Practice quiz · by a Quizcard user

ACT Science: Experiments, Data and Reasoning Vocabulary — quiz

15 multiple-choice questions covering Experimental Design Basics, Reading Tables & Graphs, Units & Scientific Notation, Experimental Design Questions, Conflicting Viewpoints. One answer each; you get a score at the end and the explanation for every question. No account needed.

Updated 2026-11-03. Keys 1–4 pick an answer, Enter moves on. Redo it any time, in order or shuffled.

The questions

Answers and explanations are shown after you finish.

1. Experimental Design Basics

   A student wants to know if the amount of sunlight affects plant growth. She gives different groups of plants different hours of light each day, keeping soil type and watering the same, and measures final height. Which factor is the independent variable?

   • The final height of the plants
   • The amount of water given
   • The amount of sunlight each group receives
   • The type of soil used
2. Experimental Design Basics

   A researcher gives patients different doses of a drug and records each patient's blood pressure afterward. Which variable is the dependent variable?

   • The patient's age
   • The time of day the drug was given
   • The patient's blood pressure
   • The drug dose given
3. Experimental Design Basics

   In a fertilizer experiment, Group A receives a new fertilizer and Group B receives no fertilizer, with all other growing conditions identical. What is the purpose of Group B?

   • To make the dependent variable easier to measure precisely
   • To serve as a baseline so any difference in growth can be attributed to the fertilizer
   • To test a second independent variable at the same time
   • To increase the overall sample size of the study
4. Experimental Design Basics

   Which of the following statements is a hypothesis rather than a scientific theory or law?

   • Newton's law of gravitation describes the force between two masses
   • Cell theory states that all living things are composed of cells
   • Evolution by natural selection is supported by extensive fossil and genetic evidence
   • If plants receive more hours of light per day, they will grow taller
5. Reading Tables & Graphs

   In a data table, the dependent variable rises steadily as the independent variable increases, but then levels off for the last few rows. What should a careful reader conclude about the trend?

   • The trend changes partway through and is not consistent across the entire table
   • The trend is a simple direct relationship throughout the whole table
   • The independent variable was not actually manipulated
   • The data must be invalid because trends cannot change
6. Reading Tables & Graphs

   As exercise intensity increases, a person's heart rate also increases. This describes which type of relationship?

   • No relationship
   • A direct (positive) relationship
   • An extrapolated relationship
   • An inverse relationship
7. Reading Tables & Graphs

   A study measured gas pressure at temperatures ranging from 10°C to 50°C. Estimating the pressure at 30°C using the trend in the data is an example of what?

   • A confounding variable
   • A controlled variable
   • Interpolation
   • Extrapolation
8. Reading Tables & Graphs

   A student has data for 0 to 10 minutes and uses the trend line to predict a value at 60 minutes. Why is this estimate considered risky?

   • It is mathematically impossible to calculate
   • It requires converting to scientific notation first
   • It violates the definition of a control group
   • It assumes the observed trend continues unchanged beyond the tested range
9. Units & Scientific Notation

   One table reports a sample's mass in grams and another table reports a similar sample's mass in kilograms. Before comparing the two values, a student should:

   • Convert both values to the same units
   • Round both values to the nearest whole number
   • Average the two values together
   • Assume the numbers can be compared directly since both measure mass
10. Units & Scientific Notation

    Which of the following is larger: 2 × 10^6 or 9 × 10^5?

    • 2 × 10^6, because the larger exponent makes the value bigger
    • They are exactly equal
    • It cannot be determined without more information
    • 9 × 10^5, because 9 is greater than 2
11. Experimental Design Questions

    A researcher wants to test whether a catalyst affects reaction rate. Which experimental setup correctly isolates this variable?

    • Measure reaction rate at different times of day using the same catalyst
    • Use a different catalyst and a different reactant concentration in each trial
    • Vary only the catalyst, keeping temperature and concentration constant across trials
    • Vary the catalyst while also changing the temperature between trials
12. Experimental Design Questions

    In a fertilizer study, Group A plants (more fertilizer) were placed in a sunny spot and Group B plants (less fertilizer) were placed in a shady spot. What is the main problem with this design?

    • Sunlight is an uncontrolled confounding variable that varies along with fertilizer amount
    • There is no dependent variable being measured
    • The sample size is too large to analyze
    • The hypothesis cannot be tested under any conditions
13. Conflicting Viewpoints

    A 'Conflicting Viewpoints' passage on the ACT typically presents which kind of scenario?

    • Two or three scientists given the same background information who propose different explanations for a phenomenon
    • Multiple controlled experiments testing the same independent variable
    • A single long experiment with several data tables and graphs
    • A step-by-step historical account of a scientific discovery
14. Conflicting Viewpoints

    A question gives new experimental data and asks which scientist's viewpoint it supports. What is the best strategy for answering it?

    • Assume the data supports both viewpoints equally
    • Check the new data against each scientist's specific claims to see which one it's consistent with
    • Ignore the new data since viewpoints can't be tested
    • Pick whichever scientist is mentioned first in the passage
15. Core Science Facts: Density

    A solid block has a mass of 45 g and a volume of 30 mL. Water has a density of 1.0 g/mL. What will happen to the block in water?

    • It will sink, because its density (1.5 g/mL) is greater than water's
    • It will float, because its density is less than water's
    • It cannot be determined without knowing the temperature
    • It will remain neutrally buoyant, since its density equals water's