LSAT Science Passage Questions

Now that we’ve formed our outline for our science passage, let’s take a look at the questions. This is the third in a series of articles about LSAT science passage questions. The series includes:

• Natural Science Passages in LSAT Reading Comprehension
• LSAT Reading Comp Outlines For Science
• LSAT Science Passage Questions

LSAT Science Passage Question 1: Macro Question

The macro question we presented you with at the beginning of this lesson was a “primary purpose,” question. As you know from the lesson on Reading Comprehension questions, you can often discard two or three of the answer choices just by reading the first word and comparing to your understanding of the tone of the passage.

1. The primary purpose of this passage is to

(A)       argue for the existence of black holes.
(B)       critique the current theories regarding black holes.
(C)       describe recent theories involving observable information from within a black hole.
(D)       compare Hawking’s theories to those of mainstream researchers.\
(E)       present evidence that black holes are formed by particles crossing the event horizon.

What was the tone of the passage? Was it argumentative. Certainly there are a few arguments in the passage, we know this because of key words like “since,” and “thus.” But the tone is really more descriptive that anything else. So you can toss out answer choices (A) and (B) simply for their first words, “argue,” and “critique.”

Answer choice (C) is the right answer and matches our refined main idea. It starts with the tone word “describe,” which is appropriate, and its scope is broad enough to contain the entire passage. We don’t know what we don’t know about black holes, and the passage describes how information may or may not pass back through the event horizon.

Answer choices (D) and (E) start with acceptable tone words, “compare,” and “describe,” but go astray in the rest of their answers. Hawking doesn’t show up until the final passage, so it seems unlikely that the primary purpose is to compare his work to anything except as an example of new thinking on black holes. The scope is too narrow for (D) to be correct and the word “mainstream” connected to the word “compare” implies that Hawking is not mainstream, which the author never suggests. The passage never talks about the formation of black holes so (E) is incorrect. Besides, when we do read about particles passing the event horizon, we can assume the black hole already exists.

LSAT Science Passage Question 2: Inference Question

The second question deals with a detail in the second paragraph; however, there is no way to determine that from reading the question stem. So this might be a candidate to skip for later when you’ve gained more familiarity with the passage by answering some other questions. Remember, there is no reason you have to answer the questions in the order they’re given. Skip around and look for questions that seem easier. Easier questions would give you a specific detail in the question stem to refer back to.

2. The passage implies which of the following about black holes?

(A)       Particles from the interior of a black hole are so transformed when they cross back through the event horizon that they are atypical and cannot be used to characterize the black hole.
(B)       The classical theory of general relativity states that black holes cannot be characterized by contents within the interior of the event horizon.
(C)       Black holes cannot be characterized by angular momentum.
(D)       Electric charge cannot be measured from within a black hole.
(E)       We can only make guesses as to the specific mass of a black hole.

The answer is (B). It is in line with the thrust of the entire passage and can be inferred from the last sentence of the second paragraph. We know from our basic main idea that it’s possible no information ever leaves the black hole. The last sentence of the second paragraph talks about what we can use to characterize black holes according to the classical theory of general relativity: mass, angular momentum and electric charge. The formal logic word “only” tell us that nothing else can be used to characterize black holes. Thus, (B) is correct in saying that the contents cannot be used.

(A) is a distortion and a contradiction of the passage. The classical theory is in line with the idea that the reason we have difficulty describing black holes is that particles never cross back over the event horizon, not that they are somehow transformed.

Answer (C) is a contradiction. The last sentence of the second paragraph specifically contradicts this answer choice.

Answers (D) and (E) are beyond the scope of the passage. The last sentence of the second paragraph says we can characterize black holes by angular momentum and electric charge, but we don’t know anything about how we would measure them or to their degree.

LSAT Science Passage Question 3: Detail Question

The third question is what we like to see in a detail question. It gives us a specific handle to relate back to the passage. In this case, the handle is “singularities,” and so we know we’re referencing the short third paragraph.

3. According to the passage, which one of the following is true regarding singularities.

(A)       The singularity is the theoretical spheroidal surface surrounding the mass of a black hole.
(B)       The singularity is composed of particles traveling away from the center of mass.
(C)       All particles in the interior of the event horizon must move toward the singularity.
(D)       Particles move away from the singularity but are bound by the event horizon.
(E)       The singularity can account for the escape of information from inside a black hole.

The answer is (C), and as is the case with many detail question, the right answer is right out of the passage if you know where to look. (C) is basically a restatement of the last sentence of the third paragraph.

(C) is the right answer and is basically a paraphrase of the last sentence in the third paragraph.

Answers (A) and (E) are examples of “right answer, wrong question.” These answers take details from other paragraphs that don’t deal with singularities and try to tie that information to singularities. This is to penalize readers who don’t pay attention to structure and make a good outline. (A) is would be the right answer for a question about the event horizon, not singularities. (E) would be the right answer for a question about quantum physics (especially according to Hawking).

(B) is a contradiction. The passage states that particles must move toward the singularity. (D) is wrong for the same reason but tries to trick you with it’s half-right half-wrong nature. It’s true that the event horizon holds in the particles, but it doesn’t make the first part true.

LSAT Science Passage Question 4: Detail Question

Question 4 is another detail question regarding the second paragraph. Science passages often contain more details than inferences, which is why some students who like details find science passages easy despite the technical language they employ. This should be an easy point because the question stem points so well to our paraphrase of the second paragraph:

We can’t describe black holes from our position on the outside.

4. The author states that which one of the following is the reason scientists cannot describe the interior of a black hole?

(A)       Scientists are still fine-tuning the theory of general relativity.
(B)       The singularity infinitely curves space-time making such descriptions impossible.
(C)       Scientists can only measure the mass of a black hole.
(D)       The event horizon is only an imaginary surface.
(E)       No particles ever leave the interior of a black hole.

The right answer is (E). This is right out of the first sentence of the second paragraph.

(A) is true, but not related to the details of the second paragraph. Right answer, wrong question. Similarly answer choice (B) deals with the singularity, which is from the third paragraph, not the second.

Answer choice (C) is a distortion of the last sentence of paragraph two. According to the classical theory of general relativity, scientists can use angular momentum and electric charge as well as mass to characterize black holes. Also, the passage never says anything about “measurement” of mass.

Answer (D) is the distortion of a detail from the first paragraph. Not only is it out of scope for this question (we’re looking at the second paragraph), it misuses a phrase from the first paragraph. The author doesn’t imply that we cannot describe black holes because the event horizon is theoretical or “imaginary.”

LSAT Science Passage Question 5: Inference Question

The fifth question lacks a good handle in the question stem, so we know it won’t be as easy to locate an answer. By scanning the answer choices, however, we might guess the answer is in the final paragraph.

5. The author implies which of the following?

(A)       Quantum physics cannot account for the escape of information from inside a black hole.
(B)       Certain events have not yet been accounted for in theories regarding the singularity.
(C)       Stephen Hawking’s recently presented arguments about information emitted from black holes challenges the accepted views of quantum physics.
(D)       Academic journals are only interested in theories from leading physicists.
(E)       Mathematical equations indicate that the singularity does not actually exist.

Answer choice (B) is inferred by the phrase starting in line 33, “…and that new phenomena must come into play as one approaches the singularity.”

Answer choice (A) is in direct contradiction with the fourth paragraph. The LSAT is trying to trick you into thinking you’ve missed something, but remember that inferences in Reading Comprehension are still pretty straightforward.

Answer (C) goes too far with the word “challenge.” The author uses reasonable phrases like “fine-tuning,” and “could account for.” (E) also goes to far. Our theory is not complete, but that doesn’t mean the singularity doesn’t exist.

Answer choice (D) picks on an extraneous detail. An inference question in Reading Comprehension will never be about such random elements in the passage. The test is seeing if you can separate the substance from the fluff.

LSAT Science Passage Question 6: How and Why Question

The final question is a why and how question that deals with how the author structures the passage and why certain details are used. The specific detail is Stephen Hawking and the question stem even tells us where to find him. These questions are not asking what the detail is, or even what’s inferred by them, but about why the author mentions the detail.

6. The author refers to Stephen Hawking in the fourth paragraph primarily to

(A)       illustrate some common misconceptions about black holes.
(B)       demonstrate that we are still refining our understanding of black holes.
(C)       describe recent theories of quantum physics.
(D)       show the differences between quantum physics and theories of general relativity.
(E)       reinforce similarities between two theories about the event horizon.

Review your outline and your paraphrase of the fourth paragraph:

P4: Our theories of black holes are not complete — information might pass back through after all.

We know that whatever detail the author brings up must reinforce this idea. Answer choice (B) most closely matches the main idea of paragraph four.

Answer (A) is incorrect because even though the author says Hawking’s ideas are still being reviewed, to say they are “misconceptions,” goes too far.

(C) is wrong because the author is not describing recent theories, just mentioning a new one to support the main idea of the fourth paragraph.

The author never says there are specific similarities between two theories, but is concerned with refining one theory so (D) and (E) are incorrect. (D) is far beyond the scope of the fourth paragraph. (E) goes too narrow by referring to the event horizon.

LSAT Science Passage Summary Tips

• Don’t be intimidated by technical details.
• Continue to use your TestSherpa method in all types of passages.
• Science passages may be boring, but if you like scanning for details you may find them easier than other passages.
• Take the time to form a great outline and underline topic phrases — you’ll definitely need them later.
• Try drawing a sketch to help you understand the physical relationships of details in the passage.

Now return to our LSAT prep course page to read another lesson series.