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IMAT 2011 · Answers & Worked Solution

IMAT 2011 Answers & Worked Solution

All 80 answers, solved and explained — General Knowledge, Logical Reasoning, Biology, Chemistry, Physics & Mathematics. Verified line by line by the LOCOMOTIVE academic team.

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General Knowledge & Logical Reasoning

Current affairs, history, culture, logical and critical-thinking problems · 40 questions
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Which of the following states is NOT a permanent member of the UN Security Council?

  • AChina
  • BFrance
  • CJapan
  • DUnited Kingdom
  • EUSA
Correct answer: C Japan

Full explanation

Japan is not a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The five permanent members are China, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Russia. These members have the power to veto any substantive resolution. Japan, however, has been an elected non-permanent member several times but does not hold a permanent seat.

Summary to learn

The UN Security Council has five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — each holding veto power over substantive resolutions, plus ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly. Japan, despite being a major economic power and a frequent non-permanent member, has never held one of the five permanent seats, which were fixed at the UN's founding in 1945 based on the victorious powers of World War II.

Which ancient Greek is referred to as the father of Western medicine?

  • AAristophanes
  • BAristotle
  • CHippocrates
  • DPlato
  • ESocrates
Correct answer: C Hippocrates

Full explanation

Hippocrates, who lived around 460--370 BCE, is often called the "Father of Western Medicine" because of his pioneering approach to medical practice. He emphasized observation, diagnosis, and ethical standards for physicians, which led to the creation of the Hippocratic Oath, a code of ethics still influential in modern medicine. Unlike previous beliefs that sickness was caused by supernatural forces, Hippocrates argued that diseases had natural causes and should be treated systematically.

Summary to learn

Hippocrates (c. 460–370 BCE) is called the “Father of Western Medicine” because he broke from the belief that illness was caused by supernatural or divine forces, arguing instead that disease had natural, physical causes that could be observed and treated systematically. His name is attached to the Hippocratic Oath, a code of medical ethics (including principles like patient confidentiality and “first, do no harm”) that still influences medical practice today.

Amnesty International (AI), a non-governmental organisation for the protection of human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, opposes the death penalty. Which one of the following reasons for opposing the death penalty is inconsistent with the principles of AI.

  • AThe death penalty can be carried out on an innocent person.
  • BThe death penalty is contrary to theological principles.
  • CThe death penalty is cruel, inhuman and degrading.
  • DThe death penalty is not a deterrent against crime.
  • EThe death penalty, once carried out, cannot be reversed.
Correct answer: B The death penalty is contrary to theological principles.

Full explanation

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty based on human rights principles rather than religious or theological arguments. The organization focuses on concerns such as the irreversibility of executions, the risk of executing innocent people, the lack of deterrence, and the cruel, inhuman, and degrading nature of capital punishment. While some religious groups also oppose the death penalty, Amnesty International's stance is rooted in universal human rights rather than theological beliefs.

Summary to learn

Amnesty International's opposition to the death penalty rests entirely on human-rights grounds: it is irreversible (an innocent person's execution can never be undone), it is inherently cruel, inhuman and degrading, and it lacks solid evidence of deterring crime. Because AI campaigns for universal human rights that apply regardless of any particular faith, an argument based specifically on theological or religious principles sits outside its actual reasoning, even though some religious groups independently oppose capital punishment for their own doctrinal reasons.

Three red balls, three yellow balls and one green ball are placed in a bag and the bag is shaken. I place my hand in the bag and pull out a red ball followed by a green ball. I do not replace either ball.

Which one of the following statements is true?

  • AThe next ball could be any one of red, yellow or green.
  • BThe next ball will definitely be yellow.
  • CThe next two balls cannot both be red.
  • DAt least one of the next three balls must be yellow.
  • EAt least one of the next three balls must be red.
Correct answer: D At least one of the next three balls must be yellow.

Full explanation

- Initially, the bag contained 3 red, 3 yellow, and 1 green ball.

- You removed 1 red and 1 green, leaving 2 red and 3 yellow.

- This means only red and yellow balls remain.

- Since there are only 5 balls left (2 red + 3 yellow), at least one of the next three balls must be yellow---it's impossible to pick only red balls from this point forward.

Summary to learn

When items are drawn from a fixed pool without replacement, the composition of what's left is exactly the starting pool minus whatever has already been removed. Once a category of item has been completely exhausted, every remaining draw is guaranteed to come from the categories that are still present — so a statement claiming a particular category “must” appear is only guaranteed true if the number of remaining draws exceeds the total count of every other category combined.

My friend has three children, Alice, George and Hannah and I need to buy two presents for them to share. I want to buy two different toys and I want to make sure that Alice, George and Hannah will each like at least one of them. I don't want the toys to have small parts.

ToySmall Parts?Liked by Alice?Liked by George?Liked by Hannah?Price
JigsawYesNoYesYes€12
Building bricksYesYesYesNo€9
CarNoNoNoYes€12
BearNoYesNoYes€7
TrainNoNoYesNo€8

How much am I going to pay in total?

  • A€15
  • B€16
  • C€19
  • D€20
  • E€24
Correct answer: A €15

Full explanation

requirements:

1. You want two different toys.

2. The toys must not have small parts.

3. The toys must be liked by at least one of the three children.

4. You need to find the total price.

Looking at the table:

- The toys without small parts are Car, Bear, and Train.

- Now, checking who likes each:

- Car: Liked by Hannah.

- Bear: Liked by Alice and Hannah.

- Train: Liked by George.

To make sure all three children like at least one toy, a good choice would be:

- Bear (€7) → liked by Alice & Hannah

- Train (€8) → liked by George

Total price = €7 + €8 = €15.

Summary to learn

A constraint-satisfaction problem with several conditions (here: two different toys, no small parts, every person covered) is best solved by filtering the data table down step by step — first discard every option that fails a hard constraint (small parts), then check which of the survivors, taken together, satisfy the coverage requirement (every child likes at least one chosen toy) at the lowest combined cost.

The number of visitors to the local swimming pool at different times on Wednesday last week is recorded in this table:

TimeNumber of visitors
8am - 10am23
10am - 12 noon41
12 noon - 2pm35
2pm - 4pm60
4pm - 6pm40
6pm - 8pm15

Which chart shows the data from the table?

  • A
    IMAT 2011 question 6 answer option A bar chart
  • B
    IMAT 2011 question 6 answer option B bar chart
  • C
    IMAT 2011 question 6 answer option C bar chart
  • D
    IMAT 2011 question 6 answer option D bar chart
  • E
    IMAT 2011 question 6 answer option E bar chart (correct)
Correct answer: E Chart E (tallest bar 2–4pm at 60 visitors, shortest 6–8pm at 15, and the 4–6pm bar taller than the 12–2pm bar)

Full explanation

The highest number of visitors is 60 (2pm - 4pm) — should be the fourth pole. The lowest number of visitors is 15 (6pm - 8pm) — should be the last pole.

From this information, we can exclude option B, C and D.

If we compare the number of visitors from 12 noon to 2pm with 4pm to 6pm, it is obvious that the noon session has fewer visitors than the evening one, making option E the correct answer.

Summary to learn

To match a written data table to the right chart, first read off the table's extremes (its highest and lowest values) and use them to eliminate any chart that doesn't have bars of the right height in the right positions — usually most options fall away immediately from just this check. Then use one or two relative comparisons between neighbouring bars (which is taller than which) to distinguish between whatever charts remain.

The polis is the most important institutional expression of the classical Greek way of life. What type of state is it?

  • AA city state
  • BA federal state
  • CA modern state
  • DA monarchical state
  • EA tyrannical state
Correct answer: A A city-state

Full explanation

In ancient Greece, the polis was a self-governing city-state, which was the primary political and social unit. Each polis functioned independently, often with its own government, military, and laws. Some well-known examples include Athens, Sparta, and Corinth. The polis was central to Greek identity, fostering civic participation and unique cultural developments.

Summary to learn

The polis was the fundamental political unit of classical Greece: a self-governing city-state (such as Athens, Sparta or Corinth) with its own government, laws, military and civic identity, rather than part of a larger unified nation. Greek civic life, philosophy and the earliest forms of democracy all developed within the framework of the polis, with citizens participating directly in the affairs of their own city rather than a distant central authority.

Which set of statements about Dante Alighieri is correct?

  • Ahe was from Florence, wrote poetry, died before 1400
  • Bhe was from Milan, was born in the thirteenth century, died before 1400
  • Che was from Milan, was the son of Giulia Beccaria, wrote poetry
  • Dhe was from Tuscany, wrote poetry, was the son of Giulia Beccaria
  • Ehe was of noble family, was born in the fourteenth century, wrote tragedies
Correct answer: A he was from Florence, wrote poetry, died before 1400

Full explanation

Dante Alighieri (1265--1321) was an Italian poet, best known for his masterpiece, the Divine Comedy. He was born in Florence, Tuscany, and his literary work significantly shaped the Italian language. Dante died in 1321, well before the 1400s.

Some of the other options include incorrect details:

- He was not from Milan.

- He was born in the 13th century, not the 14th.

- Giulia Beccaria was the mother of Alessandro Manzoni, not Dante.

- Dante's works were primarily poetry, not tragedies.

Summary to learn

Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) was a Florentine poet best known for the Divine Comedy, and he died before 1400, in 1321. He should not be confused with Alessandro Manzoni (a much later Milanese novelist and the son of Giulia Beccaria) — a mix-up of biographical details between different Italian writers is exactly the kind of trap this style of question is testing.

Which of the following is NOT true of the Enlightenment?

  • AIt was a cultural trend, according to which the only real art was rational, understandable by all, and identified itself with Greek and Roman art.
  • BIt was a cultural trend that highlighted all the social and economic inequalities, and paved the way for the French Revolution.
  • CIt was a cultural trend that spread across Europe, mainly in France, in the early 1700s.
  • DIt was a cultural trend that spread across Europe, which emphasised the sovereignty of the people, as a carrier of values.
  • EIt was a cultural trend that was based on the exaltation of reason that, eliminating any irrational element of knowledge, by itself, revealed the truth without the help of the transcendental realm. In France this led to materialism and atheism.
Correct answer: D It was a cultural trend that spread across Europe, which emphasised the sovereignty of the people, as a carrier of values.

Full explanation

The statement D implies that the Enlightenment primarily emphasized the people's sovereignty as a carrier of values, which is misleading. While Enlightenment thinkers did advocate for popular sovereignty, the movement was more fundamentally centered on reason, scientific progress, and individual rights---not just sovereignty. Therefore, D is the best choice for something that is NOT entirely true about the Enlightenment.

Summary to learn

The Enlightenment (roughly the late 1600s–1700s) was a European intellectual movement centred on reason, scientific inquiry and individual rights, which criticised traditional authority (religious and monarchical) and helped lay the ideological groundwork for events like the French Revolution. While Enlightenment thinkers did discuss the sovereignty of the people among many other ideas, the movement's defining, central theme was the primacy of reason and empirical knowledge over inherited authority and superstition — not popular sovereignty specifically.

Two security guards, Dave and Geoff, are patrolling an airbase. Dave passes the front gate every 8 minutes. Geoff passes the front gate every 15 minutes. They have just set off on their individual routes at the start of their shift.

How long will it be before they meet up at the front gate again?

  • A1h 00mins
  • B1h 30mins
  • C2h 00mins
  • D2h 30mins
  • E3h 00mins
Correct answer: C 2h 00mins

Full explanation

We'll use the Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) of 8 and 15 to find when Dave and Geoff meet at the front gate again.

Step 1: Prime Factorization

- 8 = 23

- 15 = 3 × 5

Step 2: Find LCM

The LCM is found by taking the highest powers of all prime factors:

- 23= 8

- 31= 3

- 51= 5

LCM = 8 × 3 × 5 =120 minutes = 2 hours

Summary to learn

When two repeating events both start at the same moment, they next coincide again after a time equal to the Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) of their two individual periods. Finding the LCM means breaking each period into its prime factors and taking the highest power of every prime that appears in either factorisation.

Employees at a printing company are paid a basic rate of €11 per hour during the day Monday to Friday. During weekday evenings and on Saturdays they are paid at one and a half times the basic rate and on Sundays they are paid at double the basic rate.

The table below shows the hours worked by employees last week:

Mon-Fri daytimeMon-Fri evenings and SaturdaysSundays
Alice3286
Ben2788
Chetan3682
Daniel3086
Ellen3584

Which employee earned most last week?

  • AAlice
  • BBen
  • CChetan
  • DDaniel
  • EEllen
Correct answer: A Alice

Full explanation

Since all employees worked the same hours for Mon-Fri evenings and Saturdays, those earnings don't affect the final comparison. We'll focus only on their regular daytime hours (Monday-Friday) and Sundays, which are the unique parts that determine the highest earner.

Step 1: Regular daytime (Mon-Fri) earnings

Each person earns €11 per hour for their daytime shifts:

- Alice: 32 hours → €352

- Ben: 27 hours → €297

- Chetan: 36 hours → €396

- Daniel: 30 hours → €330

- Ellen: 35 hours → €385

Step 2: Sunday earnings

Each person earns €22 per hour for their Sunday shifts:

- Alice: 6 hours → €132

- Ben: 8 hours → €176

- Chetan: 2 hours → €44

- Daniel: 6 hours → €132

- Ellen: 4 hours → €88

Step 3: Total earnings from Mon-Fri daytime and Sunday

- Alice: €352 + €132 = €484

- Ben: €297 + €176 = €473

- Chetan: €396 + €44 = €440

- Daniel: €330 + €132 = €462

- Ellen: €385 + €88 = €473

Alice earned the most (€484) when considering only Mon-Fri daytime and Sunday hours.

Summary to learn

When comparing totals built from several different pay rates, any component that is identical for every person being compared (the same hours at the same rate) can be set aside completely, since it shifts every total by the same fixed amount and so can never change who ends up highest or lowest — only the components that actually differ between people determine the answer.

A teacher in a school for children from 11 to 16 years old sets a code number to unlock his classroom door. He has a method for remembering his code. He uses:

the 2 digits of his birth month reversed (for example, February would be 02 reversed to 20);

then the age of the children in his class at the start of the year with the digits reversed;

and finally, the date of his birthday in the month, also reversed.

Which one of the following could not be the code to unlock his door?

  • A215150
  • B903121
  • C701131
  • D602124
  • E115191
Correct answer: D 602124

Full explanation

Given facts

- first two digits are the 2 digits of his birth month reversed — this fact does not exclude any answer options.

- Second two digits are the age of the children in his class at the start of the year with the digits reversed (children are from 11 to 16 years old) - this fact does not exclude any answer options.

- And finally, the last two digits are the date of his birthday in the month, also reversed — this fact tells that option D cannot be the code for his lock because there is no date as such 42.

Summary to learn

In a deduction puzzle built from several independent clues, each clue is applied one at a time to eliminate whichever candidate answers are inconsistent with it — a clue that describes a real-world constraint (such as a calendar date that cannot exceed 31, or a month that cannot exceed 12) rules out any option whose digits would require an impossible value once you work out what those digits are supposed to represent.

It has long been thought that birds are much less intelligent than humans and apes. But now it seems that some species of birds have the same kind of thinking skills as apes. Crows can create and use tools and are socially sophisticated when finding and protecting food. So how can a bird with a walnut-size brain be capable of such achievements? The answer is that both crows and apes have much bigger brains than you would expect from the size of their bodies. The same pattern is found in humans, parrots and chimps - all intelligent animals.

Which one of the following can be drawn as a conclusion from the above passage?

  • AApes are not as similar to humans as had been thought.
  • BCrows are more intelligent than other species of birds.
  • CAnimals that cannot create tools are not intelligent.
  • DRelative brain size is a better indicator of intelligence than absolute brain size.
  • EIt could be argued that birds are as intelligent as apes.
Correct answer: D Relative brain size is a better indicator of intelligence than absolute brain size.

Full explanation

The passage's real clue is tucked into one line: both crows and apes have brains far bigger than their body size alone would predict, and the same holds for humans, parrots and chimps — all animals already thought of as sharp. That's a pattern about brain-to-body proportion, not brain size in isolation, which is exactly what option D is pointing at.

Options A and B overreach: the passage never compares how similar apes are to humans, and it never claims crows outrank every other bird species — just that they show ape-like thinking. C mistakes one example (tool use) for the whole definition of intelligence, which the passage doesn't do. E sounds tempting but goes further than the evidence allows — showing crows can rival apes in this one respect isn't the same as declaring birds in general as intelligent as apes.

D is the only option that states the actual mechanism the passage is describing, so it's the soundest conclusion.

Summary to learn

An inference or “best conclusion” question asks which option is most strongly supported by the passage's actual evidence, without going further than that evidence allows. The correct answer restates the specific mechanism or pattern the passage describes (here, brain size relative to body size, not brain size alone) rather than a related but broader or narrower claim that the passage never quite makes.

There is a higher than average risk of death or injury to young drivers and their passengers. In 2007, 32 per cent of car driver deaths and 40 per cent of car passenger deaths were people aged between 17 and 24. Young male drivers were much more likely to be killed or seriously injured than young female drivers. So in order to reduce the number of road accidents and the numbers of people killed or injured, young people should not be allowed to drive until they reach the age of 24.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which this argument depends?

  • AYoung people would not accept the raising of the legal driving age.
  • BMost of the accidents involving young people were the fault of the young drivers.
  • CThe driving test does not effectively test the skill of drivers.
  • DThe majority of drivers aged between 17 and 24 drive dangerously.
  • EAmongst drivers aged between 17 and 24 there are more male drivers than female drivers.
Correct answer: B Most of the accidents involving young people were the fault of the young drivers.

Full explanation

An argument that says 'ban young drivers and accidents will fall' only works if young drivers are the ones causing those accidents in the first place. That's the gap the argument quietly assumes it doesn't need to prove — and it's exactly what option B states outright.

Try denying it: if most of the accidents involving young people were actually someone else's fault, taking young drivers off the road wouldn't do much to reduce the toll — the argument would collapse. That's the hallmark of a necessary assumption.

The other options miss the point. A is about whether young people would accept the rule, not whether it would work. C questions driving tests, which the argument never relies on. D talks about dangerous driving in general, but you can drive dangerously without being at fault in a crash, so it doesn't quite nail the assumption. E compares the number of male and female drivers, which is beside the point about blame.

Summary to learn

A necessary assumption is an unstated premise that an argument's conclusion depends on logically — if the assumption were false, the conclusion would no longer follow from the argument's stated evidence. The standard test for spotting one is negation: take a candidate statement, suppose it is false instead of true, and check whether the argument's conclusion collapses; if it does, that statement was a required assumption, and if the conclusion still stands, it wasn't.

Some disabled people find it difficult to gain access to some of our older public buildings because the entrances have steps. The problem is most often solved by installing ramps. All public buildings must be accessible to everyone therefore they must all install ramps.

Which one of the following identifies the flaw in this argument?

  • ADisabled people must have access to all buildings not just public ones so all buildings should have ramps.
  • BInstalling ramps in all public buildings would be extremely expensive.
  • CIt is unreasonable to suggest that disabled people should be able to access all public buildings.
  • DSome older public buildings without ramps may be accessible to disabled people.
  • EInaccessible public buildings should be replaced by buildings accessible to all.
Correct answer: D Some older public buildings without ramps may be accessible to disabled people.

Full explanation

The argument moves in one leap: some buildings have steps, ramps usually fix that, so every public building needs a ramp. The leap it skips is whether a building without a ramp is necessarily inaccessible — plenty of older buildings could have a side entrance, a lift, or some other workaround that already solves the problem without a ramp in sight. That's precisely the gap option D names.

A shifts the goalposts to all buildings, not just public ones, which isn't the flaw here. B raises cost, a practical worry rather than a logical one. C simply disagrees with the goal of full accessibility rather than pointing out a hole in the reasoning. E proposes a different fix (replacing buildings) instead of diagnosing what's wrong with the argument as it stands.

Only D actually punctures the argument's hidden assumption, so it's correct.

Summary to learn

An argument has a logical flaw when its conclusion doesn't actually follow from its premises, even if every premise is true. A very common flaw is assuming a general solution is the only solution — treating “ramps usually fix step-access problems” as if it meant “only ramps can ever fix such problems,” when other equally valid solutions (lifts, alternative entrances) might already exist and make the proposed universal rule unnecessary.

A street of houses is numbered starting on one side with 1,2,3,4. At the far end the numbers

continue down the other side in the opposite direction so the largest number is opposite number 1. The houses are of identical widths so each house has another directly opposite it.

If number 17 is directly opposite number 56, how many houses are there in the street?

  • A36
  • B37
  • C39
  • D72
  • E73
Correct answer: D 72

Full explanation

Numbers run 1, 2, 3… up one side of the street, then continue back down the other side, so the highest number on the street ends up directly opposite house 1. That pairing rule holds all the way along: house 2 is opposite the second-highest number, house 3 the third-highest, and so on. So for a street of N houses, any two houses facing each other always have numbers that add up to the same total, N + 1.

Here, house 17 is opposite house 56, so N + 1 = 17 + 56 = 73, which gives N = 72 houses in the street altogether.

Summary to learn

When house numbers run up one side of a street and back down the other, the highest number ends up directly opposite house 1, and this pairing rule holds all along the street: any two houses facing each other have numbers that always add up to the same fixed total, one more than the total number of houses (N + 1). Knowing any one opposite pair is therefore enough to work out the length of the whole street.

A courier starts the day in London and makes two round trips to Prague in the day. When she arrives at either airport, she takes the next available flight back.

The daily timetable is shown below (all times are local):

LondonPraguePragueLondon
departarrivedepartarrive
06:3009:3010:1011:20
09:4512:4513:2514:35
12:3015:3016:4017:50
15:4518:4519:5521:05

How long is the courier's day from first take-off to last landing?

  • A4 hours 50 minutes
  • B8 hours 5 minutes
  • C8 hours 20 minutes
  • D11 hours 20 minutes
  • E14 hours 35 minutes
Correct answer: D 11 hours 20 minutes

Full explanation

The courier keeps taking the next available flight back, so her day is fixed by working through the timetable one leg at a time rather than just picking the outer times.

Round trip 1: she leaves London on the first flight, 06:30, landing in Prague at 09:30. The next Prague→London departure after 09:30 is 10:10, landing back in London at 11:20.

Round trip 2: the next London→Prague departure after 11:20 is 12:30 (the 09:45 flight had already left before she landed), landing in Prague at 15:30. The next Prague→London departure after 15:30 is 16:40, landing back in London at 17:50 — completing her second round trip, as the question specifies.

Her day runs from the first take-off (06:30) to this last landing (17:50), a span of 11 hours 20 minutes.

Summary to learn

Multi-leg journeys governed by a fixed rule (such as always catching the earliest departure after arrival) form a dependency chain: each leg's start time is fixed by the actual endpoint of the leg before it, not by whichever scheduled time looks convenient. This kind of chained, rule-driven sequencing — where each step's input is the previous step's actual output — is a common structure in scheduling and process-flow problems generally, and reconstructing one always means following the chain forward link by link rather than picking times out of order.

My three local supermarkets all currently have offers on my favourite breakfast cereal as follows:

1. Buy one standard pack get a second half price.

2. Price of a standard pack reduced by 1/3.

3. Normal price of a standard pack, pack contains 25% extra.

Which of the offers are equivalent in terms of price per unit amount of cereal?

  • A1 and 2 only
  • B1 and 3 only
  • C2 and 3 only
  • D1, 2 and 3
  • Enone
Correct answer: E none

Full explanation

Let's calculate the price per unit for each offer using 100 as the price of a standard pack.

Offer 1: Buy one, get the second half price Buying two packs costs: 100 + 0.5(100) = 100 + 50 = 150 Price per pack = (150)/(2) = 75 Offer 2: Price reduced by 1/3 Discounted price per pack: 100 - (1)/(3) × 100 = 66.67 Offer 3: Standard price, but pack contains 25% extra Total cereal amount = 1.25 packs worth Price per equivalent pack: (100)/(1.25) = 80 Therefore, none of the offers are equivalent in terms of price per unit amount of cereal

Summary to learn

To compare several differently-structured discounts or offers fairly, convert each one to the same measure — typically price per unit of product — using a convenient starting value (such as 100) for the standard price. A discount expressed as “buy one get one half price”, a straight fractional price cut, and “more product for the same price” are mathematically different operations and will only coincidentally give the same per-unit price.

If the Carnival Committee does not follow the new European regulations then it may be impossible to guarantee safety. The probable consequence of this would be a heavy fine, which would severely reduce the carnival fund, and could be disastrous for the committee's finances. Either the committee must meet the safety requirements or the future of the carnival may be under threat.

Which one of the following best expresses the conclusion of this argument?

  • ASafety at the carnival has reached dangerously low levels.
  • BIf the European regulations are not followed the carnival may not survive.
  • CFailure to improve safety could result in a heavy fine.
  • DA heavy fine could mean financial disaster for the carnival.
  • EIf the regulations are followed then the carnival will take place again next year.
Correct answer: B If the European regulations are not followed the carnival may not survive.

Full explanation

Strip the passage down to its chain of cause and effect: skip the safety rules → can't guarantee safety → likely a heavy fine → carnival fund badly hurt → 'the future of the carnival may be under threat.' That last clause is where the argument is actually heading — everything before it is just the reasoning that gets you there. Option B restates that final destination in one sentence.

A overstates things — the passage warns safety might fail if the rules are ignored, not that it's already dangerously low. C and D each grab one link in the chain (the fine, the financial hit) and mistake it for the whole point, when really they're just steps on the way to the real worry. E flips the logic around, promising that following the rules guarantees a future the passage never actually promises.

B is the only option that captures the argument's actual endpoint.

Summary to learn

An argument built from a chain of cause and effect (A leads to B, which leads to C, which leads to D) has its actual conclusion at the very end of the chain — everything earlier is supporting reasoning that gets the argument there, not the point itself. The correct answer to a “which conclusion” question restates that final destination, not one of the intermediate steps along the way.

87% of the world population are right-handed. The human world is organised to make success in life easier for the majority. Left-handed people should therefore be considered as having a disability and receive appropriate support.

Which one of the following, if true, weakens this argument?

  • AAmongst top scientists, sportsmen, actors, musicians and politicians the percentage of left-handed people is much higher than 13%.
  • BLeft-handed people have poorer spatial skills which makes them more likely to have car crashes and other serious accidents.
  • CLeft-handed people are more likely to have health problems such as allergies, depression, epilepsy and sleeping disorders.
  • DHand tools, musical instruments and scissors are designed for use by the majority.
  • EMany left-handed people were forced to write with their right hand when they were at school.
Correct answer: A Amongst top scientists, sportsmen, actors, musicians and politicians the percentage of left-handed people is much higher than 13%.

Full explanation

The argument's whole case rests on treating 'left-handed and in the minority' as equivalent to 'disadvantaged.' The fastest way to break that is to show the minority isn't actually losing out — and that's what A does: if left-handed people show up disproportionately often among top scientists, athletes, artists and politicians, then being left-handed clearly hasn't held them back from success. That directly undercuts the claim that they need to be treated as disabled.

B and C actually pull the other way — genuine disadvantages would support labelling left-handedness a hardship, not weaken the argument. D just explains why tools favour right-handers, which reinforces the idea of a right-handed world rather than challenging it. E is a real historical detail about forced right-handed writing, but it doesn't touch the argument's central claim about ability or success.

A is the one fact that genuinely undermines the argument, making it the answer.

Summary to learn

An argument that equates being in a numerical minority with being disadvantaged can be weakened by any evidence that the minority group is not actually falling behind — for instance, if members of that group are over-represented among high achievers, that directly undercuts the claim that their minority status has held them back, since a genuine disadvantage would be expected to show up as under-representation, not over-representation, among the successful.

In North America in the 1800s, arguments were often settled by gunfights, in which two people stood face to face a distance apart and tried to shoot one another. Recent experiments on human response times have shown that people act more quickly when responding to an action than when they are the first to move. This supports the view that our brain uses different routes in our nervous system to send messages for intentional and reactive movements.

Which one of the following can be drawn as a conclusion from the above passage?

  • AScientific experiments produce interesting findings.
  • BGunfighters are best advised to wait for their opponents to move to fire.
  • CGunfighters who wait for their opponent to move first would always win.
  • DBrains cannot control our reactive movements.
  • EHumans can be trained to react more quickly.
Correct answer: B Gunfighters are best advised to wait for their opponents to move to fire.

Full explanation

The key experimental finding is that reacting to someone else's move is faster than being the one who initiates it — different nerve pathways handle 'react' and 'decide to act first.' Applied to a gunfight, that means the person who waits and fires in response should, on average, draw and shoot quicker than the one who moves first. That's exactly what B says.

A only restates that the experiment was interesting, missing the actual finding. C overclaims — being quicker on the draw doesn't guarantee a win, since aim and nerve still matter. D gets the finding backwards: the passage says reactive movements use a different, faster pathway, not that the brain can't control them at all. E invents a claim about training that the passage never makes.

B is the only conclusion the evidence actually supports.

Summary to learn

When an experimental finding is applied to a real-world situation, the correct conclusion states what the finding actually predicts for that situation, without overclaiming (turning “on average, faster” into “always wins”) or misreading the direction of the result. Reaction to an external stimulus has been shown to use a faster nervous pathway than self-initiated action, so a person who waits and reacts should, on average, act more quickly than one who moves first — a modest, well-supported claim rather than a guarantee.

A taxi driver charges €1.00 per kilometre for the first 3 kilometres of a journey, and 70c per kilometre for the rest of the journey. I travel home from the train station by taxi. I pay the taxi driver €10.00 including a tip of 70c.

How far is my house from the station?

  • A9 kilometres
  • B10 kilometres
  • C12 kilometres
  • D13 kilometres
  • E14 kilometres
Correct answer: C 12 kilometres

Full explanation

Total amount paid (excluding tip):

- You paid €10.00, but €0.70 was a tip.

- That means the actual fare cost was: 10.00 −0.70 = 9.30

Cost for the first 3 km:

The taxi driver charges €1.00 per km for the first 3 km, so: 3 × 1.00 = 3.00 After paying for the first 3 km, the remaining money is: 9.30 − 3.00 = 6.30 Cost for the remaining distance:

The driver charges €0.70 per km for the rest.

The distance covered with the remaining €6.30 is: (6.30)/(0.70) = 9km Total distance: 3 km (at €1.00 per km) + 9 km (at €0.70 per km) = 12 km.

Summary to learn

A tiered-rate cost problem is solved by working backwards: subtract any flat extras (like a tip) from the total paid to get the actual fare, subtract the cost of the fixed first tier (charged at its own rate) to find how much was spent at the second rate, and divide that remainder by the second rate to get the remaining distance or quantity, then add the two tiers' amounts together.

The table below relates to electricity generation in the United Kingdom:

Category of StationMillions of units (kWh)
199019952000
Coal, Oil and Gas242,300228,500245,700
Nuclear37,00061,10065,700
Gas Turbines and Oil Engines5001,100400
Hydro-Electric (Natural Flow)3,9004,1005,100
Hydro-Electric (Pumped Storage)1,2002,8002,000
TOTAL284,900297,600318,900

Which category of station made the largest contribution to the increase in total units generated over the 10 years covered by the table?

  • ACoal, Oil and Gas
  • BNuclear
  • CGas Turbines and Oil Engines
  • DHydro-Electric (Natural Flow)
  • EHydro-Electric (Pumped Storage)
Correct answer: B Nuclear

Full explanation

We will work out this by calculating the difference in kWh between year 2000 and 1990.

For coal, oil and gas, increase : 245,700−242,300 = 3,400 For nuclear, increase : 65,700−37,000 = 28,700 For Gas turbines and oil engines, increase : 400−500=−100(decrease)

For hydro-electric (natural flow), increase : 5,100−3,900=1,200 For hydro-electric (pumped storage), increase: 2,000−1,200=800 The category that contributed the most to the increase in total electricity generation is Nuclear, with an increase of 28,700 million kWh.

Summary to learn

To find which category contributed most to a change over time from a data table, calculate the actual change (final value minus initial value) for every category separately, rather than judging by which category has the largest total in either year — a category can have the largest absolute total while still contributing only a small part of the overall increase, if a smaller-total category grew by a much larger amount.

The pie chart shows the favourite ice cream flavour for a sample of students in a school.

IMAT 2011 question 24 figure

Which one of the rows in the table below could show the number of students who chose each flavour?

  • AVanilla 23 · Raspberry 41 · Strawberry 35 · Chocolate 35 · Mint 16
  • BVanilla 5 · Raspberry 34 · Strawberry 36 · Chocolate 35 · Mint 10
  • CVanilla 15 · Raspberry 29 · Strawberry 32 · Chocolate 31 · Mint 13
  • DVanilla 26 · Raspberry 61 · Strawberry 73 · Chocolate 73 · Mint 37
  • EVanilla 36 · Raspberry 55 · Strawberry 71 · Chocolate 72 · Mint 36
Correct answer: D 26 61 73 73 37

Full explanation

The five slices, by eye, split into two clearly bigger wedges (chocolate and strawberry, roughly equal in size and together well over a third of the circle), one mid-sized wedge (raspberry), and two small wedges (mint, then vanilla as the smallest of all — noticeably less than half of mint, and only around a third the size of strawberry).

Row A (vanilla 23, raspberry 41, strawberry 35, chocolate 35, mint 16) makes raspberry the biggest category of the five, ahead of chocolate and strawberry — that's backwards compared with the chart, so A is out straight away.

For the remaining rows, the vanilla-to-strawberry pair is the easiest ratio to check against the chart, since vanilla should come out at roughly a third of strawberry:

B: 5 to 36 — vanilla is under a sixth of strawberry, far too small.

C: 15 to 32 — vanilla is almost half of strawberry, too big.

D: 26 to 73 — that's just about 1 to 2.8, essentially a third. This fits.

E: 36 to 71 — vanilla is around half of strawberry again, too big.

Only row D keeps chocolate and strawberry as the two dominant, near-equal slices while also keeping vanilla at roughly a third of strawberry, matching the chart on both counts — so D is correct.

Summary to learn

When matching a pie chart to a table of numbers, compare the chart's slices by eye first (roughly equal wedges, one clearly larger, one clearly smaller) to build a rough proportional picture, then check the table rows against that picture using ratios between two categories rather than trying to precisely estimate each slice's angle — a ratio that's obviously too big or too small in a candidate row rules it out immediately.

If more workers worked for only four days each week there would be fewer commuters, and therefore less traffic congestion and less pollution. Also, fewer people would be unemployed because there would be more work to go around. There is evidence that part-time workers are absent from work less often than full-time workers, so a person working a four-day week would be more productive. Less work means less pressure, which means less stress and people would be happier.

Which one of the following can be drawn as a conclusion from the above passage?

  • APeople choosing to work a four-day week would have to take a 20% pay cut.
  • BThere would be less pressure on the health services if most workers were on a four- day week.
  • CThe economy would be more competitive if people worked more productively.
  • DThe government should enforce a four-day working week.
  • EThere would be many benefits to working a four-day week.
Correct answer: E There would be many benefits to working a four-day week.

Full explanation

The passage stacks up several separate perks — less commuting and pollution, more jobs to go around, better productivity, lower stress — without settling on any single one of them as the headline reason for a four-day week. Because the case is a list of upsides rather than one specific consequence, the safest conclusion is the general one: there would be many benefits. That's E.

A invents a pay cut that's never mentioned. B and C each latch onto just one of the listed benefits (health services, economic competitiveness) and treat it as the takeaway, when the passage is really making a broader case. D pushes past what's argued — showing benefits is not the same as arguing government should force the policy on everyone.

E is the only option that matches the shape of the argument: several genuine advantages, no single overriding one.

Summary to learn

When a passage lists several distinct advantages of a proposal without settling on any single one as the main point, the safest and best-supported conclusion is the general claim that there are multiple benefits — picking out just one of the listed advantages as “the” conclusion, or pushing further to a policy recommendation the passage never actually makes, both overreach what the evidence supports.

Migratory birds which are unable to fly long distances without resting have to use the shortest distance over water in their flights to and from Africa, and so they cross at the Straits of Gibraltar. It is essential for these birds, some of which are very rare, that the route remains open. For that reason, it is important that plans to build electricity-generating wind farms on the hills surrounding the Straits of Gibraltar do not go ahead.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which this argument depends?

  • AThe birds that migrate across the Straits of Gibraltar are close to extinction.
  • BElectricity-generating wind farms have to be built on hills.
  • CThe planned wind farms will make it dangerous for migratory birds to use their route.
  • DOther species of bird can fly further and can thus use other routes in their migration.
  • EThere are no plans to build wind farms at other places along the coast.
Correct answer: C The planned wind farms will make it dangerous for migratory birds to use their route.

Full explanation

The argument's plea — don't build the wind farms — only makes sense if those wind farms would actually put the migrating birds at risk. If they wouldn't, there'd be nothing left to object to. That unstated link is what option C spells out.

A pushes further than the passage does; it says some birds are rare, not that they're close to extinction. B assumes wind farms have to be sited on hills, which isn't part of the argument. D is true of some other species but says nothing about the birds actually at stake here. E is irrelevant to whether this particular route needs protecting.

C is the assumption the whole argument leans on, so it's correct.

Summary to learn

An argument that objects to a proposed action (here, building wind farms) only makes logical sense if that action would actually cause the harm being warned about. The assumption the argument depends on is therefore the link between the proposed action and the feared consequence — without that link, there would be nothing left to object to, no matter how important the underlying concern (protecting the birds) genuinely is.

When mobile phones were introduced there were concerns about the microwaves produced and the effects that these could have on the brain, given that phones would be held close to the ear when being used. These concerns have been shown to be mistaken since mobile phones are used for sending text messages far more than for making phone calls. Sending a text message does not require the phone to be anywhere near to the brain so it cannot cause any problems.

Which one of the following identifies the flaw in this argument?

  • AIt ignores research showing that microwaves from the phones cannot penetrate far enough to reach the brain.
  • BIt ignores evidence suggesting that text messaging is only popular in certain age groups.
  • CIt does not consider uses of mobile phones other than making phone calls and sending text messages.
  • DIt does not consider other technology such as wireless internet which could cause similar problems.
  • EIt ignores the possible effects of the phone calls that are made.
Correct answer: E It ignores the possible effects of the phone calls that are made.

Full explanation

The argument tries to dismiss brain-cancer worries by pointing out that texting has overtaken calling — but people still make plenty of calls, and a call is exactly the scenario (phone against the ear) the original worry was about. Brushing past that is the flaw, and it's what option E names directly.

A would matter if the argument denied microwaves reach the brain at all, but it doesn't make that claim. B's point about which age groups text more doesn't affect the underlying reasoning. C raises other uses of phones, which the argument was never trying to cover. D drags in an unrelated technology, wireless internet, that has nothing to do with this specific gap.

E is the only option that catches what the argument actually leaves unaddressed.

Summary to learn

An argument's flaw is what it fails to address, not what it gets factually wrong. If an argument dismisses a risk by pointing to a general trend (people now text more than they call) while the trend never eliminates the original risky behaviour (people still make calls, and calls are exactly the scenario the original worry was about), the argument has ignored the part of the situation its own trend doesn't actually cover.

I have two cousins. One was born the year before me, on June 3rd. The other was born the year after me, on April 28th.

My birthday is May 15th.

For how many days each year am I the same age as one or other of my cousins?

  • A35
  • B36
  • C37
  • D38
  • E39
Correct answer: B 36

Full explanation

Working through the two overlaps in age one at a time:

- You were born on May 15.

- One cousin was born the year before you, on June 3.

- The other cousin was born the year after you, on April 28.

Each year:

1. From April 28 to May 14, you and your younger cousin are the same age. That's 17 days.

2. From May 15 to June 2, you are the same age as your older cousin. That's 19 days.

Adding these together: 17 + 19 = 36 days.

So, the correct answer is B: 36.

Summary to learn

When your age matches a relative's age for part of each year (because your birthdays fall on different dates), the number of matching days each year is fixed by the calendar gap between the two birthdays, not by the year itself — count the days from one birthday to the point your own birthday changes the comparison, do the same for the other relative, and add the two separate stretches together.

The table shows the number of people aged 20-35, 36-50 and 51-65 who participated in given sports at a leisure centre on a Sunday morning:

Sport20-3536-5051-65
Swimming314259
Squash263044
Aerobics102130
Tennis403532
Bowls6811
Table Tennis283246

In which of the other sports was the proportion of participants in the three age ranges closest to that for swimming?

  • AAerobics
  • BBowls
  • CSquash
  • DTable Tennis
  • ETennis
Correct answer: B Bowls

Full explanation

In swimming, the proportion of participants is 31:42:59. Rounding this to 30:40:60 gives a simplified ratio of 3:4:6.

For squash, the ratio is 26:30:44, which is not close to 3:4:6.

In aerobics, the ratio is 10:21:30. Rounding to 10:20:30 simplifies to 2:4:6 --- not the same as swimming, but relatively close.

In tennis, the ratio is 40:35:32. Rounding to 40:35:30 simplifies to 8:7:6, which differs significantly from the swimming ratio.

In bowls, the ratio is 6:8:11. Rounding to 6:8:12 gives a simplified ratio of 3:4:6, identical to that of swimming.

In table tennis, the ratio is 28:32:46. Rounding to 30:30:45 simplifies to 6:6:9, which differs from the swimming ratio.

So, Bowls has the proportion of participants in the three age ranges closest to that for swimming.

Summary to learn

To judge whether two categories have a “similar proportion” across several groups, round each category's numbers to convenient values and reduce them to a simplified ratio (dividing out any common factor), then compare that simplified ratio directly against the reference category's own simplified ratio — the category whose ratio reduces to the same simplest form is the closest match.

Apples cost 30c each, bananas cost 40c each and oranges cost 50c each. Daniel spends exactly €2 buying fruit.

Which of the statements below are correct?

1. He cannot have exactly 3 apples.

2. He must have at least one banana.

3. He has 4, 5 or 6 fruits.

4. If he has all 3 types of fruit, he must have fewer apples than bananas and oranges combined.

  • A1, 2 and 3 only
  • B1, 2 and 4 only
  • C1, 3 and 4 only
  • D2, 3 and 4 only
  • E1, 2, 3 and 4
Correct answer: C 1, 3 and 4 only

Full explanation

Let a, b and o be the numbers of apples (30c), bananas (40c) and oranges (50c) bought, so 30a + 40b + 50o = 200, with a, b and o all non-negative whole numbers.

Statement 1 — he cannot have exactly 3 apples: with a = 3, the apples cost 90c, leaving 110c for 40b + 50o = 110. Testing whole values of b: b = 1 needs o = 70/50 = 1.4; b = 2 needs o = 10/50 = 0.2; b = 0 needs o = 110/50 = 2.2. None of these give a whole number of oranges, so 3 apples is impossible — statement 1 is correct.

Statement 2 — he must have at least one banana: try b = 0. Then 30a + 50o = 200, and a = 0, o = 4 is a whole-number solution (4 oranges, no apples or bananas, costing exactly 200c). Since a valid basket with zero bananas exists, statement 2 is false.

Statement 3 — he has 4, 5 or 6 fruits in total: checking every whole-number solution of 30a + 40b + 50o = 200 gives exactly six baskets: (a,b,o) = (4,0,0) and (5,0,1), each 6 fruit; (0,5,0), (1,3,1) and (2,1,2), each 5 fruit; and (0,0,4), 4 fruit. Every basket totals 4, 5 or 6 fruit, so statement 3 is correct.

Statement 4 — if he has all three types, apples are fewer than bananas plus oranges combined: only two of the baskets above use all three fruit types: (1,3,1) — 1 apple against 3 + 1 = 4 bananas and oranges — and (2,1,2) — 2 apples against 1 + 2 = 3. In both, apples are fewer than the other two combined, so statement 4 is correct.

Statements 1, 3 and 4 hold and statement 2 fails, so the answer is C.

Summary to learn

A word problem built around a linear equation with several unknowns (here, 30a + 40b + 50o = 200) is worked through by testing whether whole-number solutions exist for the unknowns under different assumptions — a statement claiming something is impossible is true only if no combination of non-negative whole numbers satisfies the equation under that assumption, and a statement claiming something is possible is true as soon as a single valid whole-number solution is found.

A comparison has been made between fast food restaurants and factories. This is not as unrealistic as it might first appear. Fast food is mass-produced, as heavily processed as any other factory product, and restaurant workers have jobs which are just as routine and boring as those in manufacturing. So not only does fast food taste the same everywhere, but all workers involved are on low wages and have little power to improve their conditions.

Which one of the following best expresses the conclusion of this argument?

  • AWorkers who do routine and boring jobs are often poorly paid.
  • BMass production in factories leads to poor working conditions.
  • CIt is not unrealistic to compare fast food restaurants with factories.
  • DAll fast food tastes the same because it is heavily processed.
  • EWorking in a fast food restaurant is no different from working in a factory.
Correct answer: C It is not unrealistic to compare fast food restaurants with factories.

Full explanation

The passage opens with its thesis — the fast food/factory comparison 'is not as unrealistic as it might first appear' — and everything that follows (mass production, routine jobs, low wages) is evidence stacked up in support of that opening claim. So the conclusion is the claim the passage set out to defend, which option C restates almost word for word.

A and D are individual pieces of supporting evidence, not the overall point. B talks about factories generally, which is really just the comparison's raw material rather than the argument's destination. E goes further than the passage does, claiming the two jobs are identical rather than simply comparable.

C is the thesis the whole passage is built to support, making it the answer.

Summary to learn

A passage's overall conclusion is the claim its opening thesis sets out to defend, and every piece of evidence that follows (examples, comparisons, statistics) exists to support that same opening claim. The correct “main conclusion” answer restates that original thesis, not one of the individual supporting facts used along the way, and not an even stronger claim than the passage actually commits to.

Recent research suggests that people are becoming less inclined to follow medical advice about how to prevent ill-health. They say that there is too much advice and it is often contradictory. However the general population is living longer and is healthier. This suggests that people are more aware of what is good for their own health and wellbeing than the medical profession is.

Which one of the following, if true, weakens this argument?

  • AAdvances in medicine have meant that doctors give advice on a wider range of issues.
  • BPeople now have easy access to websites giving information on health.
  • CPeople believe that they know better than doctors how to improve their own health and wellbeing.
  • DThe health improvements are in areas that exactly match the medical advice given by doctors.
  • EDoctors prefer to give advice rather than medication.
Correct answer: D The health improvements are in areas that exactly match the medical advice given by doctors.

Full explanation

The argument's logic is: people ignore doctors more than they used to, yet health outcomes have improved, so people must know better than doctors do. The cleanest way to undercut that is to show the improvement isn't coming from people's own judgement at all — and that's exactly what D offers: if the gains line up precisely with what doctors have been recommending, medical advice deserves the credit, not some new folk wisdom.

A explains why there's more advice floating around, but doesn't touch whether people are right to ignore it. B and C both describe why people might feel confident managing their own health, which if anything supports the original argument rather than weakening it. E is beside the point — how doctors prefer to communicate doesn't bear on whether people are ignoring good advice.

D is the only option that actually threatens the argument's conclusion.

Summary to learn

An argument that infers one cause (people's own good judgement) from a correlation (advice being ignored more, while outcomes improve) is weakened by any evidence that a different cause explains the same correlation just as well or better. If the improvements track exactly what professional advice had already been recommending, the credit plausibly belongs to that advice rather than to people managing their health independently — undercutting the argument's causal claim without needing to directly contradict any of its stated facts.

Over the last twenty years the number of people, including children, classed as overweight, and therefore at risk of serious health problems, has risen alarmingly. This trend could be caused by an increase in the amount people eat or by a decrease in the amount of exercise they take. Most of us exercise less than people did twenty years ago, and the average number of calories consumed per person is now less than it was twenty years ago. So the increase in the number of overweight people is clearly caused by lack of exercise. Thus the government does not need to worry about trying to change people's diets.

Which one of the following identifies the flaw in this argument?

  • ASome people may exercise more than the average.
  • BSome individuals may have increased their calorie intake.
  • CThe government may need to worry about costs to the health service.
  • DChildren may use up more calories through exercise than adults.
  • ESome individuals may have health problems which cause an increase in weight.
Correct answer: B Some individuals may have increased their calorie intake.

Full explanation

The argument tries to pin rising obesity entirely on less exercise, using the fact that average calorie intake has fallen as proof that diet isn't the culprit. The trouble is 'average' can hide a lot: even if the population-wide average has dropped, the people actually becoming overweight could easily be the ones whose own intake went up. That's the hole option B points to.

A doesn't challenge the exercise-weight link at all. C brings up cost, a separate policy question rather than a flaw in this piece of reasoning. D talks about children specifically, which the argument never singles out. E raises individual medical causes, which doesn't address the general trend the argument is making.

B is the one option that actually exposes the gap between 'the average fell' and 'therefore nobody is eating more', so it's correct.

Summary to learn

An argument that relies on a population-wide average can have a hidden flaw: an average falling doesn't mean every individual's value fell — it's entirely possible for the people actually driving the trend under discussion to be the ones whose own figure moved in the opposite direction from the average. Pointing out that possibility is often the cleanest way to expose a flawed argument built on an aggregate statistic.

In 2005, Peter's age was exactly four times that of his son, Quentin. In 2021, Peter will be exactly twice Quentin's age.

What is the difference between their ages?

  • A16
  • B20
  • C24
  • D28
  • E36
Correct answer: C 24

Full explanation

Let Quentin's age in 2005 be x, so Peter's age in 2005 was 4x (Peter was exactly four times Quentin's age that year).

By 2021 — 16 years later — Quentin is x + 16 and Peter is 4x + 16. The question says Peter is then exactly twice Quentin's age:

4x + 16 = 2(x + 16)

4x + 16 = 2x + 32 ⇒ 2x = 16 ⇒ x = 8

So in 2005, Quentin was 8 and Peter was 4 × 8 = 32. Their age difference is a constant every year: 32 − 8 = 24.

Summary to learn

An age-difference word problem with two points in time (here, 2005 and 2021) is solved by expressing both people's ages algebraically at the earlier time using one unknown, adding the number of years elapsed to get both ages at the later time, and setting up an equation from the stated relationship between their ages at that later time to solve for the unknown — the two people's age difference itself then stays constant across every year, so it can be read off directly once either age is known.

I have far too much small change in my pocket: 6 x 1c coins, 3 x 2c coins, 2 x 5c coins, 3 x 10c coins and 2 x 50c coins.

I want to buy a chocolate bar for 37c using as many coins as possible. What is the largest number of coins I can use to pay the exact price?

  • A5
  • B9
  • C10
  • D12
  • E14
Correct answer: D 12

Full explanation

To use as many coins as possible, favour the smallest denominations and only bring in bigger coins when there's no other way to reach the exact total.

Every 1c and 2c coin fits comfortably inside 37c: 6 × 1c + 3 × 2c = 12c using 9 coins, leaving 37 − 12 = 25c still to find.

From here, using both 5c coins (10c) would leave 15c — and 15c can only be made from 10c coins at that point, but one 10c coin leaves 5c stranded with nothing small left to cover it, while two 10c coins overshoots to 20c. So one of the two 5c coins has to stay unused: take just one 5c coin (5c) plus two 10c coins (20c) to make up the remaining 25c exactly (5 + 20 = 25).

Total: 6 × 1c + 3 × 2c + 1 × 5c + 2 × 10c = 37c, using 6 + 3 + 1 + 2 = 12 coins — the one spare 5c coin and one spare 10c coin are the only two coins left unused. Any other exact combination for 37c needs even more of the larger coins, so 12 is the maximum. The answer is D.

Summary to learn

Making an exact total with the largest possible number of coins is a classic instance of the “greedy algorithm” idea in reverse: since more coins means smaller-value coins on average, using as many of the smallest denomination as the total allows — and only falling back on a larger coin when the exact remaining amount genuinely can't be reached with smaller ones alone — maximises the coin count. This is the mirror image of the far more commonly taught “fewest coins” change-making problem, which instead favours the largest denominations first.

A fishing club wishes to send out a mailing to its 1000 members. All members receive a magazine (100 g). There are 50 committee members who receive minutes (50 g). A questionnaire (75 g) will be sent to 100 members. No committee members will be sent a questionnaire. The envelope used for all mailings weighs 10 g.

The postal rates are:

Up to 120 g: 20c Up to 160 g: 30c Up to 250 g: 35c What is the minimum cost of this mailing?

  • A€67.00
  • B€215.00
  • C€220.00
  • D€230.00
  • E€350.00
Correct answer: C € 220.00

Full explanation

Step 1: Categorize groups We'll divide the 1000 members into 3 groups 1. Members who get only magazine (and envelope):

Weight = 100g (magazine) + 10g (envelope) = 110g

Total: 1000 — 50 (committee) — 100 (questionnaire) = 850 people

Postage cost (≤120g) → €0.20

2. Committee members:

Weight = 100g (magazine) + 50g (minutes) + 10g (envelope) = 160g

Total: 50 people

Postage cost (≤160g) → €0.30

3. Questionnaire recipients (non-committee):

Weight = 100g (magazine) + 75g (questionnaire) + 10g (envelope) = 185g

Total: 100 people

Postage cost (≤250g) → €0.35

Step 2: Calculate total cost

850 × €0.20 = €170.00

50 × €0.30 = €15.00

100 × €0.35 = €35.00

Total : €170 + €15 + €35 = €220.00

Summary to learn

A tiered postage or shipping problem is solved by first sorting every recipient into distinct weight categories based on exactly which items they receive, calculating each category's total weight to find which postage band it falls into, and then multiplying each category's per-item rate by how many people are in it before summing all the categories together.

The general public cannot understand laws and legal documents unless they are written in clear and simple language. Therefore, the traditional style in which laws and legal documents are written must change. Citizens in a democracy must be able to understand what their legal rights and duties are.

Which one of the following best expresses the conclusion of this argument?

  • AThere must be a change in the style in which laws and legal documents are written.
  • BIt is necessary in a democracy for citizens to know their legal rights and duties.
  • CMany laws and legal documents are written in old-fashioned and complicated language.
  • DThe general public can fully understand only those laws and documents written in simple language.
  • EIf citizens can understand laws and legal documents, they will be able to play their proper role in a democracy.
Correct answer: A There must be a change in the style in which laws and legal documents are written.

Full explanation

Follow the passage's own logic: the public can't understand legal documents unless they're written simply, and citizens in a democracy need to understand their rights and duties — put those two together and the only thing left to conclude is that the traditional style of writing laws has to change. That's option A, and it's also the passage's literal final sentence.

B and D are the premises that get you to the conclusion, not the conclusion itself. C is a plausible real-world fact but the passage never actually states it. E sounds reasonable but introduces an idea (citizens playing their democratic role) that the passage doesn't raise.

A is the point everything else in the passage is building toward.

Summary to learn

An argument's conclusion is the specific claim that everything else in the passage builds toward — not a supporting premise (a fact used along the way to get there) and not an idea introduced only briefly that isn't actually the point being argued. Tracing an argument's own internal logical chain, ending on whatever final claim the premises are combined to establish, identifies the conclusion reliably.

Many countries spent billions on vaccines in response to advice that a virus had the potential to kill millions. These countries are now trying to sell the stockpiles of vaccines which they do not need. There is concern that advice given by officials may have been influenced by pharmaceutical companies. Clearly, such companies would have an interest in making sure that governments spent large quantities of money on vaccines that they produced. It is essential that an investigation into this matter takes place as soon as possible so that those responsible can be held to account.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which this argument depends?

  • AThe pharmaceutical companies influenced the advice given by officials.
  • BThe advice given by officials was not appropriate.
  • CIt will not be possible for the stockpiles of vaccines to be sold.
  • DThe pharmaceutical companies misjudged the dangers of the virus.
  • EGroups with financial interests do not advise officials in other areas of decision making.
Correct answer: B The advice given by officials was not appropriate.

Full explanation

The passage's demand for an investigation only makes sense if there's actually something to investigate — meaning the original advice to buy the vaccines has to have been wrong in the first place. If the advice had genuinely been sound given what was known at the time, there'd be no misconduct to uncover and no one to hold accountable, no matter how much the drug companies stood to gain. That's the assumption option B supplies.

A explains a motive for wrongdoing but isn't required for the conclusion to follow — an investigation could still be warranted without proving influence occurred, as long as the advice was bad. C is irrelevant to whether an investigation is warranted. D would actually excuse the officials rather than justify investigating them. E is a sweeping generalisation the argument doesn't need.

B is the assumption the whole call for accountability depends on.

Summary to learn

A call for an investigation or for holding people accountable only makes logical sense if there is genuinely something wrong to investigate. The assumption such an argument depends on is therefore that the original decision or advice being questioned was actually flawed — without that, there would be no misconduct to uncover, regardless of any separate facts (like who stood to profit) that might otherwise look suspicious.

A chain link has the following dimensions:

IMAT 2011 question 39 figure
IMAT 2011 question 39 figure
IMAT 2011 question 39 figure

If you join six of these links together, and stretch the chain to its full extent, what is the total length of the chain?

  • A24
  • B28
  • C30
  • D32
  • E36
Correct answer: B 28

Full explanation

IMAT 2011 question 39 figure

Each link is 8 units long end to end, with a 2-unit-thick rim at each tip — that's the solid part of the loop that a neighbouring link hooks through.

The very first link in the chain isn't hooked onto anything before it, so it counts for its full length: 8.

Every link after that is threaded through the rim of the one before it, and that overlap eats up 2 units from each of the two linked rims — 4 units of overlap in total. So each extra link only extends the chain by its length minus the overlap: 8 − 4 = 4, which is exactly what the diagram's repeated "4" arrows show.

With 6 links, that's the first link at 8, plus 5 more links adding 4 each:

Total length = 8 + (5 × 4) = 8 + 20 = 28.

Summary to learn

In a repeating chain or sequence where each new link overlaps with the one before it, the very first element in the sequence contributes its full size (since it has nothing before it to overlap with), while every element after that only adds its size minus however much of it is used up in the overlap — so the total length is the first element's full size plus (number of additional elements × each one's net contribution after overlap).

Consider the following statements:

1. There are fewer rats than people.

2. There are not more people than rats.

3. There are at least as many rats as people.

4. There are not more rats than people.

Which two of the above statements are equivalent?

  • A1 and 3
  • B1 and 4
  • C2 and 3
  • D2 and 4
  • E3 and 4
Correct answer: C 2 and 3

Full explanation

Let's analyze the statements logically:

- Statement 1: "There are fewer rats than people." → This means the number of rats is less than the number of people.

- Statement 2: "There are not more people than rats." → This means the number of people is less than or equal to the number of rats.

- Statement 3: "There are at least as many rats as people." → This means the number of rats is greater than or equal to the number of people.

- Statement 4: "There are not more rats than people." → This means the number of rats is less than or equal to the number of people.

Now, checking equivalency:

- Statements 2 and 3 are saying the same thing in different ways: People are not greater than rats (Statement 2) is the same as Rats are at least equal to people (Statement 3).

- Statements 1 and 4 both indicate Rats are fewer than or equal to people, but since Statement 1 states fewer, while Statement 4 allows equal, they are not exactly equivalent.

Thus, the correct answer is C: 2 and 3.

Summary to learn

Two statements are logically equivalent only if they are true under exactly the same conditions in every case, not merely if they sound similar. Careful phrases like “at least as many” (which allows equality) and “fewer than” (which strictly excludes equality) describe subtly different conditions, so translating each statement into a precise inequality (using <, ≤, > or ≥) before comparing them is the reliable way to check true equivalence.

Biology

Cell biology, genetics, molecular biology & human physiology · 18 questions
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In a DNA sample, the percentage of guanine present was 28%. What is the percentage of thymine in the sample?

  • A22%
  • B27%
  • C28%
  • D44%
  • E54%
Correct answer: A 22%

Full explanation

In DNA, guanine (G) always pairs with cytosine (C), and adenine (A) always pairs with thymine (T). This means that the percentage of guanine is equal to the percentage of cytosine, and the percentage of adenine is equal to the percentage of thymine.

Given:

- Guanine (G) = 28%

- Cytosine (C) = 28% (since G pairs with C)

Since the total percentage of bases in DNA must be 100%, we can calculate adenine and thymine:

A + T = 100% - (G + C )

A + T = 100% - (28% + 28%) = 100% − 56% = 44%

Since adenine and thymine are equal, we divide by 2:

T = (44%)/(2) = 22%

Thus, the correct answer is A: 22%.

Summary to learn

Chargaff's base-pairing rules state that in double-stranded DNA, adenine (A) always pairs with thymine (T) and guanine (G) always pairs with cytosine (C), so the percentage of A always equals the percentage of T, and the percentage of G always equals the percentage of C. Since all four bases must add up to 100%, knowing any one base's percentage lets you find all the others: %G = %C, and (%A + %T) = 100% − (%G + %C), split equally between A and T.

Which property of water is most important when heat is lost from human skin?

  • Adipole properties so salts can dissolve in sweat
  • Bhigh specific heat capacity
  • Clatent heat of vaporisation
  • Dboiling point of water
  • Ewater density is greatest at 4°C
Correct answer: C latent heat of vaporisation

Full explanation

Sweat cools the body by evaporating, and evaporation is what draws heat out of the skin — a large amount of it, because water has an unusually high latent heat of vaporisation. Turning even a small amount of liquid sweat into vapour soaks up far more energy than simply warming that same water up would, which is exactly why evaporative cooling is so effective at shedding heat. That makes C the property doing the real work here.

High specific heat capacity (B) helps the body resist temperature swings in general, but it's the change of state — not the heat capacity — that actually removes the heat once you're sweating. The dipole nature of water (A) is why salts dissolve in sweat, useful for the sweat itself but unrelated to the cooling mechanism. Boiling point (D) never comes into play at body temperature, and water being densest at 4°C (E) matters for lakes and fish, not skin.

Summary to learn

Water has an unusually high latent heat of vaporisation, meaning it takes a large amount of energy to turn liquid water into vapour even without changing its temperature. When sweat evaporates from the skin, it draws that large amount of energy from the body as heat, which is what makes evaporative cooling such an effective way to lose heat — distinct from water's high specific heat capacity, which instead helps the body resist temperature swings rather than actively remove heat.

What would be the chemical formula of a polysaccharide made up of five glucose monomers?

  • AC6H12O6
  • BC30H52O26
  • CC30H60O30
  • DC5H10O5
  • E(CHn-1O)2
Correct answer: B C30H52O26

Full explanation

To determine the chemical formula of a polysaccharide made up of five glucose monomers, we need to account for condensation reactions, which occur when monosaccharides bond, releasing water molecules.

Glucose monomer formula → C₆H₁₂O₆ Five glucose units → 5 × C₆H₁₂O₆ = C₃₀H₆₀O₃₀ Condensation reaction → Each glycosidic bond formation removes one water molecule (H₂O)

For five glucose monomers, there are four bonds, so 4 × H₂O (4 × H₂O = 4 × H₂O = H₈O₄) is lost.

Final formula calculation: C₃₀H₆₀O₃₀ - H₈O₄ = C₃₀H₅₂O₂₆

Thus, the correct answer is B: C₃₀H₅₂O₂₆.

Summary to learn

Polysaccharides form when individual monosaccharide units join together through condensation reactions, in which each new glycosidic bond releases one water molecule. To find the formula of a chain of several glucose units, multiply the single-glucose formula (C6H12O6) by the number of units, then subtract one H2O for every bond formed — a chain of n monomers has (n − 1) bonds, so (n − 1) water molecules are lost overall.

Which of the features below may be present in both prokaryotic cells and eukaryotic animal cells?

  1. glycogen
  2. a cell wall
  3. DNA in loops
  4. cytoplasm containing ribosomes
  • A1 only
  • B1 and 2 only
  • C1, 2 and 3 only
  • D1 and 4 only
  • Enone
Correct answer: D 1 and 4 only

Full explanation

Glycogen → Present in animal cells as an energy storage molecule, and some prokaryotes also store energy in glycogen.

Cell wall → Found in many prokaryotes, but not in animal cells (only in plant, fungal, and bacterial cells).

DNA in loops → Characteristic of prokaryotes, but not animal cells, which have linear DNA in the nucleus. Mitochondria do contain circular DNA, which might make choice 3 seem tempting, but no answer option pairs choice 3 with the other genuinely shared feature (choice 2) — so choice 3 can still be excluded.

Cytoplasm containing ribosomes → Found in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, as ribosomes are universal structures for protein synthesis.

Thus, the best answer is D: 1 and 4 only.

Summary to learn

Prokaryotic and eukaryotic animal cells share some features but differ in others: both can store energy as glycogen and both have ribosome-studded cytoplasm for protein synthesis, but a rigid cell wall is found in many prokaryotes (and in plant, fungal cells) yet not in animal cells, and DNA arranged in a circular loop is the hallmark of a prokaryotic chromosome, whereas animal cell DNA is linear and housed in a nucleus (even though animal mitochondria separately carry their own small loop of circular DNA, a legacy of their bacterial ancestry).

Which is likely to contain the most mitochondria?

  • Ared blood cell
  • Blymphocyte (white blood cell)
  • Ccardiac muscle cell
  • Depidermal cell
  • Echeek cell
Correct answer: C cardiac muscle cell

Full explanation

Mitochondria go where the energy demand is, since their job is churning out ATP. A heart never gets a break — it's contracting every second of every day — so cardiac muscle cells are packed with mitochondria to keep that supply constant. That single relentless demand is what sets option C apart from the rest.

Red blood cells (A) have no mitochondria at all; they lose them entirely and run on anaerobic respiration. Lymphocytes (B) do carry mitochondria but nowhere near the density muscle needs. Skin cells (D) and cheek cells (E) are metabolically fairly quiet, so neither needs much of an ATP factory.

Summary to learn

Mitochondria are the site of aerobic respiration, producing the ATP a cell needs to function, so cell types with the highest, most continuous energy demands carry the greatest density of mitochondria. Cardiac muscle cells are a standout example because the heart contracts continuously without rest throughout life, unlike cells such as red blood cells (which have no mitochondria at all and rely entirely on anaerobic respiration) or metabolically quiet cells like those of the skin.

If an animal body cell contained 36 chromosomes, which row in the table is correct?

  • AZygote 72 · Mitosis daughter 18 · Meiosis daughter 18
  • BZygote 36 · Mitosis daughter 18 · Meiosis daughter 36
  • CZygote 18 · Mitosis daughter 72 · Meiosis daughter 36
  • DZygote 18 · Mitosis daughter 36 · Meiosis daughter 72
  • EZygote 36 · Mitosis daughter 36 · Meiosis daughter 18
Correct answer: E 36 36 18

Full explanation

Given : an animal body cell contained 36 chromosomes. It is diploid (2n) because it is body cell. Mitosis produces identical diploid cells → daughter cells will also have 36 chromosomes. Meiosis produces haploid (n) gametes → daughter cells will have 18 chromosomes.

A zygote forms from the fusion of two haploid gametes (sperm and egg), so it is diploid, meaning it also has 36 chromosomes.

Thus, the correct row is row E.

Summary to learn

A normal animal body cell is diploid (2n), carrying two copies of each chromosome. Mitosis produces genetically identical diploid daughter cells with the same chromosome number as the parent cell, while meiosis halves the chromosome number to produce haploid (n) gametes; when two haploid gametes (sperm and egg) fuse at fertilisation, the resulting zygote is diploid again, restoring the full chromosome number.

A food item was burned in pure oxygen and released 830 kJ of energy. An identical food item of the same mass was found to produce 8 ATP's in respiration.

Assuming it takes 31 kJ to produce one ATP molecule, estimate the efficiency of respiration.

  • A10%
  • B25%
  • C30%
  • D45%
  • E50%
Correct answer: C 30%

Full explanation

Burning the food released 830 kJ in total. Respiration only managed to capture part of that as usable energy, in the form of ATP.

Energy captured as ATP: 8 ATP × 31 kJ per ATP = 248 kJ.

Efficiency of respiration = (energy captured) / (total energy released) × 100% = 248/830 × 100% ≈ 30%.

Summary to learn

The efficiency of a biological energy-conversion process (like respiration) is the fraction of the total energy available in a fuel that actually ends up captured in a usable form (such as ATP), expressed as a percentage: efficiency = (useful energy captured) ÷ (total energy released) × 100%. The rest of the energy that isn't captured is typically lost as heat, which is why biological respiration is never close to 100% efficient.

The statements below show three stages in glycolysis.

1. 2 x 3 carbon compounds

2. 6 carbon compound

3. phosphorylated 6 carbon compound

The correct sequence is:

  • A1, 2, 3
  • B2, 3, 1
  • C3, 2, 1
  • D1, 3, 2
  • E2, 1, 3
Correct answer: B 2, 3, 1

Full explanation

Glycolysis Overview: It is a ten stage process that occurs in the cytoplasm of the cell. The general steps are

1. Substrate - glucose (6-carbon compound)

2. Phosphorylation → Glucose becomes a phosphorylated 6-carbon compound (e.g. fructose-1,6-bisphosphate)

3. The phosphorylated 6-carbon compound is then split into two 3-carbon compounds (e.g. glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate)

Thus, the correct sequence is 6 carbon compound → phosphorylated 6 carbon compound → 2 x 3 carbon compounds.

Summary to learn

Glycolysis is the first stage of cellular respiration, occurring in the cytoplasm, and it begins by using energy (ATP) to phosphorylate the starting 6-carbon glucose molecule, converting it into a phosphorylated 6-carbon compound; that phosphorylated intermediate is then split into two separate 3-carbon compounds, which are further processed to eventually yield pyruvate, a net gain of ATP, and NADH.

During vigorous exercise a variety of products will be generated in muscle cells. Which answer correctly lists some of the products?

  • Awater, lactic acid, heat and carbon dioxide
  • Bwater, sweat, heat and lactic acid
  • Cusable energy (ATP), carbon dioxide and oxygen
  • Dcarbon dioxide, lactic acid and ethanol
  • Euseable energy (ATP), heat, glycogen and carbon dioxide
Correct answer: A water, lactic acid, heat and carbon dioxide

Full explanation

During vigorous exercise, your muscles need more energy (ATP) very quickly to keep up with the intense activity. Normally, energy (ATP) is made through aerobic respiration, which requires oxygen. But during vigorous exercise, your heart and lungs can't deliver oxygen fast enough to your hard-working muscles and muscles switch to anaerobic respiration. This process breaks down glucose without oxygen to make a small amount of ATP quickly. The downside is that anaerobic respiration produces lactic acid, which can cause muscle fatigue and soreness.

Main products

- Lactic acid — due to anaerobic glycolysis when oxygen is insufficient

- Water -- from aerobic respiration

- Carbon dioxide — from aerobic metabolism

- Heat — as a by-product of metabolic reactions

Other incorrect products Sweat is produced by skin glands, not directly by muscle cells.

Oxygen is used, not produced.

Ethanol is not produced in human cells (only in yeast).

Glycogen is stored, not produced as a by-product.

Summary to learn

During vigorous exercise, oxygen delivery to muscles can't keep pace with the sudden energy demand, so muscle cells switch (partly) to anaerobic respiration, which breaks down glucose without oxygen to make ATP quickly but produces lactic acid as a by-product, along with heat, water and carbon dioxide from the aerobic respiration still taking place. Lactic acid build-up is what contributes to the burning sensation and fatigue felt during intense exertion.

Haemophilia is caused by a recessive allele carried only on the X chromosome. A carrier female and a non-haemophiliac male decide to have a child.

Which of the following four statements are correct?

1. they have a 25% chance of producing a haemophiliac son

2. they have a 25% chance of producing a haemophiliac daughter

3. they have a 25% chance of producing a carrier son

4. they have a 25% chance of producing a carrier daughter

  • A1 and 2 only
  • B1 and 4 only
  • C2 and 3 only
  • D2 and 4 only
  • E3 and 4 only
Correct answer: B 1 and 4 only

Full explanation

Haemophilia is X-linked recessive: a male (XY) shows the condition as soon as he inherits one affected X, since he has no second X to cover for it, while a female (XX) only shows it if both her X chromosomes carry the recessive allele — one affected X just makes her a carrier.

Let XH be the normal allele and Xh the haemophilia allele. The mother is a carrier, XHXh; the father is unaffected, XHY. Crossing them gives four equally likely offspring:

XH (from mum) + XH (from dad) → XHXH, a healthy daughter.

XH (from mum) + Y (from dad) → XHY, a healthy son.

Xh (from mum) + XH (from dad) → XHXh, a carrier daughter.

Xh (from mum) + Y (from dad) → XhY, a haemophiliac son.

Each of those four outcomes has a 25% chance. Checking the statements against them:

1. 25% chance of a haemophiliac son — true, that's XhY.

2. 25% chance of a haemophiliac daughter — false. A daughter always inherits the father's only X, which is XH, so she can never end up XhXh; the worst she can be from this cross is a carrier.

3. 25% chance of a carrier son — false. A son only has one X chromosome, so he is either affected or unaffected; "carrier" describes a heterozygous female, not a male.

4. 25% chance of a carrier daughter — true, that's XHXh.

So statements 1 and 4 are the correct pair — option B.

Summary to learn

For an X-linked recessive condition like haemophilia, a male (XY) is affected as soon as he inherits one copy of the recessive allele on his single X chromosome, since he has no second X to mask it, while a female (XX) needs two copies (one on each X) to be affected — a female with only one affected X is an unaffected carrier. Crossing a carrier mother (XHXh) with an unaffected father (XHY) gives four equally likely offspring: a healthy daughter, a healthy son, a carrier daughter, and an affected son — each with a 25% probability.

Cross over values (COV's) can be considered as the relative distance between genes and are used to help construct chromosome maps. Four genes, called P, Q, R and S, are found on the same chromosome. Use the following COV's to work out the sequence of the four genes.

P to Q = 33 Q to R = 8 R to S = 15 P to S = 10 P to R = 25 The sequence of the genes is

  • AP Q R S
  • BS P Q R
  • CR S P Q
  • DQ S R P
  • EP S R Q
Correct answer: E P S R Q

Full explanation

A cross-over value works like a distance: the further apart two genes sit on the chromosome, the more often a crossover happens between them, so the single biggest COV in the list marks the two genes furthest apart — the two ends of the map. That's P to Q at 33, so P and Q anchor the two ends, 33 units apart, with S and R somewhere in between.

P to S is 10, so S sits 10 units in from P. Q to R is 8, so R sits 8 units in from Q — which is 33 − 8 = 25 units from P. That already matches the given P to R = 25, which is a good check that the placement is right.

Reading the positions from P outward: S at 10, R at 25, Q at 33. That order is P–S–R–Q, and the gap it predicts between S and R is 25 − 10 = 15, matching the given R to S = 15 as a second check.

IMAT 2011 question 51 figure

So the correct sequence is P S R Q, option E.

Summary to learn

A cross-over value (COV) between two genes behaves like a distance measurement along a chromosome: the larger the COV between two genes, the further apart they sit. To build a chromosome map from a set of pairwise COVs, identify the largest COV first (marking the two genes furthest apart, at the two ends of the map), then use the smaller COVs to place the remaining genes at their correct distances in between, checking that every pairwise distance implied by the final map is consistent with all of the COVs originally given.

In a dihybrid cross between two heterozygous individuals, which is the most likely combination in their offspring?

  • AAaBB
  • BAaBb
  • CaaBB
  • DaaBb
  • EAABB
Correct answer: B AaBb

Full explanation

In a dihybrid cross, each parent is heterozygous for both genes: AaBb × AaBb. Each parent can pass on four different gamete combinations — AB, Ab, aB, ab — each with equal (1 in 4) probability, so the cross is worked out with a 4×4 Punnett square, giving 16 equally likely boxes:

ABAbaBab
ABAABBAABbAaBBAaBb
AbAABbAAbbAaBbAabb
aBAaBBAaBbaaBBaaBb
abAaBbAabbaaBbaabb

Counting the 16 boxes gives the classic 9:3:3:1 phenotype ratio, and by genotype the single most common box is AaBb (heterozygous at both genes), which turns up in 4 of the 16 boxes — a quarter (25%) of all offspring, more than any other individual genotype. That makes AaBb the most likely combination, option B.

Summary to learn

In a dihybrid cross between two individuals heterozygous at both genes (AaBb × AaBb), each parent produces four equally likely gamete types (AB, Ab, aB, ab), giving a 4×4 Punnett square of 16 equally likely offspring combinations. Working through all 16 boxes gives the classic 9:3:3:1 phenotypic ratio, and by individual genotype, the double heterozygote (AaBb) is the single most common outcome, appearing in 4 of the 16 boxes (25%) — more than any other specific genotype.

The base sequence of a section of DNA is shown below.

C A T G C A C A T C G T G C C C A A The maximum number of different amino acids this section codes for is:

  • A4
  • B5
  • C6
  • D9
  • E18
Correct answer: B 5

Full explanation

A codon is a group of 3 DNA bases, coding for one amino acid.

DNA sequence: C A T G C A C A T C G T G C C C A A

Break into triplets (codons):

→ CAT — GCA — CAT — CGT — GCC — CAA That's 6 codons, so potentially 6 amino acids Since it's asking for the maximum number of different amino acids, and one codon repeats (CAT), the correct answer is 5.

Summary to learn

The genetic code is read in non-overlapping triplets called codons, each of which specifies one amino acid (or a stop signal). To find how many different amino acids a stretch of DNA could code for, split its base sequence into consecutive groups of three and count how many of the resulting codons are distinct — if the same codon sequence happens to repeat within the stretch, it can only specify the same amino acid each time, reducing the maximum number of different amino acids below the total codon count.

Which of the components of DNA listed below are found on the outside of a DNA double helix?

  1. Pentose sugar
  2. Phosphate
  3. Purine bases
  4. Pyrimidine bases
  • A1 and 2 only
  • B3 and 4 only
  • C1, 2 and 3 only
  • D2, 3 and 4 only
  • E1, 2, 3 and 4
Correct answer: A 1 and 2 only

Full explanation

Structure of the DNA double helix : Backbone of DNA (outside) = phosphate group + pentose sugar (deoxyribose)

Bases (purines and pyrimidines) face inward, forming base pairs held by hydrogen bonds So, only the sugar and phosphate are found on the outside of the DNA double helix. The bases are always on the inside, paired A--T and G--C.

Summary to learn

The DNA double helix has a “backbone-and-rungs” structure: the sugar (deoxyribose) and phosphate groups form the two outer strands (the backbone) that wind around the outside of the helix, while the nitrogenous bases — both the larger purines (adenine, guanine) and the smaller pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine) — point inward, pairing up across the middle and held together by hydrogen bonds.

Which of the following organisms are subject to natural selection?

1. prokaryotes that reproduce asexually

2. single-celled eukaryotes that reproduce sexually

3. organisms living in a changing environment

4. organisms living in a stable environment

  • A1 and 2 only
  • B2 and 3 only
  • C3 and 4 only
  • D1, 2 and 3 only
  • E1, 2, 3 and 4
Correct answer: E 1, 2, 3 and 4

Full explanation

Natural selection acts on any population in which individuals vary and that variation affects survival or reproduction — it is not limited to sexual reproducers or to organisms living in changing conditions.

Statement 1: prokaryotes that reproduce asexually still generate genetic variation through mutation, and cells with a survival or reproductive advantage still leave more descendants, so they are subject to natural selection.

Statement 2: single-celled eukaryotes that reproduce sexually generate variation through recombination as well as mutation, so they are subject to natural selection.

Statement 3: organisms in a changing environment are subject to natural selection, since shifting conditions continually favour whichever variants are best suited to the new conditions.

Statement 4: organisms in a stable environment are also subject to natural selection — selection continues to favour the variants already best suited to that environment (stabilising selection), it simply does not shift the population toward a new optimum.

Since variation, differential survival/reproduction, and heritability are present in all four cases, all of them are subject to natural selection.

Summary to learn

Natural selection requires three ingredients in a population: heritable variation between individuals, and a difference in survival or reproductive success linked to that variation. Those ingredients are present in asexual as well as sexual reproducers (mutation alone generates variation even without recombination), and selection continues to operate in a stable environment just as much as a changing one — in a stable environment it favours whichever variants are already best suited to those steady conditions (stabilising selection), rather than switching off entirely.

Which adaptation cannot help increase the speed of transmission in a motor neurone?

  • Along axon
  • Bnodes of Ranvier
  • Csynapse
  • Dpresence of an insulating myelin sheath
  • Egreater axon diameter
Correct answer: C synapse

Full explanation

Everything else in this list is a genuine speed-up trick along the length of a neurone: a longer axon covers ground without extra relays, myelin insulates the membrane so current doesn't leak away, nodes of Ranvier let the impulse jump from node to node instead of crawling along every millimetre, and a fatter axon offers less internal resistance. A synapse does the opposite job — it's the junction between one neurone and the next, and crossing it means releasing neurotransmitter into a gap and waiting for it to bind on the other side, which takes measurably longer than the electrical signal itself. That built-in delay is why C is the one feature that slows things down rather than speeding them up.

Summary to learn

Several structural features speed up the transmission of a nerve impulse along a neurone: a myelin sheath insulates the axon membrane so current doesn't leak away, nodes of Ranvier let the impulse jump from node to node (saltatory conduction) instead of travelling continuously, and a wider axon diameter offers less internal resistance to the flow of ions. A synapse, by contrast, is the junction between two neurones, where the signal must cross a gap via diffusing neurotransmitter molecules — a process that is inherently slower than electrical conduction along an axon, making the synapse a source of delay rather than of speed.

In the process of ventilation the following occur:

1. pressure in thorax increases

2. volume of thorax increases

3. diaphragm goes down

4. ribcage goes down Which of these occur during inhalation?

  • A1 and 2 only
  • B2 and 3 only
  • C3 and 4 only
  • D1 and 3 only
  • E2 and 4 only
Correct answer: B 2 and 3 only

Full explanation

Mammals ventilate using negative pressure breathing mechanism. It is a mechanism in which air enters the lungs during inhalation by creating a pressure difference between the inside of the lungs and the external environment.

Thus, for inhalation to occur, ribcage moves up and out, diaphragm contracts & moves downward, expanding chest cavity and increasing the thoracic volume. As thoracic volume increases, the pressure drops (Boyle's law). Since the pressure inside the lungs becomes lower than external air pressure, air naturally flows into the lungs. This is how inhalation occurs.

Exhalation is passive in normal breathing, diaphragm and rib cage relaxes, reducing the thoracic volume, which increases the pressure inside lungs resulting in air naturally flowing out.

Thus, among the given options, only 2 and 3 happen during inhalation.

Summary to learn

Mammals breathe using negative-pressure ventilation: during inhalation, the diaphragm contracts and moves downward while the ribcage moves up and outward, together increasing the volume of the thorax; by Boyle's law, that larger volume lowers the pressure inside the lungs below atmospheric pressure, so air is drawn in. Exhalation in normal quiet breathing is passive — the diaphragm and ribcage simply relax, shrinking the thoracic volume and raising the internal pressure so that air flows back out.

Which answer correctly identifies roles of the brain and the pancreas in the normal physiological regulation of the concentration of glucose in the blood?

  • ABrain — detects a decrease in blood glucose concentration; Pancreas — detects an increase in blood glucose concentration
  • BBrain — detects an increase in blood glucose concentration; Pancreas — detects a decrease in blood glucose concentration
  • CBrain — detects both a decrease and an increase in blood glucose concentration; Pancreas — secretes either glucagon or insulin
  • DBrain — no role; Pancreas — detects both a decrease and an increase in blood glucose concentration
  • EBrain — no role; Pancreas — secretes only insulin
Correct answer: D No role Detects both a decrease and an increase in blood glucose concentration

Full explanation

In the normal physiological regulation of the concentration of glucose in the blood:

The brain does not directly regulate blood glucose levels, but it does depend on glucose as its primary energy source. Regulation is primarily controlled by the pancreas.

The pancreas plays a crucial role in glucose homeostasis by detecting changes in blood glucose levels and secreting the necessary hormones:

- Insulin (when blood glucose is high) → helps lower glucose levels by promoting uptake into cells.

- Glucagon (when blood glucose is low) → helps increase glucose levels by triggering the release of stored glucose.

A, B, and C suggest that the brain actively detects blood glucose levels, which is incorrect.

E incorrectly states that the pancreas only secretes insulin, but it also secretes glucagon.

Thus, D is the best answer.

Summary to learn

Blood glucose concentration is regulated mainly by the pancreas, not the brain: specialised pancreatic cells directly detect both rises and falls in blood glucose and respond by secreting the appropriate hormone — insulin when glucose is high (promoting uptake into cells and lowering the level) and glucagon when glucose is low (triggering the release of stored glucose to raise the level). This is a classic example of negative feedback, with the pancreas acting as both the sensor and the effector for this particular internal condition.

Chemistry

General, inorganic, organic & biochemistry · 11 questions
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Which of the following shows how the atomic radius of the elements changes on crossing from left to right in the row of the Periodic Table from potassium to bromine?

  • AK→Ca decrease · Sc→Zn increase · Ga→Br decrease
  • BK→Ca decrease · Sc→Zn decrease · Ga→Br increase
  • CK→Ca decrease · Sc→Zn decrease · Ga→Br decrease
  • DK→Ca increase · Sc→Zn decrease · Ga→Br increase
  • EK→Ca increase · Sc→Zn increase · Ga→Br increase
Correct answer: C decrease decrease decrease

Full explanation

Atomic radius shrinks as you move across a period, because each extra proton pulls the outer electrons in more tightly while they sit in roughly the same shell. That trend holds across all three stretches shown here.

K to Ca: still the main-group elements at the start of period 4, and radius drops as the extra proton in Ca pulls its electrons in tighter than K's.

Sc to Zn: the transition metals fill an inner 3d subshell here rather than the outer shell, so the radius doesn't fall as sharply as it does elsewhere — but successive atoms still get very slightly smaller across the series, since the modest shielding from d-electrons doesn't fully offset the growing nuclear charge.

Ga to Br: back among the main-group elements, radius resumes its steady period-wide decrease as electrons fill the outer shell and nuclear charge keeps climbing.

Put those three together and the pattern is decrease, decrease, decrease all the way across — option C.

Summary to learn

Atomic radius generally decreases moving left to right across a period, because each added proton increases the nuclear charge pulling the outer electrons inward while those electrons remain in roughly the same shell. Across the transition-metal block, the same trend holds but is far less pronounced, since added electrons there fill an inner d-subshell rather than the outermost shell, providing some shielding that partly offsets the growing nuclear charge — but even so, atomic radius still edges slightly smaller rather than reversing direction.

How many nitrogen electrons are involved in bond formation in HONO2 ?

  • A3
  • B4
  • C5
  • D6
  • E7
Correct answer: C 5

Full explanation

IMAT 2011 question 60 Lewis structure of HONO2

Nitrogen has 5 valence electrons (Group 15), and in nitric acid, HONO2, all 5 end up involved in bonding.

Nitrogen forms three bonds to oxygen: one single bond to the –OH oxygen (contributing 1 electron), one double bond to a second oxygen (contributing 2 electrons), and one dative (coordinate) bond to the third oxygen, where nitrogen supplies both electrons of the pair (contributing 2 electrons).

Adding those up: 1 + 2 + 2 = 5 electrons from nitrogen are involved in bond formation, so the correct answer is C.

Summary to learn

The number of electrons an atom contributes to bond formation can be counted directly from its Lewis (dot-and-cross) structure: every single bond the atom is part of uses one of its own electrons, every double bond uses two, and in a dative (coordinate) bond — where one atom supplies both electrons of the shared pair — the donor atom's own contribution is both electrons of that bond, not just one.

Which one of the following compounds can be made from ethanol using only a substitution reaction?

  • AEthene
  • BEthanal
  • CEthanoic acid
  • DEthoxyethane
  • EBromoethane
Correct answer: E Bromoethane

Full explanation

Substitution swaps one group for another without touching the rest of the carbon skeleton, and that's exactly what happens when ethanol's –OH is replaced by bromine: C2H5OH + HBr → C2H5Br + H2O, giving bromoethane.

None of the other routes are simple substitutions. Making ethene (A) means eliminating water, not swapping a group. Ethanal (B) and ethanoic acid (C) both come from oxidising ethanol, not substituting into it. Ethoxyethane (D) forms by condensing two ethanol molecules together, losing water in the process — a different kind of reaction again. Bromoethane is the only product on the list that comes from a genuine one-for-one substitution.

Summary to learn

Organic reactions are classified by what actually happens to the carbon skeleton: substitution swaps one functional group for another (ethanol's –OH group replaced by a halogen, for instance) without otherwise altering the chain; elimination removes atoms to form a double bond (as when ethanol is converted to ethene); oxidation adds oxygen or removes hydrogen (turning ethanol into ethanal, then ethanoic acid); and condensation joins two molecules together with the loss of a small molecule like water (as when two ethanol molecules form ethoxyethane).

An aromatic compound consists of two benzene rings joined together. Which of the following could be its formula?

1. C10H8 2. C10H10 3. C10H12 4. C12H10 5. C12H12

  • A1 and 4
  • B2 and 4
  • C3 and 4
  • D2 and 5
  • E3 and 5
Correct answer: A 1 and 4

Full explanation

An aromatic compound with two benzene rings is typically a fused polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) or a biphenyl-type derivative, joined by a single bond. The molecular formula must correspond to one of these two ways of joining two benzene rings.

1. C₁₀H₈ (naphthalene) — two benzene rings fused together, sharing a pair of carbon atoms.

4. C₁₂H₁₀ (biphenyl) — two benzene rings linked by a single C–C bond.

Formulas 2, 3, and 5 (C₁₀H₁₀, C₁₀H₁₂, C₁₂H₁₂) don't correspond to either way of joining two intact benzene rings, so they can be ruled out.

Thus, the correct combination is 1 and 4, giving option A.

IMAT 2011 question 62 figure
Summary to learn

Two benzene rings can be joined in essentially two distinct ways: fused together sharing a pair of carbon atoms (as in naphthalene, C10H8), or linked end-to-end by a single carbon–carbon bond (as in biphenyl, C12H10). Only molecular formulas that correspond to one of these two genuine two-ring structures actually represent a compound built from two intact benzene rings — any other formula with a similar carbon and hydrogen count doesn't correspond to either real structure.

8.0 g of copper oxide is reduced to 5.6 g of copper using hydrogen gas. [relative atomic mass: Cu=64, O=16]

CuO + H2 → Cu + H2O What is the yield of copper as a percentage of the theoretical maximum?

  • A14.3%
  • B43.9%
  • C56.0%
  • D70.0%
  • E87.5%
Correct answer: E 87.5%

Full explanation

CuO + H2 → Cu + H2O Step 1: Find the theoretical mass of copper Molar mass of CuO = Cu (64) + O (16) = 80 g/mol From the balanced equation, it can be concluded that 1 mole of CuO produces 1 mole of Cu (64 g/mol).

Since we start with 8.0 g of CuO, the moles of CuO are:

(8g)/(80(g)/(mol)) = 0.1 mol of CuO Mass of Cu produced theoretically: 0.10 mol × 64 g/mol = 6.4 g Cu Step 2: Calculate percentage yield Actual yield of Cu = 5.6 g Theoretical yield of Cu = 6.4 g Percentage yield = (actual yield)/(theoretical yield) × 100% = (5.6)/(6.4) × 100% = 87.5%

Summary to learn

Percentage yield compares how much product a reaction actually produced against the maximum amount theoretically possible from the same starting quantity of reactant, calculated from the balanced equation and the limiting reactant's molar mass: percentage yield = (actual yield ÷ theoretical yield) × 100%. Real reactions almost always fall short of 100% because of side reactions, incomplete reactions, or product lost during separation and purification.

The positions of some elements in the Periodic Table are shown below.

Li

C

Ne

Na

S

Cl

Br

Kr

Which two of the elements shown react most energetically with each other?

  • ALi and Kr
  • BNe and Na
  • CC and He
  • DLi and Br
  • ENa and Cl
Correct answer: E Na and Cl

Full explanation

The most violent reactions in this list come from pairing the most reactive metal with the most reactive non-metal, because that combination has the strongest pull to swap an electron. Sodium gives up its single outer electron easily, and chlorine grabs an extra electron just as eagerly, so Na → Na+ and Cl → Cl happens fast and releases a large burst of energy — enough to produce heat and light almost explosively.

Krypton (A, C) and neon (B) are noble gases that barely react with anything, so pairing them with a reactive metal doesn't lead anywhere energetic. Lithium and bromine (D) do react, just less violently — lithium doesn't lose its electron as readily as sodium does, and bromine isn't as hungry for one as chlorine is. Sodium and chlorine remain the most energetic pairing, so E is correct.

Summary to learn

The most energetic reactions between a metal and a non-metal occur when the most reactive metal (one that loses its outer electron very easily, like an alkali metal such as sodium) pairs with the most reactive non-metal (one that gains an electron very readily, like a halogen such as chlorine) — that combination has the strongest overall drive to transfer electrons and complete both atoms' outer shells, releasing a correspondingly large burst of energy. Noble gases, by contrast, have already-full outer shells and so barely react with anything.

Which one of the following is not an acid/base reaction?

  • AHNO3 + HClO4 → H2NO3+ + ClO
  • B2NH3 → NH2 + NH4+
  • CAl(H2O)63+ + H2O → Al(H2O)5(OH)2+ + H3O+
  • DCH4 + H(SbF6) → CH5+ + SbF6
  • EFeCl3 + 6H2O → Fe(H2O)63+ + 3Cl
Correct answer: E FeCl3 + 6H2O → Fe(H2O)63+ + 3Cl

Full explanation

An acid-base reaction always comes down to one thing: does a proton (H+) move from one species to another? Checking each reaction against that test:

A: HNO3 hands a proton to HClO4, forming H2NO3+ and ClO — a clean proton transfer, so this is acid-base.

B: two ammonia molecules react together, one donating a proton to become NH2 and the other accepting it to become NH4+ — ammonia acting as both acid and base at once, still a proton transfer.

C: the hydrated aluminium ion loses a proton to a water molecule, forming Al(H2O)5(OH)2+ and H3O+ — again, a proton has moved.

D: the superacid H(SbF6) protonates methane itself, forming CH5+ — an unusual reaction, but still built on a proton handed from one molecule to another.

E: FeCl3 dissolving in water to form the hydrated Fe3+ ion and free chloride ions is a hydration reaction — ionic bonds breaking apart as water molecules surround the ions — with no proton changing hands anywhere in the equation. That absence of proton transfer is what makes E the one reaction that isn't acid-base.

Summary to learn

An acid-base reaction, in the Brønsted–Lowry sense, is defined by a proton (H+) transferring from one species (the acid, which donates it) to another (the base, which accepts it) — regardless of whether the reaction looks unusual, involves organic molecules, or occurs in a non-aqueous solvent. A reaction where ionic bonds simply break apart as water molecules surround and hydrate separated ions, with no proton changing hands anywhere in the equation, is a hydration reaction, not an acid-base reaction.

What is the total number of electrons in an ammonium ion, NH4+ ?

  • A8
  • B9
  • C10
  • D11
  • E12
Correct answer: C 10

Full explanation

the total number of electrons in NH₄⁺ (ammonium ion):

Nitrogen (N) has 7 electrons (atomic number = 7).

Hydrogen (H) has 1 electron each, and there are 4 hydrogen atoms, so: 4×1=4 electrons NH₄⁺ has a +1 charge, meaning it has lost one electron. Total electron count = 7+4−1=10 electrons

Summary to learn

To count the total electrons in a polyatomic ion, add up the atomic number (electron count in a neutral atom) of every atom present, then adjust for the ion's overall charge: subtract one electron for each unit of positive charge (since a cation has lost electrons), or add one electron for each unit of negative charge (since an anion has gained electrons).

One group of elements in the Periodic Table contains, in descending order, boron, aluminium, gallium, indium and thallium. Which of the following are correct about these elements?

  1. Indium forms the oxide In2O3
  2. Boron is the least reactive element in the group
  3. Gallium forms the sulphate GaSO4
  • A1 only
  • B1 and 2
  • C1 and 3
  • D2 and 3
  • E1, 2 and 3
Correct answer: B 1 and 2

Full explanation

This is Group 13 (boron, aluminium, gallium, indium, thallium), and each statement needs checking against how these elements actually behave.

Statement 1 is right: indium's most stable oxidation state is +3, so its common oxide is In2O3 — the same pattern as Al2O3 and Ga2O3 further up the group.

Statement 2 is also right: boron sits at the top of the group and behaves quite differently from its heavier neighbours — its higher electronegativity and ionisation energy make it reluctant to lose electrons, so it's the least reactive element in Group 13.

Statement 3 doesn't hold up: gallium forms the +3 ion, so its sulfate needs three sulfate ions for every two gallium ions to balance the charge — Ga2(SO4)3, not the simple GaSO4 given here.

With 1 and 2 correct and 3 wrong, the answer is B.

Summary to learn

Group 13 of the Periodic Table (boron, aluminium, gallium, indium, thallium) shows the typical trend of increasing metallic character and reactivity moving down the group: boron, at the top, behaves almost like a non-metal and is the least reactive element in the group, while the heavier members readily form +3 ions and compounds like oxides (In2O3) and sulfates that must be balanced for a 3+ charge — a sulfate of a 3+ ion needs three sulfate ions for every two metal ions, giving a formula like M2(SO4)3, not a simple 1:1 MSO4.

Sodium chloride (relative molecular mass = 58.5) has a solubility of 36.0 g per 100 g of water. The density of the solution is 1.13 g/ml. Which of the following calculations would give the solubility in moles per litre?

  • A36.0 × 10 / 58.5
  • B36.0 × 1000 / (58.5 × 1.13)
  • C36.0 × 10 × 1.13 / 58.5
  • D36.0 × 10 × 1.13 / (58.5 × 136)
  • E36.0 × 1000 × 1.13 / (58.5 × 136)
Correct answer: E 36.0 x 1000 x 1.13/(58.5 x 136)

Full explanation

Given Data:

- Mass of NaCl = 36.0 g per 100 g of water

- Molar mass of NaCl = 58.5 g/mol

- Density of the solution = 1.13 g/mL

- Goal: Convert solubility into mol/L

Step 1: Convert g of solute to mol mole of NaCl = (mass of NaCl)/(molar mass of NaCl) = (36 g)/(58.5 g/mol) Step 2: Determine solution volume in liters Given density = 1.13 g/mL Solution includes 100 g of water + 36 g of NaCl → Total mass = 136 g Volume of solution = (136 g)/(1.13 g/ml) Step 3: Calculate solubility in mol/L Solubility = (36.0 x 1000 x 1.13)/(58.5 x 136)

Summary to learn

Converting a solubility given as grams per 100 g of water into a molarity (moles per litre) requires several unit conversions in sequence: divide the mass of solute by its molar mass to get moles, use the solution's density to convert the total mass of solute plus solvent into a volume, and then divide moles by that volume (converted into litres) to get the final concentration — keeping careful track of which numbers represent solute mass, total solution mass, and volume at each stage.

Which one of the following is not an oxidation/reduction reaction?

  • A2Fe + 3Cl2 → 2 FeCl3
  • BCl2 + H2O → HCl + HClO
  • CKClO4 → KCl + 2O2
  • DNaCl + H2SO4 → NaHSO4 + HCl
  • EThe electrolysis of sodium chloride solution
Correct answer: D NaCl + H2SO4 → NaHSO4 +HCl

Full explanation

A redox reaction always involves a change in oxidation state somewhere — electrons genuinely moving from one atom to another. Checking each reaction for that:

A: iron goes from 0 to +3 while chlorine drops from 0 to –1 — clearly redox.

B: chlorine in Cl2 (0) ends up as both –1 (in HCl) and +1 (in HClO) — the same element oxidised and reduced at once, still redox.

C: chlorine's oxidation state jumps from +7 in KClO4 down to –1 in KCl, with oxygen going from –2 to 0 — redox again.

E: electrolysis reduces Na+ to metallic Na and oxidises Cl to Cl2 — a textbook redox pair.

D stands apart: NaCl + H2SO4 → NaHSO4 + HCl is just a proton moving from sulfuric acid onto the chloride ion — an acid-base swap, with sodium, sulfur, oxygen, hydrogen and chlorine all keeping the same oxidation states they started with. No electrons change hands, which is why D is the one reaction that isn't a redox process.

Summary to learn

A redox (oxidation-reduction) reaction always involves a genuine change in oxidation state for at least one element, as electrons are transferred from one species to another. A reaction where every element keeps the same oxidation number throughout — such as a strong acid simply displacing a weaker one by transferring a proton (an acid-base reaction) — is not a redox process, even if it involves the same kinds of elements (metals, halogens) that commonly appear in genuine redox reactions.

Physics & Mathematics

Mechanics, electricity, thermodynamics, algebra & geometry · 11 questions
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Which one of the following is not an example of simple harmonic motion?

  • AThe motion of the Moon around the Earth as observed from Mars.
  • BThe ripples produced when a stone is dropped into a tank of water.
  • CA weight moving up and down at the end of a spring.
  • DThe motion of a ball bouncing on the floor.
  • EA vibrating violin string.
Correct answer: D The motion of a ball bouncing on the floor.

Full explanation

Simple harmonic motion (SHM) is periodic motion in which the restoring force is directly proportional to the displacement and acts opposite to it: F = −kx, where k is a constant and x is the displacement.

Option A: the Moon's motion around the Earth is circular, but its projection onto a line (as observed from a distant point like Mars) is SHM.

Option B: ripples in water are wave motions in which particles oscillate in SHM as the wave passes.

Option C: a weight on a spring is a textbook example of SHM, since the restoring force F = −kx satisfies the SHM condition exactly.

Option D: a bouncing ball is periodic, but the restoring “force” is gravity, which is constant — not proportional to displacement — and the motion is not smooth because of the impacts with the floor. This is not SHM.

Option E: a vibrating violin string oscillates in SHM once plucked, since the restoring tension is proportional to displacement.

Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Summary to learn

Simple harmonic motion (SHM) is periodic motion where the restoring force is always directly proportional to displacement from equilibrium and points back toward it (F = −kx), producing smooth, continuous oscillation — true of a mass on a spring, a vibrating string, or (through the mathematics of circular motion) the two-dimensional projection of a body moving in a circle. Motion that is periodic but driven by a constant force (like gravity acting on a bouncing ball) or interrupted by sudden impacts is not SHM, since the restoring “force” isn't proportional to displacement and the motion isn't smooth.

A uniform bar of length 2.0 m and weight 1000 N has its centre of gravity at its centre. The bar is pivoted in the position shown, and supports a weight of 200 N in the position shown in the diagram (pivot 0.5 m from the right-hand end; the 200 N weight hangs 2 m from the right-hand end, i.e. at the left-hand end). What weight is needed at position P (0.5 m to the right of the pivot) to balance the bar?

  • A600 N
  • B800 N
  • C1000 N
  • D1600 N
  • E1800 N
Correct answer: D 1600 N

Full explanation

Taking moments about the pivot. The bar's own weight (1000 N) acts at its centre, which is 0.5 m to the left of the pivot (since the pivot sits 0.5 m from the right-hand end of a 2 m bar, the centre is 0.5 m on the other side). The 200 N weight hangs 1.5 m to the left of the pivot. The unknown weight P acts 0.5 m to the right of the pivot.

For the bar to balance, the clockwise moment (from P) must equal the total anticlockwise moment (from the two weights on the left):

P × 0.5 = (200 × 1.5) + (1000 × 0.5)

P × 0.5 = 300 + 500 = 800

P = 800 / 0.5 = 1600 N

Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Summary to learn

A rigid body in rotational equilibrium (like a balanced lever or bar) has its clockwise and anticlockwise moments about the pivot exactly equal, where each moment is the force applied multiplied by its perpendicular distance from the pivot. Every force acting on the bar — including its own weight, acting at its centre of gravity — contributes its own moment, and all of these must be included when setting the sum of clockwise moments equal to the sum of anticlockwise moments.

Which of the following systems has an overall entropy closest to zero?

  • AA weight moving up and down on a spring.
  • BA satellite in orbit 25 000 km above the Earth.
  • CThe evaporation of ether at room temperature.
  • DAn object in free fall when it has reached terminal velocity.
  • EA metal object being rapidly electroplated.
Correct answer: B A satellite in orbit 25 000 km above the Earth.

Full explanation

Entropy is a measure of disorder; the more ordered and predictable a system, the closer its entropy change is to zero.

Option A: a mass oscillating on a spring is fairly ordered, but there is still some thermal/frictional entropy generated.

Option B: a satellite in a stable orbit follows a smooth, predictable, essentially frictionless path with minimal thermal disorder — this is closest to zero entropy change.

Option C: evaporation is a phase change that strongly increases entropy (molecules become far more disordered as a gas).

Option D: terminal velocity involves air resistance and random molecular collisions, increasing entropy.

Option E: rapid electroplating is a driven chemical/electrical process that increases entropy.

Therefore, the correct answer is B.

Summary to learn

Entropy measures the disorder or randomness of a system: processes that are smooth, ordered and predictable (like a satellite following a stable orbital path) involve very little increase in entropy, while processes involving phase changes, friction, random molecular collisions, or driven chemical reactions (evaporation, air resistance, electroplating) all sharply increase the disorder of the system and its surroundings.

Three resistors are connected to a 20 V battery with a constant supply. A 5 Ω resistor is connected in series with a variable resistor; this series combination is connected in parallel with a 10 Ω resistor. The resistance of the variable resistor is gradually increased from zero to 5 Ω. Which graph shows how the current from the battery varies with the resistance (R) of the variable resistor?

  • AI decreases from 6 A at R = 0 to 0 A at R = 5 Ω (steep drop near R = 5).
  • BI increases from about 2 A at R = 0 to 4 A at R = 5 Ω.
  • CI decreases from 4 A at R = 0 to 2 A at R = 5 Ω.
  • DI increases from about 4 A at R = 0 to 6 A at R = 5 Ω.
  • EI decreases from 6 A at R = 0 to 4 A at R = 5 Ω.
Correct answer: E Current falls smoothly from 6 A (at R = 0) to 4 A (at R = 5 Ω).

Full explanation

We check the two extreme cases. The 5 Ω resistor and the variable resistor R are in series with each other, forming a branch that is in parallel with the fixed 10 Ω resistor.

When R = 0 Ω: the series branch is just the 5 Ω resistor (5 + 0 = 5 Ω), in parallel with the 10 Ω resistor:

Req = (5 × 10)/(5 + 10) = 50/15 = 3.33 Ω, so I = V/Req = 20/3.33 = 6 A. This rules out any option that doesn't start at 6 A (options B, C and D).

When R = 5 Ω: the series branch is now 5 + 5 = 10 Ω, in parallel with the fixed 10 Ω resistor:

Req = (10 × 10)/(10 + 10) = 100/20 = 5 Ω, so I = 20/5 = 4 A. This rules out option A, whose curve falls all the way to 0 A.

Only the graph in option E starts at 6 A (R = 0) and falls smoothly to 4 A (R = 5 Ω), consistent with a current that decreases as the variable resistance increases (since increasing R increases the resistance of that branch, raising the overall equivalent resistance and reducing the total current drawn from the battery).

Therefore, the correct answer is E.

Summary to learn

In a circuit combining resistors in series and parallel, the equivalent resistance of two parallel branches is found from Req = (R1 × R2)/(R1 + R2), and resistors in series simply add directly. Checking a circuit's behaviour at the extreme values of a variable resistor (its minimum and maximum settings) is a reliable way to identify which graph correctly describes how current changes as that resistance is varied in between.

An object of mass 50 g just floats in a liquid of density 2.5 g/ml. When the object is placed in a liquid of density 2.0 g/ml, it sinks to the bottom of the container. What is the force that the object exerts on the bottom of the container? [g = 10 m/s² = 10 N/kg]

  • A0.1 N
  • B0.4 N
  • C10 N
  • D40 N
  • E400 N
Correct answer: A 0.1 N

Full explanation

Since the object just floats in the 2.5 g/ml liquid, the buoyant force there equals its weight, so the volume of the object is:

V = m / ρ = 50 g / 2.5 g/ml = 20 ml

In the second liquid (density 2.0 g/ml) the object sinks, so its weight exceeds the buoyant force. The net downward force on the container's bottom is weight minus buoyant force:

Weight = (50/1000 kg) × 10 N/kg = 0.5 N

Buoyant force = (20 ml × 2.0 g/ml) × 10 N/kg = 40 g = 0.04 kg × 10 N/kg = 0.4 N

Net force = 0.5 N − 0.4 N = 0.1 N

Therefore, the correct answer is A.

Summary to learn

An object floats when the buoyant force (upward, equal to the weight of fluid displaced) exactly balances its own weight, which is exactly how an object's volume can be calculated from its mass and the density of the liquid it just floats in. When placed in a less dense liquid, the same object's buoyant force (now smaller, since less-dense fluid weighs less for the same displaced volume) can no longer support its full weight, so it sinks, and the net force pressing on the container's floor is simply its weight minus this smaller buoyant force.

The law of gravitation states that the gravitational force between two bodies of mass m₁ and m₂ is given by F = Gm₁m₂/r². G (gravitational constant) = 7 × 10⁻¹¹ N·m²·kg⁻²; r (distance between the two bodies, Earth–Moon) = 4 × 10⁸ m; m₁ (Earth) = 6 × 10²⁴ kg; m₂ (Moon) = 7 × 10²² kg. What is the gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon?

  • A1.8375 × 10¹⁹ N
  • B1.8375 × 10²⁰ N
  • C1.8375 × 10²⁵ N
  • D1.8375 × 10²⁶ N
  • E1.8375 × 10²⁸ N
Correct answer: B 1.8375 × 10²⁰ N

Full explanation

Substituting directly into F = Gm₁m₂/r²:

F = (7×10⁻¹¹ × 6×10²⁴ × 7×10²²) / (4×10⁸)²

F = (7 × 6 × 7 × 10⁻¹¹⁺²⁴⁺²²) / (16 × 10¹⁶) = (294 × 10³⁵) / (16 × 10¹⁶)

F = 18.375 × 10¹⁹ ... normalising the mantissa: F = 1.8375 × 10²⁰ N

Therefore, the correct answer is B.

Note: the value of G used in this question, 7×10⁻¹¹ N·m²·kg⁻², is a rounded figure for the purposes of this problem — the standard measured value is 6.674×10⁻¹¹ N·m²·kg⁻². Solve using the numbers exactly as given in the question.

Summary to learn

Newton's law of gravitation, F = Gm1m2/r2, gives the attractive force between any two masses, and calculating it with very large or very small numbers is most reliably done in standard (scientific) notation: multiply all the numerical coefficients together, separately add up all the powers of ten (including subtracting the powers of ten in the denominator), and finally renormalise the result so the coefficient sits between 1 and 10 with the exponent adjusted to match.

David has two boxes containing shapes. In box A there are 4 stars and 2 hearts. In box B there are 2 stars and 1 heart. David takes, at random, a shape from box A and puts it into box B. He then takes a shape from box B. What is the probability that this shape is a star?

  • A1/12
  • B4/9
  • C2/3
  • D3/4
  • E4/3
Correct answer: C 2/3

Full explanation

There are two cases: David moves a star from A to B, or he moves a heart.

Case 1 — moves a star (probability 4/6 = 2/3): box B then has 3 stars, 1 heart (4 shapes total), so P(star from B) = 3/4.

Contribution: (2/3) × (3/4) = 1/2

Case 2 — moves a heart (probability 2/6 = 1/3): box B then has 2 stars, 2 hearts (4 shapes total), so P(star from B) = 2/4 = 1/2.

Contribution: (1/3) × (1/2) = 1/6

Total probability = 1/2 + 1/6 = 3/6 + 1/6 = 4/6 = 2/3

Therefore, the correct answer is C.

Summary to learn

When an item is moved between two collections before a final draw, the probability of that final draw depends on which item was moved — so the calculation must be split into separate cases (one for each possible item moved), each weighted by the probability of that case occurring, with the individual case probabilities multiplied together and then the results from all cases added, following the law of total probability.

Which of the expressions below has the largest value for 0 < x < 1?

  • A1/x
  • B
  • C1/(1+x)
  • D1/√x
  • E√x
Correct answer: A 1/x

Full explanation

The quickest way to solve this kind of question is to substitute a test value from the given range, e.g. x = 0.5, into every option:

A: 1/x = 1/0.5 = 2

B: x² = 0.25

C: 1/(1+x) = 1/1.5 ≈ 0.667

D: 1/√x = 1/√0.5 ≈ 1.41

E: √x = √0.5 ≈ 0.71

The largest value is given by option A, and this holds throughout 0 < x < 1: as x shrinks towards 0, 1/x grows without bound faster than any of the other expressions.

Therefore, the correct answer is A.

Summary to learn

Comparing several algebraic expressions over a stated interval (such as 0 < x < 1) is done most reliably by substituting one convenient test value from within that interval into every expression and comparing the results directly, then checking that the ordering found holds across the whole interval by considering how each expression behaves as x moves toward the interval's boundaries (for 0 < x < 1, reciprocal-type expressions like 1/x grow without bound as x approaches 0, which is why they dominate other expressions across the whole range).

How many different integers, n, are there such that the difference between 2√n and 7 is less than 1?

  • A0
  • B2
  • C4
  • D6
  • E8
Correct answer: D 6

Full explanation

The condition is |2√n − 7| < 1, i.e. −1 < 2√n − 7 < 1.

Adding 7 throughout: 6 < 2√n < 8

Dividing by 2: 3 < √n < 4

Squaring (valid since all terms are positive): 9 < n < 16

The integers strictly between 9 and 16 are 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 — 6 integers.

Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Summary to learn

An inequality written with absolute value bars, like |expression| < k, unpacks into a double inequality, −k < expression < k, which can then be solved with ordinary algebra (adding, dividing, or squaring both sides, provided every term involved stays non-negative when squaring) to find the range of values that satisfy the original condition; counting how many integers fall strictly inside that resulting range then gives the final answer.

The graph below shows the line joining A (2,1) and B (6,3), and its perpendicular bisector (shown dashed). Which of the following is the equation of the dashed line?

  • Ay = 2x − 10
  • By = 2x − 6
  • Cy = 10 − 2x
  • Dy = 4 − x/2
  • Ey = 4 − 2x
Correct answer: C y = 10 − 2x

Full explanation

The perpendicular bisector passes through the midpoint of AB and has a slope that is the negative reciprocal of AB's slope.

Midpoint of AB: M = ((2+6)/2, (1+3)/2) = (4, 2)

Slope of AB: m = (3−1)/(6−2) = 2/4 = 1/2

Slope of the perpendicular bisector: m⊥ = −2

Using point-slope form through (4, 2): y − 2 = −2(x − 4)

y − 2 = −2x + 8 ⇒ y = 10 − 2x

Therefore, the correct answer is C.

Summary to learn

The perpendicular bisector of a line segment AB passes through the segment's exact midpoint and has a slope that is the negative reciprocal of AB's own slope (so that the two lines meet at a right angle). Finding its equation is a three-step process: calculate the midpoint by averaging the endpoints' coordinates, calculate the negative reciprocal of AB's slope, and substitute both into the point-slope line equation.

A square piece of metal has a semicircular piece cut out of it, as shown (the semicircle's diameter runs along one full side of the square, bulging inward). The area of the remaining metal is 100 cm². Which of the following is a correct expression for the length of the side of the square, in cm?

  • A10√(1/(8−π))
  • B10√(2/(4−π))
  • C20√(2/(8+π))
  • D20√(2/(8−π))
  • E20√(1/(4−π))
Correct answer: D 20√(2/(8−π))

Full explanation

Let the side of the square be x cm. The semicircle's diameter equals x, so its radius is x/2.

Area of the square: x²

Area of the semicircle removed: (πr²)/2 = π(x/2)²/2 = πx²/8

Remaining area: x² − πx²/8 = 100

x²(1 − π/8) = 100 ⇒ x² = 100 / ((8−π)/8) = 800/(8−π)

x = √(800/(8−π))

Simplifying √800 = √(2⁵ × 5²) = 20√2, so:

x = 20√(2/(8−π)) cm

Therefore, the correct answer is D.

Summary to learn

When a piece has been removed from a larger shape, its remaining area is the original shape's full area minus the area of the piece removed, and any unknown side length is found by setting that difference equal to the given remaining area and solving algebraically — expressing every area (the square, the semicircle) in terms of the same single unknown side length keeps the equation solvable with one variable throughout, even when the final answer needs simplifying a nested square root.

Frequently Asked Questions

Right here — every question from the IMAT 2011 exam (General Knowledge, Logical Reasoning, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics) is solved and explained on this page, for free, with no sign-up required.

Yes. Every calculation, chemical and biological fact was independently re-derived and checked by the LOCOMOTIVE academic team before publishing.

The IMAT is a single 100-minute test made up of General Knowledge & Logical Reasoning, Biology, Chemistry, Physics & Mathematics questions. Correct answers score +1.5, unanswered questions score 0, and incorrect answers score −0.4 (the exact weighting has varied slightly by year — always check the official rules for the year you are sitting).

The overall syllabus (General Knowledge, Logical Reasoning, Biology, Chemistry, Physics & Maths) has stayed broadly the same, but the exact number of questions, section weighting and question style have changed over the years — this 2011 paper is a great way to build core knowledge, but always pair it with recent past papers to get used to the current format.

Yes — the underlying subject knowledge and reasoning skills are directly transferable, which makes older papers like this one useful extra practice once you've worked through the most recent papers.

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