ACT Science 3 ā Questions and Answers
Question 1: A scatterplot shows points that trend downward from left to right. This indicates the two variables have a:
- Negative correlation (Correct answer)
- Positive correlation
- Zero slope
- Quadratic relationship
Correct answer: Negative correlation
A downward trend means as one variable increases the other decreasesāa negative correlation.
Question 2: In a Conflicting Viewpoints passage, the best way to answer a question asking how Scientist 1 would respond to Scientist 2's claim is to:
- Apply Scientist 1's stated reasoning to the new claim (Correct answer)
- Use your own outside opinion
- Pick the answer mentioning the most data
- Always choose disagreement
Correct answer: Apply Scientist 1's stated reasoning to the new claim
You must reason from the viewpoint's own logic, not personal opinion.
Question 3: A table shows that as altitude increases, air pressure decreases. A new measurement at an unlisted higher altitude should have a pressure that is:
- Lower than all listed values (Correct answer)
- Higher than all listed values
- Equal to the lowest altitude
- Unpredictable
Correct answer: Lower than all listed values
Extrapolating the trend, higher altitude than any listed means lower pressure than any listed.
Question 4: Which of these is the dependent variable in a study measuring how fertilizer amount affects tomato yield?
- Tomato yield (Correct answer)
- Amount of fertilizer
- Type of soil
- Watering schedule
Correct answer: Tomato yield
The dependent variable is the measured outcomeātomato yield.
Question 5: A graph plots solubility of a salt versus temperature, rising steadily. At an unmeasured temperature between two data points, the best estimate of solubility uses:
- Interpolation between the points (Correct answer)
- Extrapolation beyond the points
- The average of all values
- The maximum value
Correct answer: Interpolation between the points
Estimating a value between known data points is interpolation.
Question 6: An ACT passage reports a measurement of 9.8 m/sĀ². This value most likely represents:
- Acceleration due to gravity (Correct answer)
- The speed of sound
- Water's boiling point
- Atmospheric pressure
Correct answer: Acceleration due to gravity
9.8 m/sĀ² is Earth's gravitational acceleration.
Question 7: If three trials of an experiment give nearly identical results, the data are best described as:
- Precise (Correct answer)
- Inaccurate
- Biased
- Random
Correct answer: Precise
Closely repeating results indicate high precision (reproducibility).
ACT Science 3
A scatterplot shows points that trend downward from left to right.
This indicates the two variables have a: