Q19 - When an ordinary piece

[mcrittell]

I got this question right, but I'm having a hard time conceptualizing what D even means, and therefore why it has to be incorrect.

[noah]

I didn't expect to learn about glass tonight!

This is an inference question, specifically one where we need to tie together the premises.

We learn that glass squishes away from heavy weight, to go to where there is less pressure. Now, some cruel, cruel man is putting a heavy weight in the middle of a piece of glass - it doesn't crack - so what should happen? The glass should squish to the outside, which is what (E) states.

As for the wrong answers:

(A) is tempting at first - it would squish out - but why uniform thickness? The part under the heavy thing would become thinner!

(B) is contradicted by the premises.

(C) is unsupported. How heavy is this thing? How much would it compress steel?

(D) is strange. It basically states that the glass would split into two pieces, both of which are different from the original piece of glass in both size and shape. Why would it split in two?

I hope that helps.

[mcrittell]

Ok, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who was like, "does it just split in two?" haha

Thanks Noah! Such a big help!

[boy5237]

I believe is D is wrong because it actually contradicts what the argument is saying.

The stimulus gave the condition that the glass will be able to support the heavy object without cracking so...
it won't split in half; if will stay as one.