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Research Summaries and Experimental Design

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What is the structure of a Research Summaries passage, and how should you read it?

The anatomy of a Research Summaries passage on ACT Science: an introduction, two or more related experiments with methods and results, and how to read the structure rather than every word before answering.
A focused answer on the structure of an ACT Science Research Summaries passage: the introduction, the related experiments with their methods and results tables, and a reading strategy that maps the structure first and returns to the detail only when a question demands it.
11 min answer →

How do you compare two experiments to find what changed between them and what that change shows?

Comparing experiments on ACT Science: identifying the one design difference between two related experiments and using paired results to attribute an effect to that difference.
A focused answer on comparing related experiments in ACT Science Research Summaries: spotting the single design difference between Experiment 1 and Experiment 2, reading their results side by side, and attributing an effect to the variable that changed while everything else stayed the same.
11 min answer →

What is the engineering and design passage on the enhanced ACT, and how is it different to read?

The engineering and design passage on the enhanced ACT Science section: a practical design scenario with constraints, criteria, and iterative tests, read with the same data and design skills applied to a build-and-test context.
A focused answer on the engineering and design passage introduced on the enhanced ACT Science section: how a build-and-test scenario presents constraints, criteria, and iterative design tests, and how to apply the usual data-reading and experimental-design skills to choose the design that best meets the goal.
11 min answer →

How do you predict the result of a trial the experimenters did not run?

Predicting new trials on ACT Science: extending an established pattern to an untested condition, using interpolation within the data and extrapolation beyond it, and stating the prediction's certainty.
A focused answer on predicting the outcome of an untested trial in ACT Science Research Summaries: establishing the pattern in the existing results, extending it by interpolation or extrapolation to the new condition, and judging how certain the prediction is.
11 min answer →

How do you identify the variables and controls in an experiment, and why does the design matter?

Variables and controls on ACT Science: identifying the independent variable, the dependent variable, the controlled variables, and the control group, and explaining the purpose of each design choice.
A focused answer on experimental design for ACT Science Research Summaries: identifying the independent variable, the dependent variable, the controlled (constant) variables, and the control group, and explaining why a step was taken, which is the core of the Scientific Investigation category.
11 min answer →