LSAT 144 | Section 1 | Reading Comprehension: Q22

RC Question 22 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: In passage B, which one of the following most…

DISCUSSION: If you read lines 24-28, auxiliary theories include the absence of any “disturbing forces” that might throw off the results. It’s implied that these disturbing forces are unknown, because if they were known we could account for them in our predictions.

In passage B, the main example was nearby planets that might affect orbits. Specifically, Neptune was the undiscovered planet affecting the orbit of Uranus.

___________

1. Uranus was the planet scientists had discovered. Neptune was an example of a disturbing force scientists had assumed didn’t exist.
2. Nonsense. Everyone knows the sun exists. A disturbing force is something unknown.
3. CORRECT. See the analysis above.
4. Mercury was the known planet scientists were trying to predict. Absence of disturbing forces would be “there are no unknown planets affecting Mercury’s orbit”.
5. The moon is a known force. A disturbing force is implied to be something we don’t know about and therefore can’t calculate. Also, the moon wasn’t even mentioned in passage B.