The Only Actual Science You Need to Know for ACT Science

The Only Actual Science You Need to Know for ACT Science SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While youmay have been toldyou need zero science knowledge to answer any ACT Science questions, this is NOT true. There are typically around four questions per test that you cannot answer without previous background knowledge.That's the difference between a 31 and a 36 on the Science section! In this article, I willgive an overview of the 13 topics that will NOT be explained in the ACT Science passages that the ACT expects you to know. The ACT assumes you know these topics from school and science class. To gather this info, I dissected dozens of previous ACT Science test sections to find the concepts you have to know. As far as we can tell, we're the only ones who have taken the time to research this. If you've gotten bad grades in science classes in school, this article will give you a refresher on the only concepts you need to know. Reminder: If you haven't already, check out our Ultimate Study Guide for ACT Science.It contains dozens of ACT Science guides going into every question type tested, strategies to tackle the questions, and how you should be organizing your prep to raise your score. In order to best answer this question of what science you actually need to know for the ACT Science section, I am going tostart with what topics the ACT says the Science section covers. According to the ACT makers, "The content of the Science Test includes biology, chemistry, physics, and the Earth/spacesciences (for example, geology, astronomy, and meteorology).† So much information. Do You Need to Be a Science Expert to Succeed on ACT Science? No, and even the ACT makers admit that â€Å"Advanced knowledge in these subjects is not required, but background knowledge acquired in general, introductory science courses is needed to answer some of the questions. The test emphasizes scientific reasoning skills over recall of scientific content, skill in mathematics, or reading ability.† Why Don’t You Need Expert Knowledge? In the ACT Science passages, they give you the majority of the information you need to answer the questions.They explain most of the terms within the passage. See for yourself inthis example passage, from a free ACT online practice test: You can see in this passage they give you definitions for most of the terms: refracted, seismograph, focus, shadowzone, the types of seismic waves, the difference between p and s waves. How Much BackgroundKnowledge Do You Need to Answer Most ACT Science Questions? Very little. Most of the questions can be answered using your knowledge of reading graphs and charts.Check out our article on the types of ACT Science Passages for more information about this strategy. For the questions that you can’t answer with the visuals, you can usually figure them out by reading the passage. However, there will be times you can't find the answer in the passage- and that's what we're discussing in this article. What Information Will Not Be Given in the Passage? As I mentioned earlier, there are typically around four questions per test that you cannot answer without previous knowledge.In my study of old ACT Science sections, I have found a total of 13 topics spanning biology, chemistry, physics, and math (yes, math) that you need to know. Here is the overview. I'll go into more depth on each topic below. Biology Cell Biology DNA, RNA, and Ribosomes Natural Selection Chemistry Basic Molecule Structure Freezing/Boiling Point of Water in Celsius pH Scale Molar Mass Concepts How Charges Interact Phase Changes Physics Gravity Density Formula Density Rules Math Basic Math Skills The basic overviews that I present below should be all you need toknow for the test, but I provide links to more in-depth explanations if you would like to do more reading. In our first topic, Cell Biology, you'll also see the first example of a question that you wouldn't be able to answer without prior knowledge, even after reading the passage. Knowledge Subject 1: Biology Topic 1: Cell Biology You need to know certaincell organelles (parts of cells), their functions, and whether they are found in animal or plant cells. Animal Cell Structure Lysosomes hold enzymes. Lysosomes digest food or break down the cell when it dies. Mitochondria are organelles that act like a digestive system, which takes in nutrients, breaks them down, and creates energy-rich molecules (ATP) for the cell. The cell nucleus acts asthe brain of the cell. It contains the cell's DNA, or the genetic information, from which proteins are made (see Topic 2, coming up next). It also helps control eating, movement, and reproduction. Chloroplasts only exist in plant cells and assist in the process of photosynthesis, converting light into energy (which only plants do, not animals). The cell membraneholdsall of the pieces of the cell and serves as the barrier between the cell and other cells. Belowis a sample question where you need an understanding of these organelles to select the correct answer. The chemical reaction mentioned in the passage was photosynthesis. Knowingthat photosynthesis happens inchloroplasts, I can correctly choose answer F. But nowhere in the passage was it said that chloroplasts are where photosynthesis happens! This is a fact you had to know before the test. While there are many other organelles, the ones listed above and ribosomes (which I will cover in the next topic) should be the only organelles you need to know for the test. Also, you should not need to know any other information about these organelles. If you would like to do more reading on these topics, click here. Topic 2: DNA, RNA, Ribosomes, and Protein Synthesis DNA contains the genetic information needed for making proteins (protein synthesis). Protein synthesisinvolves DNA, RNA, ribosomes, and proteins. DNA acts as the blueprint for protein production. The Process of Protein Synthesis Messenger RNA (known as mRNA) makes a copy of the sequence of DNA of a specific gene. This process is known as transcription and happens in the nucleus. Once the mRNA is made, it leaves the nucleus and enters the cytosol of the cell. Ribosomes use mRNA as aguide to make protein of the same amino acid sequence as the original DNA.The process of producing protein from the mRNA is referred to as translation. So, the process of protein synthesis consists of two steps: DNA to mRNA transcription and mRNA to protein translation.If you would like to read a more detailed summary, click here. Topic 3: Natural Selection Natural selection is also known as 'survival of the fittest.' In a specific environment, traits that allow organisms to reproduce more effectively will become more common, and traits that reduce reproductive success will become less common. A classic example of this is the change in peppered moth color during the industrial revolution. In England, the burning of coal during the industrial changed tree bark from light brown to dark brown in color. The peppered moth blended in perfectly and was hidden from predators.However, once clean air acts were passed, the trees quickly returned to a lighter color, making the dark moths easily visible to predators. Meanwhile, lighter colored moths were still hidden from view and survived to lay eggs. Thus, because of natural selection, over the course of years, the moths turned from dark to light in color!Click here for more information. The Strong Survive, the Weak Hang On Knowledge Subject 2: Chemistry Topic 4: Basic Molecule Structure The ACT Science section expects you to know the basic molecular structure of sugar, fat, protein, and nucleic acids. C6H12O6is the basic sugar molecule structure (for more on sugar molecules, click here). There are many different kids of fats: saturated, unsaturated, trans (you may have seen this on nutrition labels). The test does not expect you to know each structure. You only need to know that fatsare made up of C (Carbon), H (Hydrogen), and O (Oxygen), and to differentiate fats from sugar, fats have nearly twice the number of H as C and a very small number of O. Fats are much bigger in size than sugar (for more information on fat molecules, click here). For example,an unsaturated fat triglyceride has a chemical formula ofC55H98O6. Proteins are composed of amino acids (as I mentioned in the above section on protein synthesis, proteins are made based on the original DNA sequence). There are many different protein structures, but all proteins contain C, H, O and N (Nitrogen). Click for more information on proteins and amino acids. Nucleic acids are biomolecules. Two types of nucleic acids that we already discussed are DNA and RNA. Nucleic acids are made up of three parts: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. Nucleic acids are different from Sugar, Fat, and Proteins becausethey aremade up of P (Phosphorus) and N in addition to C, H, and O. For more information on nucleic acids, click here. Here is a sample question from the ACT: In order to answer this question, you need to look atthis equation from the passage: You then see that the Carbon from the originalCO2becomes a part ofC6H12O6.However, you need to know thatC6H12O6is a sugar molecule to get the correct answer G. Once again, the ACT expects that you know how photosynthesis works, and what the chemical formula for sugar is! You wouldn't be able to get this information from the passage. Topic #5:Freezing/Boiling Point of Water in Celsius Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius and boils at 100 degrees Celsius. That is all you need to know. Memorize those numbers. For more information, click here. Topic 6: pH Scale A pH scale is a measure of how acidic or basic a substance is. While the pH scale formally measures the activity of hydrogen ions in a substance or solution, it is typically approximated as the concentration of hydrogen ions. All you need to know is that a pH of below 7 is acidic, above 7 is basic, and at 7 is considered neutral. Fun fact: the beverage Coke has a pH of 2.50 while drinking water typically has a pH of 7.00, and hand soap has a pH of around 10. Coke's very acidic! For more information, click here. Topic 7:Molar Mass Concepts Remember the periodic table? Don't worry- you don't need to memorize molar weights of elements. The only molar mass concept you need to know is that the mass of a molecule is the sum of the mass of its atoms. This appears in an ACT question asking aboutoxygen's weight versuscarbon dioxide's weight. You need to know thatO2is lighter per molecule thanCO2because CO2has an extra Carbon atom compared to oxygen. Check out this ACT Science question: In order to answer this question, you need to use this figure from the passage as well as your outside knowledge. Figure 2 shows that the pressure exerted byO2was greater, eliminating answer choices F and G.However, nothing in the passage tells you if there are moreO2molecules per gram orCO2molecules per gram.You nowknow thatO2is lighter per molecule than CO2, sothe answer is J. For more information aboutO2versus CO2, click here. Topic 8: How Charges Interact Atoms are composed of three types of particles: protons, electrons, and neutrons. Protons are positively charged, electrons are negatively charged, and neutrons have no charge. Like charges repel each other while opposite charges attract each other. For example, two positive charges will repel each other while a positive and a negative charge will attract. For more information, click here. Topic 9:Phase Changes I already mentioned the freezing and boiling point of water in Celsius, but you also need to know the order of phase changes. Below freezing point, a material will be in solid form, just above freezing point a material will be in liquid form, above boiling point, liquid becomes gas (is vaporized). One natural way to think about this is in terms of water. When it's really cold, it turns to ice (solid). When it warms up, it turns to liquid. Then, when you boil it, it turns to steam (gas). For more information, click here. Want to learn more about ACT Science? Check out our new ACT Science prep book. If you liked this lesson, you'll love our book. It includes everything you need to know to ace ACT Science, including deep analysis of the logic behind ACT Science questions, a full breakdown of the different passage and question types, and tons of expert test-taking and study tips. Download our full-length prep book now: Knowledge Subject 3: Physics Topic 10:Gravity You need to know thatgravity is a downward force that acts on objects, and other forces (such as a spring or pulley) can counteract gravity. This will come up a lot in passages that show experiments using springs or pulleys. For more on gravity, click here. Topic 11:Density Formula Density is the degree of compactness of a substance. To calculate the density of a substance, you use the formula: Density = mass/volume For more information on density, mass, and volume, click here. Topic 12:Density Rules You need to know more about density than just the formula. You need to know the main density rule. Denser objects sink, and less dense objects float.Objects only float when they are less dense than the liquid they are placed in. An easy way to think about this: what happens when you throw a rock into water? It sinksthat's because the rock is denser than water, meaning it weighs more for the same volume. What about when you throw a styrofoam cup onto water? It floats- because styrofoam is less dense than water. For the same volume, styrofoam weighs a lot less than water. For more on this rule, click here. Knowledge Subject 4: Math Topic 13: Basic Math Skills You are not allowed to use your calculator on the science section. Yet, there are problems that require math skills like the one below. In order to solve this problem, you have to use the given information from the passage that Algol C is a 1.7 solar-mass MS Star.Then, you have to multiply 1.7 by the mass of the sun (solar-mass) given to you in the question, 2.0 x 10^30.You need to be able to do basic multiplication. 1.7 x 2.0 x 10^30= 3.4 X 10^30, so the answer is C. In order to refresh your basic math skills, I suggest during your practice to attempt some of the easier ACT Math Section questions (the first 15 questions) without using your calculator. And that's it!By knowing these concepts, you'll be able to answer any basic science question the ACT throws at you. If any of these concepts are unfamiliar to you, review them and brush off the cobwebs- you won't need to know the details beyond what's in this article, but it won't hurt to get more attuned to the science topics. What’s Next? Now that you know the basic science for ACT science, it's time to tackle the rest of the science section.Check out our article about the 3 Types of ACT Science Passages.Learnthe big secret of ACT Scienceandthe best way to read ACT Science passages. Reminder: If you haven't already, check out ourUltimate Study Guide For ACT Science.It contains dozens of ACT Science guides going into every question type tested, strategies to tackle the questions, and how you should be organizing your prep to raise your score. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. 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