Akita Entrance Science case studies
Akita Entrance Science · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Akita Entrance Science examination is a multiple-choice science admissions test used to assess whether applicants have the foundational knowledge and reasoning skills expected for entry into a science-oriented programme. It is intended for candidates preparing to enter undergraduate science study, and it suits students who have completed a solid secondary-school background in physics, chemistry, biology, and Earth and space science. The Akita Entrance Science case studies are 5 cases and about 4,012 words.
1Two Runs, One Underestimated Specific Heat
A student determines the specific heat capacity of aluminium shot (accepted value 0.90 J g-1 °C-1) by the method of mixtures. She heats 200.0 g of the shot in boiling water, which at her school boils at 99.0 °C, then pours the shot into a polystyrene cup holding 100.0 g of water at 21.4 °C, stirs, and records the highest temperature reached.
831 words, about 4 min2Standardising NaOH and Judging a Vinegar Label
A student determines the ethanoic acid content of a bottle of rice vinegar (label: 4.5 g ethanoic acid per 100 mL; M = 60.05 g mol-1). She first standardises a sodium hydroxide solution against 0.1000 mol/L hydrochloric acid: 25.00 mL portions of NaOH are titrated to the phenolphthalein endpoint, giving 24.10 mL, 24.05 mL, 25.55 mL and 24.15 mL of HCl.
744 words, about 4 min3Potato Cylinders and a Cylinder That Left the Solution
A student investigates osmosis in potato tissue. Cylinders are cut from one potato with a 5 mm cork borer, trimmed to 30 mm, blotted, weighed, and five cylinders are placed in each of six sucrose solutions (0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 mol/L) for 30 minutes before being blotted and reweighed.
749 words, about 4 min4Gnomon Measurements at 39.7° N
At a school in Akita (39.7° N, 140.1° E) students set a vertical 1.000 m gnomon on levelled ground and record the length of its shortest shadow: 20 March 0.831 m; 21 June 0.291 m; 22 December 1.966 m. Each shadow is measured to the nearest millimetre with a steel tape.
846 words, about 4 min5The Dish-Soap Antibacterial Fair Test
Four groups test whether three dish-washing liquids inhibit bacterial growth. Each group pours a lawn of the same bacterium on a nutrient agar plate, places four paper discs on it soaked in liquid A, liquid B, liquid C and sterile water, and incubates at 30 °C for 24 h.
842 words, about 4 min