ACT Science Topics

While you may have been told you 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 will give an overview of the 18 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 to start 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/space sciences (for example,
geology, astronomy, and meteorology)."

Do You Need to Be a Science Expert to Succeed on

ACT Science?
No, and even the ACT makers admit that "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."

In other words, it's more important that you understand the principles behind scientific
thought and logical reasoning than the science itself!
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 in this 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. Because of that, you won't have to know tons about geology to answer
this question.

How Much Background Knowledge 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 18 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.

o Biology
o Cell Biology
o DNA, RNA, and Ribosomes
 o Natural Selection
o Greenhouse Gases
o Photosynthesis and Respiration
o Taxonomic Rank
o Genetics

o
o Chemistry
o Basic Molecule Structure
o Freezing/Boiling Point of Water in Celsius
o pH Scale
o Molar Mass Concepts
o How Charges Interact
o Phase Changes
o Physics

o Gravity
o Density Formula
o Density Rules
o Kinetic vs Potential Energy

o Math
o Basic Math Skills

The basic overviews that I present below should be all you need to know 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 certain cell 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 as the 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 membrane holds all of the pieces of the cell and serves as the barrier between
the cell and other cells.

Below is 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.

Knowing that photosynthesis happens in chloroplasts, 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.

Topic 2: DNA, RNA, Ribosomes, and Protein Synthesis

DNA contains the genetic information needed for making proteins (protein synthesis).
Protein synthesis involves 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 a guide 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

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

Topic 4: Greenhouse Gases

Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. Sunlight can pass
through them as it goes towards the earth, but greenhouse gases prevent the heat
sunlight produces at Earth's surface from leaving the atmosphere. This mean the
heat stays close to Earth, increasing the planet's temperature. Human activity has
caused the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to increase in recent
decades, and they are a major contributor to climate change.

There are six main greenhouse gases:

• Carbon dioxide (CO2)

• Methane (CH4)
• Nitrous oxide (N2O)
• Ozone (O3)
• Water Vapor (H2O)
• Fluorinated gases (also known as chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs)

Look at this sample question:

The correct answer is is J because methane (CH4), as a greenhouse gas, absorbs heat
not when it enters the earth from space, but when it comes up from the earth. This
causes warming.

Topic 5: Photosynthesis and Respiration

Photosynthesis is the process where plants capture sunlight to make food for
themselves. During photosynthesis, the plant takes in carbon dioxide, water, and
energy, and it produces glucose (which it consumes to live) and oxygen (which humans
and other animals breathe). You don't need to memorize the formula for photosynthesis,
but you may see it on the ACT, and it's useful to understand it ahead of time. This is
what it looks like:

6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light energy→ C6H12O6 + 6 O2

Respiration is basically the inverse of photosynthesis. Respiration is when cells break

down molecules into a type of energy they can use. While only plants go through
photosynthesis, both plants and animals go through respiration. In respiration, glucose
and oxygen are converted into carbon dioxide, water, and ATP (a chemical that
provides energy to cells). Here's the formula:

C6H12O6 + 6 O2 → 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + ATP

Topic 6: Taxonomic Rank

Taxonomy is the science of naming and classifying all organisms. It allows scientists to
see how closely different organisms are related and what characteristics they share.
Taxonomic rank is the seven levels organisms are classified in. Know the seven
taxonomic levels which are (from broadest to most specific):

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

If two species share one level of taxonomic rank, they also share all of the broader
taxonomic ranks above it. So, if two species are in the same family, they are also in the
same order, class, phylum, and kingdom.

Topic 7: Genetics

The genetics information you need to know for the ACT centers around which traits are
passed on to offspring. The key genetic term to know is "allele". Alleles are pairs of
genes responsible for particular traits. Allele pairs can be made up of two dominant
genes, two recessive genes, or a dominant and recessive gene. Dominant genes are
usually expressed as capital letters and recessive genes are expressed as lower-case
letters. So an allele pair shown as "Tt" would have one dominant and one recessive
allele.

Knowledge Subject 2: Chemistry

Topic 8: Basic Molecule Structure

The ACT Science section expects you to know the basic molecular structure of sugar,
fat, protein, and nucleic acids.

C6H12O6 is the basic sugar molecule structure

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 fats are 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 example, an
unsaturated fat triglyceride has a chemical formula of C 55H98O6.

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 because they are made up of P (Phosphorus) and N in addition to C, H,
and O.

Here is a sample question from the ACT:

In order to answer this question, you need to look at this equation from the passage:

You then see that the Carbon from the original CO2 becomes a part of C6H12O6.
However, you need to know that C6H12O6 is 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 9: 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 10: 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!

Topic 11: 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 about oxygen's weight versus carbon dioxide's
weight. You need to know that O2 is lighter per molecule than CO2 because CO2 has 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 by O2 was greater, eliminating answer choices
F and G. However, nothing in the passage tells you if there are more O2 molecules per
gram or CO2 molecules per gram. You now know that O2 is lighter per molecule than
CO2, so ;the answer is J.

Topic 12: 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.

Topic 13: 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). Gases are generally less dense than liquids, and liquids are generally less
dense than solids.