PT143.S2.P4.Q24

PrepTest 143 - Section 2 - Passage 4 - Question 24

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P1

To glass researchers it seems somewhat strange that many people throughout the world share the persistent belief that window glass flows slowly downward like a very viscous liquid. ████████ ██ █████████ ██████ ██ ███████ ████████ ███ ██████████ ███ ████ ███ █████ ████ ███████ ██ ███████ ██████ ███████ ██ ███ ███████ ███

Common belief · Glass flows downward like a liquid
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Origin of false belief · People misunderstand the fact that glass atoms aren't in a fixed structure
Because the atoms aren't fixed, people think that glass is like a liquid. By using "myth," the author indicates the common belief is false.
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Features of glass · Transition temperature
Cooled below the transition temperature, glass has physical properties of solid, even though it has non-fixed structure.
P2

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Debunking hypothesis about windows · People think stained glass windows are thicker at the bottom than the top because glass flows downward
Even though glass does very slightly flow downward, research shows this belief about stained glass windows is wrong.
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Study debunking hypothesis · Zanotto's research
It would take too long for the thicker bottoms of windows to result from glass flowing downward.
P3

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Elaborating on study · Although composition of windows can make glass flow faster, still not fast enough
P4

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Author's hypothesis · Thicker bottoms of glass are due to manufacturing methods
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Support for hypothesis · In 19th century, had to make glass in way that thickened the edges
People probably put thicker edges toward bottom for structural stability.
Passage Style
Critique or debate
Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)
Show answer
24.

The passage suggests that the ██████ █████████ ██ █████ ██ ████ ████ █████ ████

a

behave as a ██████ ████ ██████ ██ ███ ███████ ██████████ ██ ██████

Unsupported. When glass has the properties of solids, it is cooled below the transition temperature range, at which point the glass will behave as a solid.

25%
b

be noticeably deformed ██ ███ █████ ██ ███ ███ ██████ ████ █ ██████ ██ █ ███ █████████

Anti-supported. In P2, we see that this period is trillions of years, not a few millennia.

5%
c

behave as a █████ ████ ████ ██ ███ ███████ ███ █████ ██████████ ███████████

Anti-supported. In P1, we see that when glass is cooled below the transition temperature range, glass takes on the physical properties of a solid. In other words, the lower end of the transition temperature range is the point at which glass behaves as a solid. From this, we can infer that when glass reaches the transition temperature, it does not behave as a solid.

31%
d

flow downward under ███ ███ ██████ ██ ██ ██ ██████ ██ ███ █████ ██████████ ███████████

This is supported. In P1, we see that when glass is cooled below the transition temperature range, glass takes on the physical properties of a solid. In other words, the lower end of the transition temperature range is the point at which glass begins to behave as a solid. From this, we can infer that when glass heats to the transition temperature, it has properties of liquids, so glass will flow downward at these temperatures.

35%
e

stop flowing only ██ ███ █████ ███ ████████ ██ █ █████ ███████████ █████████

Anti-supported. We know that the atoms of glass aren’t arranged in a fixed crystalline structure, so this won’t be the only condition under which glass stops flowing.

3%

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