ACT Science Practice Question #1252 (Hard (34)) | Test Citadel
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ACT Science Difficulty: Hard (34)

Digital ACT Science Practice Question #1252

Test your problem-solving accuracy on this official-caliber item. Select an answer choice to check your reasoning instantly.

Two astronomers debate the origin of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs): • Astronomer 1 hypothesizes that FRBs originate exclusively from magnetars (highly magnetized neutron stars) undergoing starquakes in our local cosmic neighborhood. • Astronomer 2 hypothesizes that FRBs are produced by cataclysmic mergers of binary neutron star systems in distant galaxies at cosmological redshifts ($z > 1.0$). Astronomers discover a repeating FRB source (FRB 121102) that fires multiple bursts over several months from the exact same celestial coordinates. Which astronomer's hypothesis is directly contradicted by this observation?
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Socratic AI Engine Step-by-Step Derivation
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Logical contradiction: 'Cataclysmic merger' = one-time destruction. If it repeats, the merger hypothesis is falsified.

Masterclass Solution & Distractor Trap Analysis

Astronomer 2 posits that FRBs originate from 'cataclysmic mergers of binary neutron star systems'. A merger destroys or fuses the two bodies in a one-time cataclysm; the same source cannot merge again. Therefore, the observation of repeated...

Distractor Analysis: Trap choice eliminates careless test-takers who confuse roots with coordinates...

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