In 2014, Amelia Quon and her team at NASA set out to build a helicopter capable of flying on Mars....
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
In 2014, Amelia Quon and her team at NASA set out to build a helicopter capable of flying on Mars. Because Mars's atmosphere is only one percent as dense as Earth's, the air of Mars would not provide enough resistance to the rotating blades of a standard helicopter for the aircraft to stay aloft. For five years, Quon's team tested designs in a lab that mimicked Mars's atmospheric conditions. The craft the team ultimately designed can fly on Mars because its blades are longer and rotate faster than those of a helicopter of the same size built for Earth.
According to the text, why would a helicopter built for Earth be unable to fly on Mars?
Because Mars and Earth have different atmospheric conditions
Because the blades of helicopters built for Earth are too large to work on Mars
Because the gravity of Mars is much weaker than the gravity of Earth
Because helicopters built for Earth are too small to handle the conditions on Mars
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "In 2014, Amelia Quon and her team at NASA set out to build a helicopter capable of flying on Mars." |
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| "Because Mars's atmosphere is only one percent as dense as Earth's, the air of Mars would not provide enough resistance to the rotating blades of a standard helicopter for the aircraft to stay aloft." |
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| "For five years, Quon's team tested designs in a lab that mimicked Mars's atmospheric conditions." |
|
| "The craft the team ultimately designed can fly on Mars because its blades are longer and rotate faster than those of a helicopter of the same size built for Earth." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: NASA had to design a special helicopter for Mars because the planet's extremely thin atmosphere cannot support standard Earth helicopter designs.
Argument Flow: The passage starts with the project goal, then explains the fundamental atmospheric challenge that makes Earth helicopters unsuitable for Mars, describes the research process, and concludes with the engineering solution they developed.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? Why would a helicopter built for Earth be unable to fly on Mars?
What type of answer do we need? A specific reason based on the information provided in the text
Any limiting keywords? "According to the text" means we need to stick to what's explicitly stated in the passage
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The passage makes it clear that the issue is atmospheric density
- Mars's atmosphere is only one percent as dense as Earth's, which means there isn't enough air resistance for standard helicopter blades to work
- The answer should focus on this atmospheric difference between the two planets
Because Mars and Earth have different atmospheric conditions
✓ Correct
- Correct - This directly matches what the passage tells us - the fundamental issue is that Mars and Earth have different atmospheric conditions
- Specifically aligns with the atmospheric density difference being the core problem
Because the blades of helicopters built for Earth are too large to work on Mars
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - Claims the blades are "too large" but the passage never mentions blade size being problematic
- Actually contradicts the solution - the Mars helicopter needed longer blades, not smaller ones
Because the gravity of Mars is much weaker than the gravity of Earth
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - The passage never mentions gravity differences between Mars and Earth
- Focuses entirely on atmospheric conditions, not gravitational forces
Because helicopters built for Earth are too small to handle the conditions on Mars
✗ Incorrect
- Incorrect - Claims Earth helicopters are "too small" but the passage doesn't discuss overall helicopter size
- The issue isn't size but rather how the blades interact with the thin Martian atmosphere