This question is about how passage B relates to passage A, so we’ll need to read both passages before answering. The black swan is an example of negative evidence that disproves the theory that all swans are white. We want something analogous: an example of negative evidence that helped to disprove Newton’s theory. The example given in passage B is Mercury. Mercury’s orbit didn’t match what Newton’s theory predicted, which made Mercury itself negative evidence against Newton’s theory. This ultimately led to the disproving of Newton’s theory.
a
Mercury
The black swan is an example of negative evidence that disproves the theory that all swans are white. We want something analogous: an example of negative evidence that helped to disprove Newton’s theory. Mercury is a great example. Mercury’s orbit didn’t match what Newton’s theory predicted, which made Mercury itself negative evidence against Newton’s theory. This ultimately led to the disproving of Newton’s theory. So Mercury is analogous to the black swan.
b
Uranus
The black swan is an example of negative evidence that disproves the theory that all swans are white. We want something analogous: an example of negative evidence that helped to disprove Newton’s theory. But Uranus was positive evidence in support of Newton’s theory. (Once Neptune was accounted for, Uranus’s orbit perfectly matched what Newton’s theory predicted.)
c
Neptune
The black swan is an example of negative evidence that disproves the theory that all swans are white. We want something analogous: an example of negative evidence that helped to disprove Newton’s theory. But Neptune wasn’t negative evidence against Newton’s theory. To the contrary, Neptune saved Newton’s theory by offering an alternative hypothesis for why Newton’s theory initially failed to predict the orbit of Uranus. (It wasn’t that Newton’s theory was wrong; it was just that scientists overlooked the existence of Neptune. Once they accounted for Neptune, their observations matched Newton’s theories.)
d
Venus
Venus isn’t mentioned in passage B. We’re looking for something in mentioned in passage B that’s analogous to the black swan in passage A.
e
the sun
The black swan is an example of negative evidence that disproves the theory that all swans are white. We want something analogous: an example of negative evidence that helped to disprove Newton’s theory. But the sun didn’t help to disprove Newton’s theory.
Difficulty
67% of people who answer get this correct
This is a difficult question.
It is somewhat easier than other questions in this passage.
CURVE
Score of students with a 50% chance of getting this right
25%147
157
75%167
Analysis
RC analogy
Comparative
Science
Answer Popularity
PopularityAvg. score
a
67%
166
b
5%
157
c
23%
161
d
3%
159
e
1%
158
Question history
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