanced ACT Science test has 40 questions and 40 minutes. Approximately how much time is available per question?
Approximately 1 minute per question
A plant's heights are 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 cm at equal time intervals. If the pattern continues, what will its next height be?
18 cm
A researcher tests three fertilizers on identical plants. What should the researcher keep consistent to make the comparison fair? Name two factors.
Answers may include water, sunlight, soil, plant type, and temperature
A study finds that students who sleep longer tend to earn higher test scores. Does this prove that more sleep directly causes higher scores? Why or why not?
No. The relationship is a correlation; other factors could explain the results.
An object travels 150 meters in 10 seconds. What is its average speed in meters per second?
15 m/s