P1In this paragraph the author claims that there are 3 realms of matter and she describes the first one, that is the atomic realm. In the rest of the paragraph we are given important definitions such as the one of elementary particles. Plus we are given which kind of elements are part of the realm and the energy involved in the relations among the elements.
Purpose: To describe the first realm of matter: the atomic realm
P2In paragraph 2 the author describes the nuclear realm. Few things to note: the energy involved is higher and there are different particles/elements described. The structure here is very similar to the one used in the previous paragraph.
Purpose: To describe the nuclear realm
P3In the last paragraph we are given the last realm: the subnuclear realm. Again we have different particles involved and higher energies.
Purpose: To describe the subnuclear realm
Main pointTo describe the 3 realms of matter: atomic, nuclear and subatomic--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. The primary topic of the passage is which of the following?
Pre-thinking
Main point question
[b]To describe the 3 realms of matter: atomic, nuclear and subatomic
[/b]
(A) The interaction of the realms on the quantum ladder.
(B) Atomic structures found on Earth, on other planets, and on the surfaces of stars
(C) Levels of energy that are released in nuclear reactions on Earth and in stars Partial scope
(D) Particles and processes found in the atomic, nuclear, and subnuclear realms
(E) New types of particles occurring in the atomic realm
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2. According to the passage, radioactivity that occurs naturally on Earth is the result of
Pre-thinking
Detail question
From P2: The natural radioactivity we find on Earth is the long-lived remnant of the time when now-earthly matter was expelled into space by a major stellar explosion.
(A) the production of particles that have no detectable mass or electric charge
(B) high energy exchanges on the nuclear level that occurred in an ancient explosion in a star
(C) processes that occur in the center of the Sun, which emits radiation to the Earth
(D) phenomena in the atomic realm that cause atoms and molecules to decompose into nuclei and electrons
(E) high-voltage discharges of electricity that took place in the atmosphere of the Earth shortly after the Earth was fonned
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3. The author organizes the passage by
Pre-thinking
Structure question
The author presents in order the three realms, describing the level of energies and the kind of particles found in each one of them
(A) making distinctions between two groups of particles, those that are elementary and those that are composite
The author does that but this one is not the whole organization of the passage
(B) explaining three methods of transferring energy to atoms and to the smaller particles that constitute atoms
Not in line with pre-thinking
(C) describing several levels of processes, increasing in energy, and corresponding sets of particles, generally decreasing in size
in line with pre-thinking
(D) putting forth an argument concerning energy levels and then conceding that several qualifications of that argument are necessary
Never done by the author
(E) making several successive refinements of a definition of elementarity on the basis of several groups of experimental results
no refinement
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4. According to the passage, which of the following can be found in the atomic realm?
Pre-thinking
Detail question
We need to refer to P1
We can distinguish three different realms of matter, three levels on the quantum ladder. The first is the atomic realm, which includes the world of atoms, their interactions, and the structures that are formed by them, such as molecules, liquids and solids, and gases and plasmas. This realm includes all the phenomena of atomic physics, chemistry, and, in a certain sense, biology. The energy exchanges taking place in this realm are of a relatively low order. If these exchanges are below one electron volt, such as in the collisions between molecules of the air in a room, then atoms and molecules can be regarded as elementary particles. That is, they have "conditional elementarity" because they keep their identity and do not change in any collisions or in other processes at these low energy exchanges. If one goes to higher energy exchanges, say 104
10
4
electron volts, then atoms and molecules will decompose into nuclei and electrons; at this level, the latter particles must be considered as elementary. We find examples of structures and processes of this first rung of the quantum ladder on Earth, on planets, and on the surfaces of stars.
(A) More than one level of energy exchange
(B) Exactly one elementary particle atoms and molecules are mentioned
(C) Exactly three kinds of atomic structures atoms, molecules, nuclei and electrons are mentioned.
(D) Three levels on the quantum ladder Out of context
(E) No particles smaller than atoms nuclei and electrons are
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5. According to the author, gluons are not
Pre-thinking
Detail question
In the last paragraph the author talks about gluons: The gluons are the quanta, or smallest units, of the force (the strong force) that keeps the quarks together. As long as we are dealing with the atomic or nuclear realm, these new types of particles do not occur and the nucleons remain inert. But at subnuclear energy levels, the nucleons and mesons appear to be composed of quarks, so that the quarks and gluons figure as elementary particles.
(A) considered to be detectable
(B) produced in nuclear reactions
(C) encountered in subnuclear energy exchanges
(D) related to the strong force
(E) found to be conditionally elementary
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6. At a higher energy level than the subnuclear level described, if such a higher level exists, it can be expected on the basis of the information in the passage that there would probably be
Pre-thinking
Inference question
[b]At a higher energy level we always seem to find new elementary particles
[/b]
(A) excited nucleons cannot be inferred
(B) elementary mesons Fell for this one but, even if reasonable, we cannot be 100% sure
(C) a kind of particle without detectable mass or charge cannot be inferred
(D) exchanges of energy on the order of millions of electron volts cannot be inferred
(E) another set of elementary particles This one is 100% sure on the other hand
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7. The passage speaks of particles as having conditional elementarity if they
Pre-thinking
Detail question
From P1: That is, they have "conditional elementarity" because they keep their identity and do not change in any collisions or in other processes at these low energy exchanges.
(A) remain unchanged at a given level of energy exchange
(B) cannot be decomposed into smaller constituents they can if the energy involved is significantly higher
(C) are mathematically simpler than some other set of particles
(D) release energy at a low level in collisions
(E) belong to the nuclear level on the quantum ladder
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