Advances in scientific understanding often do not build directly or smoothly in response to the data that are amassed, and in retrospect, after a major revision of theory, it may seem strange that a crucial hypothesis was long overlooked. βββ
Intro to Topic Β·Scientific progress is not linear; crucial idea are sometimes overlooked
Meitner finally realized that they had achieved nuclear fission.
Passage Style
Phenomenon-hypothesis
Single position
23.
The author's primary aim in βββ βββββββ ββ ββ
Question Type
Implied
Purpose of passage
The author makes her point clear at the beginning of P1: βAdvances in scientific understanding often do not build directly or smoothly in response to the data that are amassed, and in retrospect, after a major revision of theory, it may seem strange that a crucial hypothesis was long overlooked.β The rest of the passage presents an example of this point. The discovery of nuclear fission demonstrates how a scientific advance often doesnβt build directly or smoothly in response to the data thatβs collected. The authorβs purpose is to make the point at the beginning of P1.
a
criticize a traditional ββββ ββ ββββββββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββββββ β βββββββββββ
Itβs not clear that there is a βtraditional view of scientific progress.β The author doesnβt suggest that people traditionally think advances in scientific understanding always build smoothly upon the data thatβs collected. So the author doesnβt criticize a traditional view and (A) cannot be the purpose.
b
illustrate the often βββββββ βββ ββ βββββ β ββββββββββ βββββββββ ββββββββ ββββββββ
This best captures the authorβs purpose, which is to make the point at the beginning of P1. The author makes this point through the example discussed in the rest of the passage.
c
judge the relative ββββββββββ ββ ββββββ βββ βββββββββββββββ ββ βββββββ
The author doesnβt evaluate the comparative importance of theory and experimentation. She doesnβt judge one to be more or less important than the other, or find them to be equally important. She simply describes the history of the development of nuclear fission to establish that point at the beginning of P1.
d
take issue with βββ ββββ ββββ ββββββββββ ββββ βββββ ββββββ ββββββββ
The author doesnβt set up her point as a criticism of another idea. Itβs not clear that the author believes thereβs an idea that scientists make slow and study progress, or that she thinks sheβs debunking this idea.
e
display the way ββ βββββ ββββββββββββ βββββββββ βββββββββ βββββββ ββββββββββ ββββββββ
Thereβs no suggestion in the passage that the author believes the history of the discovery of nuclear fission reveals any βintellectual arroganceβ or that such arrogance slowed scientific progress. Because (E) doesnβt occur in the passage, it canβt be the purpose.
Difficulty
85% of people who answer get this correct
This is a moderately 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%137
147
75%157
Analysis
Implied
Purpose of passage
Phenomenon-hypothesis
Science
Single position
Answer Popularity
PopularityAvg. score
a
2%
153
b
85%
165
c
4%
158
d
4%
159
e
5%
160
Question history
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