PT128.S1.P4.Q26 > Analytics

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One of the foundations of scientific research is that an experimental result is credible only if it can be replicated—only if performing the experiment a second time leads to the same result. ███

Foundation of science · Experimental results are credible only if they are replicable

Replicable = doing experiment again leads to same result.

Problem · Somm. and Ott (S and O) came up with a new physical system

In this system, the tiniest change in starting conditions can change results radically. (What does this mean? Not sure.) This system can be represented by a computer model involving a particle's motion within a force field. (Not sure what this means either.)

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Analogy · S and O's new system is similar to riddled basins of attraction

Definition of basin of attraction · Bodies of water have basins of attaction

The basin for a particular body of water = area of land where, whenever water is spilled on it, it goes toward that body of water.

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Definition of riddled basins · Can't predict where water will flow for some points in between basins

The boundaries between these basins are riddled with physical irregulataries, which is why you can't tell where the water will flow. Need to spill the water at a point and observe. If you spill at any other point, even one right next to it, the water might flow toward a different body of water.

S and O's system · The riddled boundary expands to every single point

So, rather than just the boundary line between two bodies of water being riddled, every point in the whole system is riddled. You can't tell even the general destination of a particle from any starting point.

Distinction between S and O's system and chaos · In chaos, you can predict general destination, but not path or exact destination

In S and O's system, you can't predict any of the three things.

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Implication of S and O's system · Other similar systems might exist, and if so, this would question the replication requirement

It's possible that some experiments can't be replicated because even the slightest, unnoticeable change in starting conditions leads to different results.

Passage Style

Problem-analysis

Single position

26.

According to the passage, Sommerer ███ █████ █████ ███████ ████ █ ███████ █████ ██ ██████████ ██ █████ ███ ██ ███ █████████ █████

In the model, ███ ████████ ██ █ ████████ ██████ ██ ███ █████ ██ ███ ██████ ██ ████████ ██ █ ███████ █████ ██ ███████████ ████ █████ ███████ ██ ████ ██ ███ ██████ ███████ ████████████

“Chaotic” is described as a different kind of uncertainty; we can predict the general destination, but not the path or exact destination. We have no reason to think the concept of chaos applies to Sommerer and Ott’s model, in which we cannot predict the general destination of any particle at any point.

12%

In a riddled █████ ██ ███████████ ███ ████████ ██ █████ ███████ ██ ███ █████ ██ ████████ ██ ███ ██████ ████ █████████ ██████ ██ ████ ██ ███ ██████ ██ ███ ██████ ██████ ████████████

11%

In the model, ██ ██ ██████████ ██ ███████ ███ ███████████ ██ █ ████████ ██████ ██ ███ █████ ██ ███ ███████ ██ █ ███████ █████ ██ ███████████ ████ ████ ██████ ███ ████ ████ ██ ██ ██████████ ██ ███████ ███ ███████████ ██ █████ ███████ ██ ████ ██ █████ ███████

Supported. In the model, the entire system exhibits fractal properties, so we can’t predict either the exact or general destination of any particle at any point. But in the riddled basin of attraction, we only know that it’s impossible to predict the destination when water is spilled on the boundaries.

48%

In a riddled █████ ██ ███████████ █████ ███████ ██ ███ ████████ ██████ ██████ █████ ███ ███ ██ ███ ████ ████████████ ██ ███ ██████ ██ ██ ████████ ███ █████████ ██████ ██ ███ ████████ ██████ ██ ██████ ██ █████████ █████████████

Anti-supported.

18%

In the model, ███ █████████ ██████ ████████████ ██ █ █████ █████ ██████ ██████ ██ ███ ████ ████████████ ██ █ ███████ █████ ██ ███████████ █████ ███████ ██ ███ ████ █████ ██ █████████ █████████ ███ ████ ███ ███ ██ █████████ █████████████

Anti-supported.

11%

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PrepTest 128 - Section 1 - Passage 4 - Question 26

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