PrepTest 113

Incorrect. The stimulus provides only one example of a theory being surpassed by another, so this answer is an overgeneralization.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Must Be True

Stimulus Summary:
Newton's theories dominated for centuries and were consistently substantiated, but they were eventually replaced by Einsteinian theories, which continue to dominate physics.

Answer Anticipation:
This Must Be True stimulus provides a description of something that happened in the field of physics. Whenever a situation is described that doesn't provide a lot of statements that lead to inferences (conditionals, strong statements, causal statements), it's likely that the correct answer will abstract from the stimulus.

When it does so, however, we need to be careful—we can't pick an answer that goes too far and is too strong. A single example can only support a generalization that something can happen or sometimes happens, not that it always or usually happens.

Here, we have an example of a successful theory being replaced by another successful theory. The answer will likely draw a weak generalization about how sometimes, even successful theories in physics are replaced by better theories. Anything stronger than that is suspect!

Answer Explanation:
The stimulus provides an example of this. Newton's theory dominated for a long period of time, with a lot of substantiation, but it was eventually "surpassed" by Einstein's theories. Since only one example needs to be shown of a long-standing and substantiated theory failing to dominate indefinitely to prove that those qualities provide "no guarantee," this answer is supported by the stimulus.

Key Takeaway:
Note that all of the wrong answers here were overgeneralizations! A single example can only support a weak generalization—that something can happen, sometimes happens, or, as the correct answer states here, something isn't guaranteed to happen.

Incorrect. The stimulus provides only a single example of a theory of physics being surpassed by another, so this answer is (similar to (A)) an overgeneralization.

Incorrect. There's only one example of an accepted theory of physics dominating for centuries—even the Einsteinian theory has only been around for about one century. As such, this answer is another overgeneralization.

Incorrect. Assuming that the wide success of the Einsteinian theory matches that of the Newtonian one, this answer is yet another overgeneralization from a single example.