TASC Physical Sciences Level 3 study plan

Distinguish independent, dependent, and controlled variables in six written experiment descriptions you compose yourself

Convert between units of distance, time, and speed (including metric prefixes) across 20 practice items with at least 90% accuracy

Design two simple controlled investigations on paper, stating a testable hypothesis, a procedure, and how data would be recorded

Identify sources of measurement error and describe one correction for each in your own words

Compute average speed and acceleration from given distance-time and speed-time data sets

Draw and interpret distance-time and speed-time graphs for three described motions

Apply Newton's three laws to explain five everyday situations in writing

Calculate net force on an object from two or more described forces, including opposite directions

Trace energy transformations in four described systems and identify where energy is lost as heat

Compute kinetic and gravitational potential energy using standard formulas for eight given values

State the law of conservation of energy and apply it to two closed-system scenarios

Classify ten described materials as elements, compounds, or mixtures with a stated reason for each

Describe the structure of an atom including protons, neutrons, electrons, and their charges and locations

Determine proton, neutron, and electron counts for eight given elements using atomic number and mass number

Draw Bohr-style electron arrangements for the first 20 elements' common atoms

Explain how the periodic table organizes elements by atomic number and repeating properties

Balance ten chemical equations by adjusting coefficients only

Classify eight described reactions as synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, or double replacement

Distinguish physical from chemical changes in ten described examples with reasoning

Identify reactants and products and apply conservation of mass to two described reactions

Describe the layers of Earth and one key characteristic of each

Explain plate tectonic motion and relate it to two described geologic events such as earthquakes or volcanoes

Interpret a described rock cycle path from one rock type to another, naming the processes involved

Distinguish weathering, erosion, and deposition using three original examples

Compare the Sun, planets, and moons in terms of relative size, composition, and motion

Explain the causes of day and night, seasons, and moon phases in writing

Evaluate two described data sets for reliability by checking sample size, repetition, and controls

Distinguish a hypothesis, a theory, and a law using one original example of each

Complete a timed 40-question mixed review across all four domains and score at least 80%

Re-teach your three weakest topics by writing a short summary and two practice questions for each

Apply the full inquiry cycle to one new scenario, from question through conclusion

Identify and correct any remaining misconceptions found in your error log