PT140.S4.P4.Q27

PrepTest 140 - Section 4 - Passage 4 - Question 27

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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?
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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
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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.
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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)
Show answer
27.

The author mentions the fact ████ ██ ██████ █████ ███ ████ ██ ███████ █████ ███ ███ ██ ███ █████ ██████████ █████████ ██ █████ ██

a

contrast our capacity ██ ████████ ███████ ████ ███ ████████ ██ ███████ ███████

The author doesn’t discuss imagined objects. Although she refers to an “imagined space” in a mirror, this isn’t the same concept as an imagined object. Since (A) doesn’t occur, it can’t be the purpose of the line we’re asked about.

10%
b

emphasize that it ██ ██████████ ██ ████████ █████████ ███████ ███████ █████ ██████ ██████████ ██ ███ ███████

The author never suggests that it’s “impossible” to perceive reflected objects without using mental constructs. The author mentions earlier that we’re accustomed to dealing with mental constructs rather than sense perceptions, but this doesn’t imply that we need to use mental constructs in order to perceive images of reflected objects. Since (B) doesn’t occur, it can’t be the purpose of the line we’re asked about.

15%
c

clarify the idea ████ ███████ ████████ █████████████████ ███████

This best captures the point expressed in the line immediately before the line we’re asked about. The line we’re asked about is supposed to be an example of the point made in the previous line. That point is that mirrors don’t actually present images with depth. The images appear to be three-dimensional, but this is an illusion.

32%
d

illustrate the fact ████ ██ █████████ ████ ████████ ████ ██████ ██████████ ██████ ████ ████ ███████████

Although the author does state earlier in P3 that we typically deal directly with mental constructs, the line we’re asked about isn’t designed to illustrate that claim. How do we know this? Because when the author uses the phrase “for example” to introduce the line we’re asked about, that indicates we’re about to get an example of the immediately preceding line. The immediately preceding line is about mirrors showing an image that appears to have depth.

27%
e

emphasize the degree ██ █████ ███ █████████████ ████████ ██ ███ ████████ ████████ ███ █████ ██ ███ ██████ █████ █████████

It’s not clear that perceiving an object’s image as having depth constitutes a change in the “shape” of the perceived object. In any case, the lack of focus our eyes give to mirrors isn’t a “psychological activity.” Whether we’re focusing our eyes on something isn’t related to our mental or emotional state or our thoughts.

16%

Confirm action

Are you sure?