MCAT common practice?

[LoLCareerGoals]

TBR page 147 question 3:

What is the value of Keq- 1,4 for the conversion of
trans-1,4-dimethylcyclohexane from its diaxial
conformation to its diequatorial conformation?

Now from the passage we also know that Keq - 1,2 is 4.31 and Keq 1,4 IS DIRECTLY COMPARABLE to it.
A. Obv wrong
B. 2.16
C. Obv wrong
D. 345

From the passage we also strongly suspect that Keq-1,4 > Keq- 1,2
Now from my intuition I was expecting the right answer to be idk like 4.8 or 5.2, maaaybe 9 I overruled myself because in no way is 345 is "directly comparable" to 4.31 even if it is to the right side of it. Does MCAT do this often? Throw around vague and misleading information? If it wasn't for that sentence I snap pick D.
Also a lot of the times I was a question that could easily be asked in isolation (not require the passage). A simple "According to the passage,..." prefix would make it much much clearer. Should you assume the presence of an implied "According to the passage,..." if it is not directly there.

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[BerkReviewTeach]

TBR page 147 question 3:

What is the value of Keq- 1,4 for the conversion of
trans-1,4-dimethylcyclohexane from its diaxial
conformation to its diequatorial conformation?

Now from the passage we also know that Keq - 1,2 is 4.31 and Keq 1,4 IS DIRECTLY COMPARABLE to it.
A. Obv wrong
B. 2.16
C. Obv wrong
D. 345

From the passage we also strongly suspect that Keq-1,4 > Keq- 1,2
Now from my intuition I was expecting the right answer to be idk like 4.8 or 5.2, maaaybe 9 I overruled myself because in no way is 345 is "directly comparable" to 4.31 even if it is to the right side of it. Does MCAT do this often? Throw around vague and misleading information? If it wasn't for that sentence I snap pick D.
Also a lot of the times I was a question that could easily be asked in isolation (not require the passage). A simple "According to the passage,..." prefix would make it much much clearer. Should you assume the presence of an implied "According to the passage,..." if it is not directly there.

Page 168 #3:

The passage shows you that Keq 1,2 = 4.31 for the conversion from diaxial to diequatorial. It also alludes to the fact that 1,2 has trans vs. gauche interactions to consider while 1,4 does not have that same issue. This means that while 1,2 has a small aspect that favors diaxial (trans), 1,4 doesn't have any of that. So 1,4 should show a bigger preference for diequatorial over diaxial than 1,2 shows.

The choices are:

A. 0.0029
B. 2.16
C. 4.31
D. 345

You should think of those choices as:

A. 1,4 favors diaxial over diequatorial
B. 1,4 favors diequatorial over diaxial, but less than 1,2 does.
C. 1,4 favors diequatorial over diaxial to the same extent as 1,2.
D. 1,4 favors diequatorial over diaxial, even more than 1,2 does.

That's really what the question is getting at.

Diequatorial > Diaxial, so choice A gets tossed.

1,4 is not the same as 1,2, exactly as shown in Figure 1, so choice C gets tossed.

The only possible choice is D, because 1,4 will go more to the diequatorial side than 1,2 does, making Keq 1,4 > 4.31. How much greater is irrelevant to solving this question and the exact numbers are a moot point.

The reality is that the MCAT is filled with extraneous information that might help if you analyze it, but just as is the case with this question, it's not necessary to digest the data to get the right answer from the concept.