ActThe Official ACT Science Guide
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Introduction vii
Chapter 1: Data Representation Passages 1
Passages on the ACT Science Test 1
What You Can Expect from a Data Representation Passage 3
Trying Your Hand at a Data Representation Passage 5
Summary 15
Chapter 2: Research Summaries Passages 17
What You Can Expect from a Research Summaries Passage 17
How You Should Approach a Research Summaries Passage 18
Trying Your Hand at a Research Summaries Passage 20
Sample Question Answers and Analysis 26
Summary 30
Chapter 3: Conflicting Viewpoints Passages 33
What You Can Expect from a Conflicting Viewpoints Passage 33
Trying Your Hand at a Conflicting Viewpoints Passage 35
Summary 44
Chapter 4: Reporting Category: Interpretation of Data 47
Understanding What a Reporting Category is 47
Interpretation of Data 49
Summary 64
Chapter 5: Reporting Category: Evaluation of Models, Inferences, and
Experimental Results 65
Evaluation of Models, Inferences, and Experimental Results 66
Summary 78
Chapter 6: Reporting Category: Scientific Investigation 79
Scientific Investigation 80
Summary 87
Chapter 7: The Scientific Method 89
Understanding What Science is on the ACT 89
Understanding What the Scientific Method and the Process of Science Are 90
Steps of the Scientific Method 91
Experimental Design 94
Summary 99
Chapter 8: Graphs and Charts on the ACT Science Test 101
Reading Graphs 101
Understanding Data Shown in Tables 105
Relationships Shown in Graphs and Data Sets 107
Summary 111
Chapter 9: Scientific Units and Measurements 113
Units in Science 113
Understanding Why Units Matter for the ACT Science Test 114
The SI System of Units (Metric Units) 114
Review of the Many Types of Units and Measures You May Encounter 119
Conversion between Metric and Nonmetric Units 124
Summary 125
Chapter 10: Science Vocabulary 127
The Vocabulary of Science 127
General Scientific Terms 128
Chemistry and Biology Terminology 131
Physics Terminology 148
Properties of a Wave and the Electromagnetic Spectrum 151
Concentration, pH, and Acid-Base Chemistry 157
Summary 161
Chapter 11: Practice Questions 163
Chapter 12: Answers and Explanations 263
Answer Key 264
Explanatory Answers 266
