Today’s ACT question of the day is a science question about a bottom-dwelling organism.  (Now you have a new name to call your best friend when s/he makes you mad!  Not responsible if you try that on your parents.)

We have a table that describes the concentrations of certain ions in the sediment at the bottom of an ocean.  Does it matter, for the ACT, if you know what all of those symbols (Fe, O, CO, etc.) stand for?  Do you need to know what pH is?  Nope.  Just make sure you look at the right symbols when it comes time to answer the question.

Speaking of the question, our bottom-dwelling organism is a little picky and it wants a sediment depth that provides the following conditions:

• a neutral pH (which, according to the given text, is 7)
• low Fe2+
• high concentrations of O2

Time to read the chart!

We don’t have to read very far to find our answer – only one depth (0 cm) has a pH of 7.  It also happens to have the lowest concentration of Fe2+ and the highest concentration of O2.

Easy!  So bubble the correct answer and move on quickly because time management is essential on the ACT, especially on the science section.