Self-study
P1
Physicists are often asked why the image of an object, such as a chair, appears reversed left-to-right rather than, say, top-to-bottom when viewed in a mirror. ███
Phenomenon / Question ·
Mirrors only flip images left-to-right. Why not also top-to-bottom?
Field-of-sight Hypothesis / Answer ·
Something about the axis around which the viewer rotates
No idea what this means. Please god let this not matter.
P2
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Front-to-back Hypothesis / Answer ·
Mirrors actually reverse the image front-to-back
As if there's another object "inside" the mirror
Critique ·
Of front-to-back hypothesis
Hypothesis is based on a false premise. There's no object inside the mirror.
P3
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Concession ·
Front-to-back hypothesis has some explanatory power
We usually transform our sense perception into mental constructs of objects. This is why this hypothesis is appealing.
P4
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Motivations ·
Of front-to-back hypothesis
Wants to separate the observer from the phenomenon.
Main Point / Critique ·
Of front-to-back hypothesis
The real explanation of what mirrors do must consider both the mirror and the observer. So, like the field-of-sight explanation?
Passage Style
Critique or debate
Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)
20.
The main point of the ███████ ██ ████ ██ ████████ ███████████ ██ ██████ ██████
a
must include two ██████████ ████████
This is the best answer. The author states that a proper explanation for how mirrors work must consider
b
has yet to ██ ██████████
Not supported, because the author doesn’t suggest that we haven’t determined an adequate explanation of mirror images. The author describes in P1 the standard explanation that physicists give: the field of sight explanation. This might be an explanation the author considers adequate. Since (B) is not supported, it’s not the main point.
c
must be determined ██ ██████████
We have no basis to think the author believes an adequate explanation must be determined by physicists. Since (C) isn’t supported, it can’t be the main point.
d
is still subject ██ ██████
Although the author does note that some physicists offer a different explanation from others, and so arguably there is still a debate, the main point of the passage should capture at least some aspect of the author’s opinion. Here, the author finds one explanation lacking because it doesn’t do what an adequate explanation should do. (D) doesn’t capture the author’s criticism of one explanation.
e
is extremely complicated
Not supported, because the author never suggests that an adequate explanation is extremely complicated. She never characterizes any explanation as complicated and doesn’t say anything indicating that she thinks an adequate explanation should be complicated. Since (E) isn’t supported, it can’t be the main point.