This is frustrating

[hlchess]

I was looking over the practice test I took today, and I'm pissed because some of the questions are just impossible! For this question, the answer I got was a very small number (about 10^-5) and here were the choices:

a) close to 0
b) less than 1
c) more than 1
d) something else i forget...

How am I supposed to decide between a and b?? The answer is both less than 1 and close to 0!! I chose a, but the correct answer was b. How is 10^-5 not close to 0?? And this was one of the aamc practice tests, so they couldn't have screwed it up. Does anyone have any idea how to choose b instead of a?

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[MoosePilot]

I was looking over the practice test I took today, and I'm pissed because some of the questions are just impossible! For this question, the answer I got was a very small number (about 10^-5) and here were the choices:

a) close to 0
b) less than 1
c) more than 1
d) something else i forget...

How am I supposed to decide between a and b?? The answer is both less than 1 and close to 0!! I chose a, but the correct answer was b. How is 10^-5 not close to 0?? And this was one of the aamc practice tests, so they couldn't have screwed it up. Does anyone have any idea how to choose b instead of a?

Tough. I would have gone the same way, I think. The way to think about it may be that it's *definitely* (b) (nobody can say it's not less than 1, can they? it has to be true), but (a) is a judgement call. So they're both right, but (b) is more right.

 

[AggieJohn]

I was looking over the practice test I took today, and I'm pissed because some of the questions are just impossible! For this question, the answer I got was a very small number (about 10^-5) and here were the choices:

a) close to 0
b) less than 1
c) more than 1
d) something else i forget...

How am I supposed to decide between a and b?? The answer is both less than 1 and close to 0!! I chose a, but the correct answer was b. How is 10^-5 not close to 0?? And this was one of the aamc practice tests, so they couldn't have screwed it up. Does anyone have any idea how to choose b instead of a?

All I can say is I would have gone with b on that one. While (a) may or may not be true, you know (b) is true. (a) is an opinion, while (b) is a fact. I don't think you would see something like that on the real thing.

 

[perfectmoment]

actually, b said "much less than 1"... which i would classify 10^-5 as being. i remember this cause i had no clue how to do the question and quessed correctly.

 

[hlchess]

Thanks...I think I can see how it could make sense now.

I'm just frustrated because physical sciences is supposed to be my best subject, but there's always these kind of questions that bring my score down.

 

[gary5]

I'd recheck your math because 10^-5 is essentially zero, so perhaps your 10^-5 answer is incorrect.

 

[hlchess]

No, its right because that's what it said on the answer key. The question was what's the ionization constant of H2S, and I actually thought it was close to that of water. But the answer key said its 10^-5, which is still close to 0, and still less than 1.

 

[MoosePilot]

I'd recheck your math because 10^-5 is essentially zero, so perhaps your 10^-5 answer is incorrect.

Like I said before, "close to zero" is right, but a judgement call. Less than 1 is indisputable.

 

[NapeSpikes]

Yep, I remember this one. What a crappy set of answer choices. All they had to do was make choice A zero instead of "close to zero."

 

[Mister Pie]

This is *****ic question. Damn you AAMC! This is a rather artificial way of making the exam more difficult.

 

[hlchess]

Omg, I just encountered another problem, and this one's probably even worse. The question asks when an object from far away is reflected by a converging mirror, where does the image appear?

a) behind the mirror
b) between the mirror and the focal point
c) at the focal point
d) outside the focal point.

We know that the image will be a tiny bit outside of the focal point. It will be very close to the focal point, but never exactly at the focal point. So I chose d, but the correct answer is c! If I use the logic from the previous problem, the image is definitely outside the focal point even if the object is very far away. So you'd pick d as the answer...

Can anyone explain why c would be a better answer? And these are AAMC questions, so it's possible that they'll appear on the real MCAT.

 

[Will Hunting]

wow that is ridiculous. I guess with repeated practice you'll get used to the format. I went with A at first, although I knew B was also right. Then I thought about the SAt and went with B. B makes sense since it's indisputable. Knowing standarized tests, you'll learn to go with B.

 

[challie2385]

Omg, I just encountered another problem, and this one's probably even worse. The question asks when an object from far away is reflected by a converging mirror, where does the image appear?

a) behind the mirror
b) between the mirror and the focal point
c) at the focal point
d) outside the focal point.

We know that the image will be a tiny bit outside of the focal point. It will be very close to the focal point, but never exactly at the focal point. So I chose d, but the correct answer is c! If I use the logic from the previous problem, the image is definitely outside the focal point even if the object is very far away. So you'd pick d as the answer...

Can anyone explain why c would be a better answer? And these are AAMC questions, so it's possible that they'll appear on the real MCAT.

I remember this problem from an AAMC test also. I think the reasoning behind it is that, for one, you have to kind of be a mind-reader of the test-maker and realize that "far away" basically means "infinity." Once you've conquered that monumental task, then you just plug infinity in for the object distance into the les equation, and when that term (1/do) cancels out, you are left with 1/f=1/di, which means that the image appears at the focal point. Hmm...I didn't know telepathy was also tested on the MCAT, then again, those AAMC people, they'll always getcha...

Anyway, hope this helps