Researchers are investigating how a metal alloys ability to conduct

Researchers are investigating how a metal alloy’s ability to conduct electricity changes as temperature changes. Due to the low funding available for their study, they have purchased the metal alloy in bulk from a metal recycling center who specializes in locating and purifying the alloy. They are conducting their experiments in a sealed room where all other study parameters – the pressure in the room, the volume of the room, the electric conditions, etc. – are constant. Only the temperature will be varied.

Which of the following is an assumption that would be crucial to the study’s success?

A. The pressure of the room is constant. Incorrect

already know

B. The volume of the room is constant. Incorrect

same as a

C. The resistance in the circuit used to conduct the electricity is constant. Incorrect

it can be included to study parameters

D. The purity of the metal alloy acquired from the center is consistent. Correct

impure metal cant give accurate results

E. The voltage passed through the alloy is constant. Incorrect

same as C

Official Explanation:
Researchers are investigating how a metal alloy’s ability to conduct electricity changes as temperature changes. Due to the low funding available for their study, they have purchased the metal alloy in bulk from a metal recycling center who specializes in locating and purifying the alloy. They are conducting their experiments in a sealed room where all other study parameters – the pressure in the room, the volume of the room, the electric conditions, etc. – are constant. Only the temperature will be varied.

Which of the following is an assumption that would be crucial to the study’s success?

A. The pressure of the room is constant.
B. The volume of the room is constant.
C. The resistance in the circuit used to conduct the electricity is constant.
D. The purity of the metal alloy acquired from the center is consistent.
E. The voltage passed through the alloy is constant.

Question Type: Assumption
Boil It Down: Researchers are doing an experiment to see how well metal alloy conducts electricity as the temperature changes. The only variable that will change during the experiment is temperature - all other variables will be constant. They’ve sourced the meal alloy from a recycling center to save money.
Goal: Find the assumption that would most strongly impact whether or not the experiment will succeed.

Analysis:

An easy way to rule out incorrect options in an assumption question is to find any options that are already stated in the passage as facts or constants. Assumptions are things we don’t already know, or something we aren’t sure will be consistent. So let’s rule out anything we already know will be consistent while researchers run their experiment:

A. The pressure of the room is constant.
This is incorrect because it’s not an assumption - it’s explicitly mentioned in the passage as being constant throughout the experiment.

B. The volume of the room is constant.
This is also incorrect because it’s not an assumption - it’s explicitly mentioned in the passage as being constant throughout the experiment.

C. The resistance in the circuit used to conduct the electricity is constant.
This is also incorrect because it’s not an assumption - it’s explicitly mentioned in the passage as being constant throughout the experiment.

D. The purity of the metal alloy acquired from the center is consistent.
D is correct because the only thing that is of concern and not covered by the last sentence in the passage is the purity of the metal. All other things relevant to the experiment (pressure, volume, resistance, voltage) are known to be constant.

E. The voltage passed through the alloy is constant.
This is also incorrect because it’s not an assumption - it’s explicitly mentioned in the passage as being constant throughout the experiment.


Don’t study for the GMAT. Train for it.

Well done winterschool, kntombat, and Hatakekakashi! You all cracked the code on this one! Kudos to you!