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555-605 Level|   Science|   Short Passage|      
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NamanSachdeva
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Prior to 1965 geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meetin 20 Oct 2021, 20:26
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Can someone explain to me the 4th Question, please

"According to the passage, Henyey's findings in 1965 were significant because they"

I marked A but the answer is D
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Prior to 1965 geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meetin 22 Oct 2021, 04:07
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NamanSachdeva
Can someone explain to me the 4th Question, please

"According to the passage, Henyey's findings in 1965 were significant because they"

I marked A but the answer is D
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Explanation of Q#4 is given in the post in the link below.

https://gmatclub.com/forum/prior-to-196 ... l#p2663085
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Prior to 1965 geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meetin 02 Nov 2021, 08:09
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Question 4


NamanSachdeva
Can someone explain to me the 4th Question, please

"According to the passage, Henyey's findings in 1965 were significant because they"

I marked A but the answer is D
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According to the passage, Henyey found that "temperatures in drill holes near the fault were not as elevated as had been expected." So why had geologists expected the temperatures near the fault to be more elevated?

Earlier in the same sentence, we learn that "geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meeting at the San Andreas Fault generate heat through friction." So because the geologists assumed there would be "heat generated through friction," they expected more elevated temperatures.

Notice that the temperatures were expected to be elevated NOT because they contradicted previous measurements of temperature, but because they were not consistent with the assumptions geologists had made about heat generated through friction.

Let's now consider (A):

Quote:
4. According to the passage, Henyey's findings in 1965 were significant because they

(A) revealed an error in previous measurements of temperature in the San Andreas Fault zone
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As we've established, Henyey's findings were unexpected NOT because they contradicted "previous measurements of temperature." In fact, the passage doesn't even mention any "previous measurements of temperature." So (A) is out.

Let's consider (D):

Quote:
(D) suggested that geologists had inaccurately assumed that giant rock plates that meet at the San Andreas Fault generate heat through friction
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This is much better. As the passage says, Henyey's findings were unexpected because geologists had assumed that the "the two giant rock plates meeting at the San Andreas Fault generate heat through friction." So (D) is correct.

I hope that helps!
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Prior to 1965 geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meetin 19 Jan 2022, 10:25
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GMATNinja, can you please explain how we should tie H's finding to B's experiment based on the information given in the passage? I was able to correlate assumption existed before 1965 and experiment conducted by B in 92.
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Prior to 1965 geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meetin 12 Apr 2022, 17:53
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GMATNinja, could you please clarify why C is not correct for Q2? I understood that assumption discussed in the passage is that heat generated through friction is based on the composition of rocks.
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Prior to 1965 geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meetin 30 Jul 2022, 04:55
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The passage is primarily concerned with
A. evaluating a method used to test a particular scientific hypothesis
B. discussing explanations for an unexpected scientific finding
C. examining the assumptions underlying a particular experiment
D. questioning the validity of a scientific finding
E. presenting evidence to support a recent scientific hypothesis

Can someone please explain how to eliminate option C, findings is based on some method used and method assumes something, each of the findings are challenged by questioning the assumption it seems.
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Prior to 1965 geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meetin 06 Sep 2022, 07:10
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Rickooreo
The passage is primarily concerned with
A. evaluating a method used to test a particular scientific hypothesis
B. discussing explanations for an unexpected scientific finding
C. examining the assumptions underlying a particular experiment
D. questioning the validity of a scientific finding
E. presenting evidence to support a recent scientific hypothesis

Can someone please explain how to eliminate option C, findings is based on some method used and method assumes something, each of the findings are challenged by questioning the assumption it seems.
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The problem with (C) is that the passage, as a whole, is not primarily concerned with the assumptions underlying an experiment. The first paragraph discusses assumptions that scientists made prior to 1965 (about the type of rock that composed the San Andreas Fault). In 1965, measurements are taken that prove to be contrary to expectations. But there is no experiment.

In the second paragraph, an experiment is conducted to determine whether the fault could be made of clay. But that experiment isn't based on assumptions that the argument is examining. Instead, the experiment finds that clay would not explain the lower temperature of the fault. So, an alternative hypothesis is proposed. Because the passage isn't examining any underlying assumptions of a particular experiment, we can eliminate (C).

I hope that helps!
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Prior to 1965 geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meetin 16 May 2023, 15:02
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I'm still not able to understand how is D the correct answer for Q-3. The pressure and types of rocks just affect the amount of friction. But it is infact at the end, friction that generates the heat right? So how is it inaccurate to say that friction generated heat?
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Prior to 1965 geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meetin 12 Jul 2023, 12:16
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Question 3


Utkersh
I'm still not able to understand how is D the correct answer for Q-3. The pressure and types of rocks just affect the amount of friction. But it is infact at the end, friction that generates the heat right? So how is it inaccurate to say that friction generated heat?
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As you point out, it may be hard to defend the general statement that "friction generates heat." But is that exactly what (D) is saying?

Quote:
3. The passage mostly agree that Henyey’s findings about temperature in the San Andreas Fault made the greatest contribution in that they
(D) suggested that geologists had inaccurately assumed that giant rock plates that meet at the San Andreas Fault generate heat through friction
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Notice that (D) isn't claiming that Henyey's findings suggest that "friction does not generate heat" generally speaking. Rather, it asks us to agree that Henyey's findings suggested that geologists were wrong to assume that "giant rock plates that meet at the San Andreas Fault generate heat through friction."

So did Henyey's findings call this assumption into question? It would seem so. After his findings were made, geologists began to wonder whether there was an "absence of friction-generated heat." In other words, they questioned whether heat was created through friction in this particular instance. Maybe friction can generate heat, but in this case, there was no friction between the rocks. In which case, there wouldn't be any heat generated through friction.

The rest of the passage explores this question. First, it considers whether rock types could explain the absence of heat found by Henyey. Next it considers whether pressurized water could explain the absence of friction-generated heat.

Overall, since Henyey's findings suggest that geologists inaccurately assumed that the rock plates of the San Andreas fault generate heat through friction, (D) is correct.

I hope that helps!
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Prior to 1965 geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meetin 13 Oct 2023, 12:51
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For question 3 - look at these pointers in the passage.
1. Prior to 1965, geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meeting at the San Andreas Fault generate heat through friction as they grind past each other
2. Geologists’ pre-1965 assumptions concerning heat generated in the fault were based on calculations about common varieties of rocks, such as limestone and granite; - meaning limestone will produce X amount of heat, or granite will produce Y amount of heat .. blah bla....somehow the amount of heat generated thru friction was tied to the properties of the rock..likewise clay was assumed to produce the lower friction....different properties....lower friction....lower heat.
3. in other words, the pressure itself, not only the rocks’ properties, affects frictional heating.

Now, what option 4 says - inaccurately assumed that giant rock plates that meet at the San Andreas Fault generate heat through friction - Earlier, the geologists assumed that friction creates heat. Had that argument been 100% true, then the lower temperature at the SA Fault could have been due to clay (because of the earlier assumptions of geologists that clay would produce less heat). But then Byerlee experimented and found that even clay under tremendous pressure produces similar heat as rock would. So then they wondered if maybe the lower temperature was because of pockets of pressurized water. In this entire sequence of events, one of the key findings was that earlier geologists overlooked the importance of pressures on generating heat.
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Prior to 1965 geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meetin 13 Dec 2023, 08:08
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Question 1 is quite tricky, so best way to answer this one is using POE. Identify the one word/words/ sentences that make answer wrong. Here is my two cents.

1. The passage suggests which of the following regarding Henyey’s findings about temperature in the San Andreas Fault?

(A) Scientists have yet to formulate a definitive explanation for Henyey’s findings- Correct answer, also you can explain at the end of the passage where they are still wondering the reason.

(B) Recent research suggests that Henyey’s explanation for the findings should be modified- No recent research suggested anything about the findings to be modified.

(C) Henyey’s findings had to be recalculated in light of Byerlee’s 1992 experiment- Actually, Henyey's findings support the Byerlee's.

(D) Henyey’s findings provided support for an assumption long held by geologists- Actually, Henyey's findings goes against the Geologists.

(E) Scientists have been unable to duplicate Henyey’s findings using more recent experimental methods- Nothing in the passage mentioned about the:" Duplication of findings"
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Prior to 1965 geologists assumed that the two giant rock plates meetin 17 May 2025, 21:52
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how can we choose B over C
It is nowhere mentioned that finding was unexpected. before there was a finding ,later someone found that finding is not 100% correct.
whereas C mentions assumptions which we can see is ok,scientists assumed another reason for the aberration and
now explanations are mentioned
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Rickooreo
The passage is primarily concerned with
A. evaluating a method used to test a particular scientific hypothesis
B. discussing explanations for an unexpected scientific finding
C. examining the assumptions underlying a particular experiment
D. questioning the validity of a scientific finding
E. presenting evidence to support a recent scientific hypothesis

Can someone please explain how to eliminate option C, findings is based on some method used and method assumes something, each of the findings are challenged by questioning the assumption it seems.
The problem with (C) is that the passage, as a whole, is not primarily concerned with the assumptions underlying an experiment. The first paragraph discusses assumptions that scientists made prior to 1965 (about the type of rock that composed the San Andreas Fault). In 1965, measurements are taken that prove to be contrary to expectations. But there is no experiment.

In the second paragraph, an experiment is conducted to determine whether the fault could be made of clay. But that experiment isn't based on assumptions that the argument is examining. Instead, the experiment finds that clay would not explain the lower temperature of the fault. So, an alternative hypothesis is proposed. Because the passage isn't examining any underlying assumptions of a particular experiment, we can eliminate (C).

I hope that helps!
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