SAT OwlChemists testing a new catalyst for producing hydrogen fuel found that it worked efficiently in laboratory trials lasting a few hours. In trials lasting several weeks, however, its efficiency fell sharply, and microscope images showed that tiny particles of the catalyst had clumped together, reducing the surface area available for reactions. Because the catalyst's activity depends on that surface area, the chemists concluded that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
the drop in efficiency was likely caused by the particles' clumping.
clumping occurs in every catalyst used to produce hydrogen.
the catalyst lost efficiency because its particles were too small at the start.
making the particles even smaller would prevent them from clumping.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A
Clumping reduced the catalyst's surface area, and the catalyst's activity depends on surface area. The logical conclusion is that clumping explains the loss of efficiency, choice A.
Choice B overgeneralizes from one catalyst to all catalysts used for hydrogen production.
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