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Question of the Day: ACT Science
There are two types of forces that occur with all substances on Earth. Intramolecular forces occur between atoms in a molecule, while intermolecular forces occur between neighboring molecules. Intermolecular forces can be dipole-dipole forces, hydrogen bonding, or London dispersion forces.
Professor 1:
Water molecules represent an example of hydrogen bonding due to the attraction between the hydrogen atoms and the oxygen atoms in the molecule. This strong dipole-dipole occurs due to lone pairs present on such atoms as Fluorine, Nitrogen, and Oxygen, which are able to pair more closely to the hydrogen atom in another nearby molecule. Water can be present in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state on Earth depending on the competition between the strength of intermolecular bonds and the thermal energy of the system. In 1873, a Dutch scientist, Van der Waals derived an equation that included both the force of attraction between the particles of a gas and the volume of the particles at high pressures. This equation led to a better fit for experimental data than the Ideal Gas Law.
Professor 2:
Water is the only substance on Earth that we routinely encounter as a solid, liquid, and gas. At low temperatures, the water molecules lock into a rigid structure, but as the temperature increases, the average kinetic energy of the water molecules increases and the molecules are able to move more creating its other natural states of matter. The higher the temperature, the more likely water is to be a gas. Water is proof of the kinetic theory, which assumes that there is no force of attraction between the particles of the gas state. The best fit for experimental data involving water in a gaseous form is found by using the Ideal Gas Law, since there is no interaction between the gaseous molecules. This law accounts for all of the forces that occur with gases on Earth.
Which of the following statements is professor 1 most likely to agree with?
Water is the only example of hydrogen bonding that exists on Earth.
Van der Waals is responsible for finding a better method to simulate experimental data involving gases on Earth.
The higher the temperature, the more likely water is to be a gas.
The Ideal Gas Law is the best way to simulate experimental data involving gases on Earth.
Facing the ACT is stressful for even the best students. You know that this test can have a major impact on the success of your college applications. Unlike your GPA, extracurricular activities, or letters of recommendation, the ACT Science test is totally objective. For example you might attend a school that grades students with far more rigor than another. A university needs an objective measure to distinguish your transcript from a student with the same GPA, but from a less rigorous program. The ACT is just that tool.
You also know that the ACT is not like tests you have taken in classes. Instead, it is testing the development of your critical thinking skills over the past four years. Four years on one exam day! Whether you need ACT Science tutoring in New York, ACT Science tutoring in Chicago, or ACT Science tutoring in Los Angeles, working one-on-one with an expert may be just the boost your studies need.
That’s a lot of material to test. Because of just how much material there is, many students can feel lost about where to start. You may look at the sections included on the test, and panic when you see Science listed . . . especially if you are one of the many students who struggled in some of their high school science courses! Will you have to answer questions about that frog dissection from two years ago? Will you need to identify rocks from your Earth Science class? That might as well have been a lifetime ago.
Hopefully it calms your nerves a little bit to recognize that none of these things will be directly tested. You won’t have to dig up the details of your classes from several years back, nor will you be facing questions about advanced quantum physics or rocket science. Varsity Tutors offers resources like a free ACT prep book to help with your self-paced study, or you may want to consider an ACT Science tutor.
The ACT Science exam tests exactly what the rest of the ACT tests: your ability to think critically, analyze provided material, and draw inferences. It is far more a reading comprehension test, in fact, than a science test. It just so happens that you will be asked to comprehend passages based on science, which makes some students immediately anxious. This anxiety, unfortunately, does not set a good foundation for success on the exam!
Clearly, familiarizing yourself with the ACT Science exam before your actual test day is critical. Appreciating the exam for what it is, is critical. You may want to consider working with tutors, teachers, or in a test-preparation program to help you overcome the anxiety many students feel, and appreciate that your success on this exam is based on the same principles that you would need to succeed on any reading comprehension test.
It’s also important to consider that the time you spend on improving your performance on the ACT Science test doesn’t just pay off on test day. Precisely because the test is asking you to draw inferences, make conclusions, and think critically, you are developing skills that will be demanded in a wide variety of later academic pursuits. The time you spend preparing for the ACT Science exam can be thought of as a broad investment in your future performance across many disciplines.
Without a doubt, proper preparation for the ACT Science exam is essential. Overcoming anxiety is probably the first step. Varsity Tutors’ free ACT Science resources, and specifically our free ACT Science question of the day, can help you take the next step of making studying for your exam a habit. Our daily featured ACT Science problem provides the correct answer and a full explanation when answered; if you get it right, you gain confidence in your abilities, and if you get it wrong, you have the opportunity to fine-tune your understanding. In addition to the ACT Science Question of the Day and ACT Science tutoring, you may also want to consider taking some of our ACT Science practice tests. With practice questions, strategy, and proper perspective, you can achieve a great score and be well on your way to your dream college!
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