Direct Data Retrieval
Sample Question:
According to Table 1, what was the pH after 60 seconds in Trial 2?
What’s Being Tested: Your ability to accurately locate and extract a specific value from a data table or graph.
Knowledge & Skills Required:
- Reading and interpreting tables or graphs
- Matching labels like “Trial 2” or “60 seconds”
- Recognizing measurement units and formats
What’s Needed to Answer Correctly:
- Attention to detail in identifying the correct row/column
- Careful matching of trial conditions and time points
- No assumptions or inferences — just read the data
Correct Approach:
- Scan the table for the correct trial name or number
- Find the time = 60 s row or corresponding value
- Extract the pH value directly from the data
Trend or Pattern Identification
Sample Question:
Based on Experiment 1, how does increasing temperature affect the reaction rate?
What’s Being Tested: Your ability to identify a trend or relationship between two variables based on data.
Knowledge & Skills Required:
- Understand how one variable (e.g., temperature) changes another (e.g., rate)
- Spotting patterns in tables, line graphs, or bar graphs
- Familiarity with terms like "increases", "decreases", "remains constant"
What’s Needed to Answer Correctly:
- Accurately track both variables across multiple data points
- Confirm that the trend is consistent, not just one pair of values
- Understand that patterns may be linear, exponential, or irregular
Correct Approach:
- Identify the independent variable (e.g., temperature)
- Track how the dependent variable (e.g., reaction rate) changes
- Determine whether the change is increasing, decreasing, or no clear pattern
Interpolation / Extrapolation
Sample Question:
If the experiment were conducted at 45°C, what reaction rate would most likely be observed?
What’s Being Tested: Your ability to estimate a new value not directly given by extending or filling in a pattern in the data.
Knowledge & Skills Required:
- Recognizing numerical trends
- Estimating values using proportional reasoning
- Understanding when and how it's reasonable to predict beyond given data
What’s Needed to Answer Correctly:
- Recognize whether the data is linear or non-linear
- Use appropriate data points before and after the target to interpolate
- Avoid over-extrapolating beyond the data range unless trends are strong
Correct Approach:
- Find data points immediately before and after 45°C
- Determine the rate of change or use an average trend
- Estimate a reasonable value between the two known points
- For extrapolation, follow the same logic in the same direction
Understanding Variables & Experimental Roles
Sample Question:
Which variable was manipulated in the experiment? Which trial served as a control?
What’s Being Tested: Your understanding of experimental design, especially the roles of independent, dependent, and control variables.
Knowledge & Skills Required:
- Know the difference:
- Independent variable = changed by the experimenter
- Dependent variable = measured outcome
- Control = baseline comparison with no treatment
- Recognize these roles from descriptions or data tables
What’s Needed to Answer Correctly:
- Analyze how trials differ and what’s intentionally varied
- Recognize trials where no variables are altered (controls)
- Understand common Chemistry experimental elements (e.g., pH, concentration, catalyst)
Correct Approach:
- Look for the variable that changes across trials → that's the independent
- Identify the measured results → that’s the dependent
- A control typically omits the treatment or holds all variables constant
Comparison Between Experiments or Trials
Sample Question:
Which trial produced more gas in the first 10 seconds: Trial 1 or Trial 2?
What’s Being Tested: Your ability to compare specific data points across trials, especially when conditions differ.
Knowledge & Skills Required:
- Interpreting data under different conditions (e.g., temperature, concentration)
- Comparing values across multiple tables or graphs
- Understanding consistent time frames and units
What’s Needed to Answer Correctly:
- Isolate the same time interval or variable in each trial
- Compare only the relevant condition, not unrelated metrics
- Be cautious about units or scale differences across graphs
Correct Approach:
- Identify the key metric and the same point in time for each trial
- Read the data or graph for each and compare numerically or visually
- Eliminate confusion from irrelevant variables (e.g., total gas vs. gas at 10 sec)
Multi-Variable Relationship Analysis
Sample Question:
Based on Experiments 1 and 2, how do both temperature and concentration affect reaction rate?
What’s Being Tested: Your ability to interpret how multiple variables affect outcomes and possibly interact.
Knowledge & Skills Required:
- Comparing trends across multiple independent variables
- Synthesizing information from more than one experiment or graph
- Distinguishing isolated effects from combined effects
What’s Needed to Answer Correctly:
- Analyze how each variable independently affects the outcome
- Track changes across carefully controlled comparisons
- Recognize when interaction effects are or aren’t shown
Correct Approach:
- Break the analysis into one variable at a time
- Use data where only one variable changes to isolate effects
- Then consider where both vary, and determine combined impact if relevant