NEW HERE? LEARN MORE
closeclose
Last visit was: 27 Apr 2024, 15:09 It is currently 27 Apr 2024, 15:09
Decision Tracker
My Rewards
New posts
New comers' posts

Close
GMAT Club Daily Prep
Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History
Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.
Go to My Error Log Learn more
Close
Request Expert Reply
Confirm Cancel

Nuclear fusion is the force that powers the Sun, the stars, and

SORT BY:
Date
Kudos
   1   2   3 
Tags:
Find Similar Topics 
Show Tags
Hide Tags
User avatar
L
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Status: GMAT/GRE/LSAT tutors
Posts: 6923
Own Kudos [?]: 63683 [0]
Given Kudos: 1774
Location: United States (CO)
GMAT 1: 780 Q51 V46
GMAT 2: 800 Q51 V51
GRE 1: Q170 V170

GRE 2: Q170 V170
Send PM
Re: Nuclear fusion is the force that powers the Sun, the stars, and [#permalink] New post   29 Jul 2023, 08:10
Expert Reply
ashutosh_73 wrote:
Quote:
Nuclear fusion is the force that powers the Sun, the stars, and hydrogen bombs, merging the nuclei of atoms rather than splitting them apart, as nuclear reactors do.


Hi GMATNinja

Please help here..Have been racking my brains but can't figure out. Now i really hate this question:

How do we know that what nuclear reactors do?

I mean, how do we know what "as nuclear reactors do" refers to?

Is it just ''merging the nuclei of atoms instead of splitting them apart'' or just to ''splitting them apart''

Thanks!

You could make the same argument about choices (A), (B), and (D), and since (C) has a better comparison structure than those three, we can cross them out. For more on why those three can be eliminated, check out these two posts:


As explained in this post, the "unlike" seems to illogically compare "atomic reactors" to the noun right before it (nuclei of atoms). It's okay to use "unlike" to compare two nouns (e.g. "nuclear fusion" and "atomic reactors"). But if that's the comparison we want, it would be much clearer to put the "unlike" part at the beginning of the sentence.

Also, the parallel structure in (E) makes it sound as though nuclear fusion does two distinct things: (1) it powers the sun/stars/bombs, and (2) it merges the nuclei of atoms. That's not quite right -- the merging is HOW the fusion powers those things, not a separate and unrelated action.

As for (C), you make a very fair point, but the fact that we have "rather than" in between "merging" and "splitting" makes it fairly clear that the reactors do the latter -- it would be tough to argue that we should leapfrog "splitting" and pair reactors with the "merging" instead.

If we wanted to suggest that the reactors also merge the nuclei of atoms, it would be much better to write something like this:

    "... merging the nuclei of atoms, as nuclear reactors do, rather than splitting them apart."

Luckily, this is a fairly old question, so if you aren't convinced, don't lose any sleep over it! :)
User avatar
B
anish777
Manager
Manager
Joined: 18 Feb 2021
Posts: 90
Own Kudos [?]: 14 [0]
Given Kudos: 128
Location: India
Schools: IIMC
GMAT Focus 1:
635 Q88 V79 DI77
GPA: 7.98
Send PM
Re: Nuclear fusion is the force that powers the Sun, the stars, and [#permalink] New post   15 Sep 2023, 02:11
Hi
Here we are comparing nuclear fusion with nuclear reactor in the right answer choice. I understand that this answer choice is devoid of any grammatical error and is probably the best among the others, but from a meaning standpoint, this answer choice is illogical.
Can any expert pitch in here ?
Thanks
User avatar
L
KarishmaB
Tutor
Joined: 16 Oct 2010
Posts: 14830
Own Kudos [?]: 64953 [0]
Given Kudos: 427
Location: Pune, India
Send PM
Nuclear fusion is the force that powers the Sun, the stars, and [#permalink] New post   15 Sep 2023, 04:00
Expert Reply
anish777 wrote:
Hi
Here we are comparing nuclear fusion with nuclear reactor in the right answer choice. I understand that this answer choice is devoid of any grammatical error and is probably the best among the others, but from a meaning standpoint, this answer choice is illogical.
Can any expert pitch in here ?
Thanks


First of all, let me say that this question is the stuff of nightmares. It is an official question but I know I would struggle with it.
I would hate (C) but have absolute objections with other 4 too.

The 'and merges ...' of (D) and (E) is absolutely unacceptable. We are not discussing two characteristics of 'nuclear fusion.' We are discussing how it powers the Sun etc so we need a participle.

In (A) and (B), 'as in nuclear reactors' and 'like nuclear reactors' both make no sense either.

We can use 'as in nuclear reactors' only if the comparison is with another thing 'in X'
As in nuclear reactors, this is what happens in X too.

Again, comparison using 'like nuclear reactors' is incorrect. 'splitting them apart' is not like nuclear reactors. Nuclear fusion is not like nuclear reactors. So it doesn't work at all.

Now I am left with option (C) and I have issues with it - the main one being ambiguity.
To me it could imply:
'merging the nuclei of atoms rather than splitting them apart' is exactly what nuclear reactors do too.
or
... 'splitting them apart' is what nuclear reactors do.

In fact, with that comma before 'as nuclear reactors do,' I feel we are implying the first one and that is what I dislike. I eliminated this option when I read it :(

Then there is this issue of 'do' without a proper verb 'splits.' Though I can live with that.

As for the comparison in option (C), it is alright. Nuclear fusion merges the nuclei of atoms. It doesn't split them apart as nuclear reactors do. Nuclear reactors split them apart.
A does this. B does that. It is alright even if we are comparing a process with a device since we are discussing what each does.
User avatar
B
vishalsinghvs08
Manager
Manager
Joined: 08 Oct 2014
Posts: 61
Own Kudos [?]: 9 [0]
Given Kudos: 60
Send PM
Re: Nuclear fusion is the force that powers the Sun, the stars, and [#permalink] New post   03 Oct 2023, 02:43
I have a quick doubt about Option B -

I have read that Instead of+ gerund is not a preferred selection in GMAT. Is that a good enough reason to eliminate option B.
Also, i am aware that the usage of "Like" is incorrect but I want to make sure that i get all the reasons attacked.

Thank you.
User avatar
P
MartyMurray
Tutor
Joined: 11 Aug 2023
Posts: 828
Own Kudos [?]: 1424 [0]
Given Kudos: 75
GMAT 1: 800 Q51 V51
Send PM
Re: Nuclear fusion is the force that powers the Sun, the stars, and [#permalink] New post   03 Oct 2023, 12:11
Expert Reply
vishalsinghvs08 wrote:
I have a quick doubt about Option B -

I have read that Instead of+ gerund is not a preferred selection in GMAT. Is that a good enough reason to eliminate option B.
Also, i am aware that the usage of "Like" is incorrect but I want to make sure that i get all the reasons attacked.

Thank you.

That's not a good enough reason to eliminate (B). In fact, in some contexts "instead of + gerund" is the best way to express an idea.

That said, in this case, the use of "instead of splitting" in (B) does not make sense. So, that use contributes to (B) being less than ideal.

"Instead of splitting" communicates that "merging" is done in place of splitting the atoms, but that meaning doesn't make sense in this context since there isn't any situation in which the sun would split atoms and there's no universal or typical situation in which splitting of atoms occurs.

So, the sun simply merges the atoms rather than splits them, not in place of splitting them.
GMAT Club Bot
gmatclubot
Re: Nuclear fusion is the force that powers the Sun, the stars, and [#permalink]
03 Oct 2023, 12:11
   1   2   3 
Moderators:
GMATNinja
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
6923 posts
GMATNinjaTwo
GMAT Club Verbal Expert
238 posts

Powered by phpBB © phpBB Group | Emoji artwork provided by EmojiOne
Main navigation
GMAT Resources
Partners
MBA Resources
www.gmac.com|www.mba.com | | GMAT Club Rules | Terms and Conditions