NameRight ascension (hours)Period (seconds)Frequency (hertz)J0545-0351.0740.931J1654-233516:540.5451.834J0103+541:030.3542.822J0121+5312.7250.367J0614...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
| Name | Right ascension (hours) | Period (seconds) | Frequency (hertz) |
|---|---|---|---|
| J0545-03 | 5 | 1.074 | 0.931 |
| J1654-2335 | 16:54 | 0.545 | 1.834 |
| J0103+54 | 1:03 | 0.354 | 2.822 |
| J0121+53 | 1 | 2.725 | 0.367 |
| J0614-03 | 6 | 0.136 | 7.353 |
A student is researching rotating radio transients (RRATs), a subclass of pulsar stars characterized by short pulses of radio waves. The time between consecutive pulses of an RRAT is referred to as a period. Looking at the table, the student determines that ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?
J0614-03 has the shortest amount of time between consecutive pulses of all the RRATs in the table.
J0545-03 and J0121+53 have the same amount of time between consecutive pulses.
J1654-2335 has the longest amount of time between consecutive pulses of all the RRATs in the table.
J0103+54 and J0121+53 both have more than one second of time between consecutive pulses.
Solution
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "A student is researching rotating radio transients (RRATs), a subclass of pulsar stars characterized by short pulses of radio waves." |
|
| "The time between consecutive pulses of an RRAT is referred to as a period." |
|
| "Looking at the table, the student determines that ______" |
|
| Table Data: 5 RRATs with right ascension, period (seconds), and frequency (hertz) |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: A student analyzing RRAT data needs to draw a conclusion about the time periods between pulses based on the provided measurements.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes the research context (student studying RRATs), provides the crucial definition of "period" as the time between pulses, presents data for five different RRATs, and sets up the task of determining what conclusion the student would draw from this data.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The student is specifically looking at the "period" data, which represents time between consecutive pulses
- We need to examine the period column: J0545-03 (\(1.074\mathrm{s}\)), J1654-2335 (\(0.545\mathrm{s}\)), J0103+54 (\(0.354\mathrm{s}\)), J0121+53 (\(2.725\mathrm{s}\)), J0614-03 (\(0.136\mathrm{s}\))
- From this data, we can determine which RRAT has the shortest period (least time between pulses), which has the longest period (most time between pulses), whether any have the same periods, and whether any exceed certain time thresholds
J0614-03 has the shortest amount of time between consecutive pulses of all the RRATs in the table.
✓ Correct
- States that J0614-03 has the shortest period
- Looking at the table: J0614-03 has 0.136 seconds, which is indeed the smallest value in the period column
J0545-03 and J0121+53 have the same amount of time between consecutive pulses.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims J0545-03 and J0121+53 have the same period
- Table shows J0545-03 has 1.074 seconds while J0121+53 has 2.725 seconds
- These values are clearly different
J1654-2335 has the longest amount of time between consecutive pulses of all the RRATs in the table.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims J1654-2335 has the longest period
- Table shows J1654-2335 has 0.545 seconds, but J0121+53 has 2.725 seconds
- J0121+53 actually has the longest period
J0103+54 and J0121+53 both have more than one second of time between consecutive pulses.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims both J0103+54 and J0121+53 have more than one second between pulses
- J0103+54 has 0.354 seconds (less than 1 second) and J0121+53 has 2.725 seconds (more than 1 second)
- Only one of the two RRATs meets the criterion