Q: Background: We all enjoy a cool dip in a swimming pool on a hot day, but we may not realize the work needed to keep that water safe and healthy. The ideal pH for a swimming pool is around 7.2. The pH will change as a result of many factors. Adjustment can be accomplished with different chemicals depending on the tested pH. High pH can be lowered with liquid HCl (unsafe material) or sodium bisulfate. The bisulfate anion is a weak acid and can dissociate partially in solution. To increase pH, use sodium carbonate. The carbonate anion forms an equilibrium with protons that results in some formation of carbon dioxide. Paragraph: Tom and John are both pool owners. Tom prefers to use sodium bisulfate in his pool because he enjoys the smell. John, however, prefers using sodium carbonate in his pool because he believes it helps keep pests away. Given the paragraph above, please answer correctly the following question: Whose pool will have a higher pH?
A: John

Q: Background: Many different chemical substances cause cancer. Dozens of chemicals in tobacco smoke, including nicotine, have been shown to cause cancer ( Figure below ). In fact, tobacco smoke is one of the main sources of chemical carcinogens. Smoking tobacco increases the risk of cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, and bladder. Using smokeless tobacco can also cause cancer. Other chemicals that cause cancer include asbestos, formaldehyde, benzene, cadmium, and nickel. Paragraph: Walter and Jesse, two coworkers, are sitting at a hotel bar having a drink together after a long day at a conference when they start discussing their smoking habits. Walter shares that he has regularly smoked a pack of cigarettes for the past ten years. Jesse says he only smoked a couple cigarettes during college while he was drinking and isn't a regular smoker. Given the paragraph above, please answer correctly the following question: Which man is less likely to have lung cancer?
A: Jesse

Q: Background: Wilting is the loss of rigidity of non-woody parts of plants. This occurs when the turgor pressure in non-lignified plant cells falls towards zero, as a result of diminished water in the cells. The rate of loss of water from the plant is greater than the absorption of water in the plant. The process of wilting modifies the leaf angle distribution of the plant (or canopy) towards more erectophile conditions. Lower water availability may result from: drought conditions, where the soil moisture drops below conditions most favorable for plant functioning; the temperature falls to the point where the plants vascular system can not function. high salinity, which causes water to diffuse from the plant cells and induce shrinkage; saturated soil conditions, where roots are unable to obtain sufficient oxygen for cellular respiration, and so are unable to transport water into the plant; or bacteria or fungi that clog the plant's vascular system. Wilting diminishes the plant's ability to transpire and grow. Permanent wilting leads to plant death. Symptoms of wilting and blights resemble one another. Paragraph: Jim had a small veggie garden that he planted every year. His brother Rob had a similar patch, and he was also a gardener. The plants in Jim's garden started wilting at some point and he found out that his soil had high salinity and some harmful bacteria that wiled the plants indirectly. Rob's plant were ok, because he adjusted the soil's ph with sweet lime. Given the paragraph above, please answer correctly the following question: Which garden had fewer plants wilting?
A: Rob's

Q: Background: Gasoline-powered vehicles emit a lot of harmful materials. Nitrogen oxides are formed when atmospheric nitrogen reacts with oxygen at the high temperatures found in a car engine. Carbon monoxide is a by-product of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. Evaporated and unused fuel releases volatile hydrocarbons into the atmosphere to help form smog. The presence of a catalytic converter in the exhaust system of the car causes these materials to react and be changed into less harmful products. Paragraph: Due to economic sanctions and trade embargoes, Cuban citizens primarily use cars designed in the late 1940s and early 1950s. These cars contain engines that were designed before the introduction of the catalytic converter. Meanwhile trade relations between nearby Panama and Japan have enabled the citizens of Panama to drive cars with the most up to date catalytic converter technology possible. Given the paragraph above, please answer correctly the following question: Which country's cars, Cuba's or Panama's, will emit less nitrogen oxides?
A:
Panama's