The first successful method of making steel in quantity was invented

Question

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Passage # 39, Date: 20-Apr-2020
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The first successful method of making steel in quantity was invented almost simultaneously by an Englishman, Henry Bessemer, and by an American ironmaster, William Kelly. In the mid-1850s, Bessemer and Kelly independently hit upon the idea of blowing a blast of air through molten iron, thus removing excess carbon that differentiates iron from steel. Kelly may have come up with the idea first, but fame and fortune fell to Bessemer, for the Bessemer process was the one that caught on. After the Bessemer process came into use, it became possible to produce a much larger volume of steel at a much lower price than previously. The old puddling process of iron making, for example, could produce 500 pounds of steel in three to five hours. The Bessemer converter could produce five tons of steel in half an hour. But the Bessemer process was not the complete answer. At the outset, for instance, it could not make use of highly phosphoric ores. Technological improvements were made through the years, however, and the Bessemer process became a principal factor in the tremendous increase in steel production after the Civil War. It was used very extensively in the manufacture of steel rails, which provided the chief impetus for steelmaking during this period.

A second significant development in steelmaking was the introduction of the open-hearth process developed by William and Friedrich Siemens, Germans working in England, and Emile and Pierre Martin, working in France. The open-hearth process was more economical than the Bessemer process. It could make use of scrap iron and all varieties of ore. An open-hearth charge required more time than a Bessemer charge, but this longer length of time permitted steelmakers to sample the charge and adjust its composition to more exacting requirements. The open-hearth process also could make use of low-grade coal – bituminous coal – rather than anthracite. As a result, by 1909 more steel was being made by the open-hearth process than by the Bessemer process – 14.5 million tons by open-heart to 9.3 million by Bessemer. The gap continued to widen throughout the years, to the point where, in 1945, only 3.8 million tons of steel were produced by Bessemer, as against 64 million by the open-hearth process. Today no Bessemer steel is produced in America, and only a small amount of America’s steel output is made by the open-hearth process.    1 
 1. The primary purpose of the passage is to:

a) Highlight the importance of the steel industry in the development of the American economy.
b) Demonstrate the superiority of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process.
c) Discuss two important developments in the history of the American steel industry.
d) Detail the process by which iron ore can be made into steel.
e) Argue that steel is a far superior metal to wrought or cast iron.

2 
 2. According to the passage, which of the following indicates a difference between iron and steel?

a) Iron is too expensive to produce to be a viable replacement for steel.
b) Steel is more carbon-rich than iron.
c) Iron is too brittle to be used for anything other than cutlery and some tools.
d) Steel can be produced from more phosphorous ores than can iron.
e) Iron contains carbon in higher amounts than steel does.

3 
 3. According to the passage, which of the following was an advantage of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process?

a) It reduced the time necessary to create steel from ore and scrap metal.
b) It was able to produce higher volumes of steel.
c) It was able to make use of highly phosphoric ores.
d) It could work with a wider variety of raw materials.
e) It could produce up to ten tons of steel per hour.

4 
 In paragraph 2, the author notes that the longer period of time that it takes for an open-hearth charge (versus a Bessemer charge) allows metalworkers to make the steel to more specific requirements, providing an advantage for that process. So C is correct. Choice A is close but cannot be proven – the author does mention that Bessemer received more accolades and wealth, but stops short of noting whether he felt Kelly deserved any more. Choice B is also incorrect, as the author notes that even the open-hearth method has been losing usership. Choice D is incorrect – the Civil War is mentioned, but that’s it. And choice E may well be true but is not at all mentioned by the author. 
 4. The author is most likely to agree with which of the following statements:

a) William Kelly deserved more fame and financial reward than he received.
b) The open-hearth process is the ideal process for making steel.
c) The fact that the open-hearth method was more time-consuming than the Bessemer process provided an advantage.
d) The effectiveness of the Bessemer process was a major factor in the outcome of the American Civil War.
e) For any new steelmaking procedure to be effective, it will need to be able to make use of a wider variety of metals than can the open-hearth process.

shameekv1989 · Answer

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 Assumption  :- by posting timings and comparing it with yours give a better understanding of where you are compared to the group and trigger a feeling to improve further.

(3:29) 
1. The primary purpose of the passage is to:

a) Highlight the importance of the steel industry in the development of the American economy.  It was just one point the author made, though not the central idea of the passage 
b) Demonstrate the superiority of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process.  He introduced 2 processes, though not to demonstrate the superiority of one over other 
c) Discuss two important developments in the history of the American steel industry. Correct - He discusses 2 processes "Bessemer" and "Open-hearth" and how they helped American steel industry create more steel as compared to the past  
d) Detail the process by which iron ore can be made into steel.  The author hasn't detailed the processes as such, just gave a basic idea of the processes 
e) Argue that steel is a far superior metal to wrought or cast iron.  No, he never mentioned steel is superior as such, just mentioned that iron is used in the making of steel

Answer - C

(1:48) 
2. According to the passage, which of the following indicates a difference between iron and steel?

a) Iron is too expensive to produce to be a viable replacement for steel.
b) Steel is more carbon-rich than iron. 
c) Iron is too brittle to be used for anything other than cutlery and some tools.
d) Steel can be produced from more phosphorous ores than can iron.
e) Iron contains carbon in higher amounts than steel does.  - Correct -  "the idea of blowing a blast of air through molten iron, thus removing excess carbon that differentiates iron from steel."  - this suggests that iron has more carbon and excess carbon is removed to form steel.

Answer - E

(1:33) 
3. According to the passage, which of the following was an advantage of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process?

a) It reduced the time necessary to create steel from ore and scrap metal.  Nowhere mentioned in the passage 
b) It was able to produce higher volumes of steel. -  The process wasn't able to produce higher volumes as compared to other processes, as a result of open-hearth being economical, industries started using open-hearth process more and thus resulted in higher volumes 
c) It was able to make use of highly phosphoric ores.  - Bessemer could not make use of phosphoric ores only at the outset, though may be it could later with the improvements -  " At the outset, for instance, it could not make use of highly phosphoric ores."  
d) It could work with a wider variety of raw materials.  - Correct - As mentioned,  "The open-hearth process was more economical than the Bessemer process. It could make use of scrap iron and all varieties of ore." open-hearth process could start using scrap iron as well which Bessemer wasn't able to.  
e) It could produce up to ten tons of steel per hour.  - Nowhere mentioned in the passage

Answer - D

Total time - 6:50

varun325 · Answer

1.  The primary purpose of the passage is to:

a) Highlight the importance of the steel industry in the  development of the American economy .( out of context)
b) Demonstrate the  superiority  of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process.
Author agrees that for steel making ,open hearth process was used more than bessemer process but this is the not the primary purpose of the passage.

c) Discuss two important developments in the history of the American steel industry. ( Correct) The first line of both the para starts with the introduction of new method for steel making and In the first para author mentions the importance of steel in civil war referring American History.
Best choice out of all.

d) Detail the process by which iron ore can be made into steel.( This is close but this doesn't seem to be the main idea of the passage)
e) Argue that steel is a far superior metal to wrought or cast iron. ( Out of context)

2.  According to the passage, which of the following indicates a difference between iron and steel?

a) Iron is too expensive to produce to be a viable replacement for steel.( out of context)
b) Steel is more carbon-rich than iron.( opposite)
c) Iron is too brittle to be used for anything other than cutlery and some tools. ( out of context)
d) Steel can be produced from more phosphorous ores than can iron. 
( how Iron is produced is not mentioned in passage so invalid option)

e ) Iron contains carbon in higher amounts than steel does. ( Correct) Bulls Eye
Refer First Para "In the mid-1850s, Bessemer and Kelly independently hit upon the idea of blowing a blast of air through molten iron, thus removing excess carbon that differentiates iron from steel"So clearly Iron contains more carbon and Steel is produced after removing some carbon from iron.
 
3.  According to the passage, which of the following was an advantage of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process?

a) It reduced the time necessary to create steel from ore and scrap metal. ( opposite )
The time required is more than the bessemer process. 
b) It was able to produce higher volumes of steel
(The open-hearth process was widely used so large volumes were produced, Volumes of steel produced by Bessemer method is not mentioned in passage ) 
c) It was able to make use of highly phosphoric ores. 
( Bessmer method was upgraded to use this but not the open hearth method)

d) It could work with a wider variety of raw materials.( Correct) Refer Second Para " The open-hearth process was more economical than the Bessemer process. It could make use of scrap iron and all varieties of ore."

e) It could produce up to ten tons of steel per hour. 
( Capacity of both methods is not mentioned & Production Time was more than Bessemer )

AnirudhaS · Answer

Answers are in bold . 1. The primary purpose of the passage is to: a) Highlight the importance of the steel industry in the development of the American economy. b) Demonstrate the superiority of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process. c) Discuss two important developments in the history of the American steel industry. d) Detail the process by which iron ore can be made into steel. e) Argue that steel is a far superior metal to wrought or cast iron. Explanation of question 1 The passage starts with the first successful process of steel making. We immediately know that author would talk about steel making in the passage and that would be the central theme. Lets go through the choices - A - Author does not HIGHLIGHT the importance, he only talks about the 2 processes. B - It is true that the open-hearth is a superior process, but it is NOT the main purpose of the passage as we discussed in the summary. C - Yes, this is the main purpose. Author starts with describing the first process - Bessemer. Then he moved to open-hearth, giving his reasons why the world chose one over the other. D - 2process are described. Also it does not detail the process by which iron can be made into steel. Literally one line - pass hot air over molten iron, that is only mentioned. That is definitely NOT detailing! E - He is not arguing, end of argument!!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. According to the passage, which of the following indicates a difference between iron and steel? a) Iron is too expensive to produce to be a viable replacement for steel. b) Steel is more carbon-rich than iron. c) Iron is too brittle to be used for anything other than cutlery and some tools. d) Steel can be produced from more phosphorous ores than can iron. e) Iron contains carbon in higher amounts than steel does. Explanation of question 2 This is a pretty straight forward question, we just need to find out where this is mentioned in the passage. Passage states - "In the mid-1850s, Bessemer and Kelly independently hit upon the idea of blowing a blast of air through molten iron, thus removing excess carbon that differentiates iron from steel" Look what happens here, we are blowing hot air over molten iron. This removes excess iron. Steel is formed. So the word 'excess' implies that iron has more carbons than steel. That is exactly what E is, and that is our answer. For the sake of completeness let us check the other choices too - A - Not mentioned at all B - Opposite answer C - No mention of cutlery and tools, we cannot infer this from the passage D - Distortion of meaning, Steel can be produced by one method (open-hearth) FROM iron. Iron is the raw-material from which steel is made. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. According to the passage, which of the following was an advantage of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process? a) It reduced the time necessary to create steel from ore and scrap metal. b) It was able to produce higher volumes of steel. c) It was able to make use of highly phosphoric ores. d) It could work with a wider variety of raw materials. e) It could produce up to ten tons of steel per hour. Explanation of question 3 A - Open-hearth takes MORE time than Bessemer. This is an opposite answer, just to throw you of your game. B - this is a distortion of meaning, the world used open-hearth process more with time, but this does not mean that it was able to produce higher volumes of steel. Out. C - Well this is not mentioned. In the first paragraph it is only mentioned that the Bessemer process CANNOT make use of highly phosphoric ores, but we cannot imply that the Bessemer process CAN. D - Yes, this is correct. The Bessemer process can use wider variety of raw-materials (ore). it is mentioned in the passage here - "It could make use of scrap iron and all varieties of ore. "

kris19 · Answer

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to:
 passage analysis: two approaches to produce steel are discussed and their respective advantages are given. And how a new development of steel production was invented. In the current situation, how much steel is being produced by each of those methods discussed is given.

a) Highlight the importance of the steel industry in the development of the American economy.
 not correct: passage mainly talks about the invention of steel making processes and how steel rail provided the impetus to the progress of steel making, not about the connection between steel industry and American economy

b) Demonstrate the superiority of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process.
not correct: this is a partial answer, as the last line of second para says 'Today no Bessemer steel is produced in America, and only a small amount of America’s steel output is made by the open-hearth process.'

c) Discuss two important developments in the history of the American steel industry.
 correct: first development is about simultaneous invention of steel making in 1850s and the second development is about open-hearth process 
 
d) Detail the process by which iron ore can be made into steel.
 not correct: passage says 'Bessemer and Kelly independently hit upon the idea of blowing a blast of air through molten iron, thus removing excess carbon that differentiates iron from steel' but the main focus of the passage is towards important developments in steel making

e) Argue that steel is a far superior metal to wrought or cast iron.
 not correct: no discussion of superiority of steel over iron 
________________________________________________________________________
2. According to the passage, which of the following indicates a difference between iron and steel?

a) Iron is too expensive to produce to be a viable replacement for steel.
 not correct: no discussion of cost to produce steel

b) Steel is more carbon-rich than iron.
 not correct: opposite, passage says 'blowing a blast of air through molten iron, thus removing excess carbon that differentiates iron from steel'

c) Iron is too brittle to be used for anything other than cutlery and some tools.
 not correct: no discussion of brittleness of iron

d) Steel can be produced from more phosphorous ores than can iron.
 not correct: no comparison between phosphorus ores and iron in producing steel

e) Iron contains carbon in higher amounts than steel does.
 correct: passage says 'blowing a blast of air through molten iron, thus removing excess carbon that differentiates iron from steel' 
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. According to the passage, which of the following was an advantage of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process?

a) It reduced the time necessary to create steel from ore and scrap metal.
 not correct: no discussion of time taken to produce steel in open-hearth process

b) It was able to produce higher volumes of steel.
 not correct: passage says 'in 1945, only 3.8 million tons of steel were produced by Bessemer, as against 64 million by the open-hearth process' but this is not the advantage by itself. This high volume of production was due to other advantages such as using 'scrap iron and all varieties of ore', 'sample the charge and adjust its composition to more exacting requirements', and 'use of low-grade coal – bituminous coal – rather than anthracite'

c) It was able to make use of highly phosphoric ores.
 not correct: passage says about open-hearth process that 'It could make use of scrap iron and all varieties of ore', but no discussion on making use of 'highly phosphorus ores'

d) It could work with a wider variety of raw materials.
 correct: passage says about open-hearth process that 'It could make use of scrap iron and all varieties of ore'
 
e) It could produce up to ten tons of steel per hour.
 not correct: no discussion of time taken by open-hearth process to produce steel

bM22 · Answer

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to:

a) Highlight the importance of the steel industry in the development of the American economy.
b) Demonstrate the superiority of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process.
 c) Discuss two important developments in the history of the American steel industry.
 d) Detail the process by which iron ore can be made into steel.
e) Argue that steel is a far superior metal to wrought or cast iron.

Correct Answer - C,
 Explanation - its clearly mentioned at the start of the each para in the passage, that the Bessemer process and the open-hearth process were the 2 major developments in the American steel making industry, which are discussed throughout the passage.
Option A - incorrect, as not discussed.
Option B - incorrect, as not the primary purpose.
Option D - incorrect, as not completely the primary purpose.
Option E - incorrect, out of scope.

2. According to the passage, which of the following indicates a difference between iron and steel?

a) Iron is too expensive to produce to be a viable replacement for steel.
b) Steel is more carbon-rich than iron.
c) Iron is too brittle to be used for anything other than cutlery and some tools.
d) Steel can be produced from more phosphorous ores than can iron.
 e) Iron contains carbon in higher amounts than steel does.

Correct Answer - E
 Explanation - as mentioned in the passage: "In the mid-1850s, Bessemer and Kelly independently hit upon the idea of blowing a blast of air through molten iron, thus removing excess carbon that differentiates iron from steel."
Option A - incorrect, not discussed in the passage.
Option B - incorrect, as opposite is true.
Option C - incorrect, not mentioned in the passage.
Option D - incorrect, as it cannot be deduced.

3. According to the passage, which of the following was an advantage of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process?

a) It reduced the time necessary to create steel from ore and scrap metal.
b) It was able to produce higher volumes of steel.
c) It was able to make use of highly phosphoric ores.
 d) It could work with a wider variety of raw materials.
 e) It could produce up to ten tons of steel per hour.

Correct Answer - D,
 Explanation - as mentioned in the passage: "The open-hearth process was more economical than the Bessemer process. It could make use of scrap iron and all varieties of ore."
Options A,B,C & E could be true, but since they are not discussed in the passage, they are incorrect.

GDT · Answer

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to:

Para 1 : Talks about how steel was invented from iron, who invented it, and Bessemer process of steel making
 Para 2 : Talks about 2nd significant development in steel making: open-hearth process and its comparison with the previous method

Hence, the primary purpose of the passage is to discuss 2 important developments that improved steel making industry

a) Highlight the importance of the steel industry in the development of the American economy.  Incorrect 
b) Demonstrate the superiority of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process.  Incorrect. the passage mentions both advantages(wider variety of raw materials) and disadvantages (more time) of Open hearth process over Bessemer process 
c) Discuss two important developments in the history of the American steel industry.   Correct  
d) Detail the process by which iron ore can be made into steel.  Incorrect. this appears only in para 1 & is not the primary purpose of the passage 
e) Argue that steel is a far superior metal to wrought or cast iron.  Incorrect. No comparison b/w the 2 types of metals is made

2. According to the passage, which of the following indicates a difference between iron and steel?

This answer can be inferred from the following excerpt:

a) Iron is too expensive to produce to be a viable replacement for steel.  Incorrect. No discussion of relative cost has been made 
b) Steel is more carbon-rich than iron.  Incorrect 
c) Iron is too brittle to be used for anything other than cutlery and some tools.  Incorrect. Not mentioned 
d) Steel can be produced from more phosphorous ores than can iron.  Incorrect. Use of phosphorous is not mentioned w.r.t. Open hearth process 
e) Iron contains carbon in higher amounts than steel does.   Correct

3. According to the passage, which of the following was an advantage of the open-hearth process over the Bessemer process?

This answer can be inferred from the following excerpts:

a) It reduced the time necessary to create steel from ore and scrap metal.  Incorrect. It increased the time 
b) It was able to produce higher volumes of steel.  Incorrect 
c) It was able to make use of highly phosphoric ores.  Incorrect. Use of phosphorous is not mentioned w.r.t. Open hearth process 
d) It could work with a wider variety of raw materials.   Correct. The passage mentions that Open hearth process made it possible to use low grade coal also, so a wider variety of raw materials could be used  
e) It could produce up to ten tons of steel per hour.  Incorrect. Can't be inferred

Sajjad1994 · Answer

OAs of this RC are posted now, if anyone have any question kindly let me know

1. C
2. E
3. D

This is a medium level passage. No one to mention here specially but I would say that the level of explanations by  bm2201  and  varun325  is improving.  shameekv1989  Thanks for sharing timer data.

PlyPatiphon · Answer

I found that there is no explanation for Question 4 Let me try

4. The author is most likely to agree with which of the following statements: a) William Kelly deserved more fame and financial reward than he received. -Incorrect: "Kelly may have come up with the idea first, but fame and fortune fell to Bessemer, for the Bessemer process was the one that caught on." it is possible that Kelly may gain some fame or financial reward for his idea, but there is no supporting evidence why he deserved more. b) The open-hearth process is the ideal process for making steel. -Incorrect: This answer is too extreme, It just said that "The open-hearth process was more economical than the Bessemer process." and there is evidence that "only a small amount of America’s steel output is made by the open-hearth process." , so it is clear that The open-hearth process is NOT the ideal process c) The fact that the open-hearth method was more time-consuming than the Bessemer process provided an advantage. -Correct: "An open-hearth charge required more time than a Bessemer charge, but this longer length of time permitted steelmakers to sample the charge and adjust its composition to more exacting requirements. " d) The effectiveness of the Bessemer process was a major factor in the outcome of the American Civil War. -Incorrect: "the Bessemer process became a principal factor in the tremendous increase in steel production after the Civil War." . It just said that the Bessemer process help to increase steel production, it mentioned nothing about the outcome of the American Civil War. e) For any new steelmaking procedure to be effective, it will need to be able to make use of a wider variety of metals than can the open-hearth process. -Incorrect: "The open-hearth process was more economical than the Bessemer process. It could make use of scrap iron and all varieties of ore." . It just said that making use of scrap iron and all varieties of ore give the open-hearth process an advantage, but it didn't mention anything about what would happen if we made use of a wider variety of metals than can the open-hearth process.

The first successful method of making steel in quantity was invented

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The first successful method of making steel in quantity was invented

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