- Which of the following best describes the characteristics of an
element?
(A) It is capable of existing in relatively simple molecular
forms.
(B) It exists only in molar quantities.
(C) It will always react with any other element.
(D) It is a fundamental form of matter.
(E) It is more reactive if the surrounding entropy is high.
If you’re too attached to the way that you usually describe elements, you might
not see the right answer although (a) you do know it, and (b) it’s staring you in
the face. The right answer to this question is D. To say that an element is a
fundamental form of matter is, more or less, to say it can’t be broken down into
simpler substances. The words aren’t the same, but the meaning is.
Many students who know what an element is might still not answer this question
correctly. This is because they’ll look quickly through the choices and not see
anything they recognize—this throws them into “answer-choice panic,” and
they’ll pick something that “sounds right”—something that has the word
“simple” in it, such as choice A.
That’s too bad. Students who do know the content sometimes choose the wrong
answer simply because they fall for the camouflage trap.
Here’s another example from a type C question. Suppose you know that if you
add heat to a sample of gas molecules, each molecule, on average, starts
bouncing around faster than it did before. But you’re accustomed to stating it
this way:
The average kinetic energy of gas molecules is directly
proportional to the absolute temperature of the gas.If you’re married to that statement, what’s going to happen when you see the
question below?
- Which of the following is always increased by the addition of
thermal energy to a sample of gas in a closed container?
(A) Ideal gas constant