Neutrinos, elementary particles which can pass through matter unaffected, can be imagined as “ghost particles.” In reality, neutrinos are known to exist but have very little mass. While there are hundreds of billions of neutrinos moving around and through us at any moment, they rarely interact with other kinds of matter. This is because, in addition to having little mass, neutrinos have no electric charge, which also makes them nearly impossible to detect directly. For decades, scientists have learned about neutrinos by studying their rare interactions with matter. One experiment designed to test such interactions used huge, sophisticated detectors filled with baby oil to trap neutrinos and record the patterns or trails produced by neutrinos’ collisions with other particles.
1. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true about neutrinos?
A. Neutrinos are ghost particles.
B. Neutrinos carry no electric charge.
C. Neutrinos are not worth studying.
D. Neutrinos are impossible to detect.
E. Neutrinos will be used to cure diseases.
2. The author uses the term “ghost particles” primarily in order toA. explain why neutrinos are so small
B. establish that neutrinos belong to the field of metaphysics
C. postulate that neutrinos are unearthly phenomena
D. illustrate that neutrinos have almost no mass
E. argue that neutrinos require further study
3. Which of the following statements is NOT implied in the passage?I. Neutrino interactions are too rare to yield significant data that would elucidate their properties.
II. Neutrinos can be studied indirectly through their interactions with other matter.
III. Neutrinos, despite lacking an electric charge, may be dangerous.
A. I Only
B. III Only
C. I and III Only
D. II and III Only
E. I, II, and III