Question 76·Easy·Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The northern lights are also called the aurora borealis.
- Charged particles from the Sun travel toward Earth.
- Earth’s magnetic field guides many of these particles toward the polar regions.
- When the particles collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere, they produce visible light.
The student wants to explain what causes the northern lights.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
For rhetorical synthesis questions, underline the specific goal (here, explaining the cause). Then scan the notes for the 1–2 facts that directly accomplish that goal and choose the option that uses those facts accurately without drifting into extra details like definitions or locations.
Hints
Focus on the word “causes”
Look for the option that explains how the lights are created, not what they are called or where they occur.
Use the notes about “produce visible light”
Find the sentence that includes the idea that collisions in the atmosphere create light.
Check for missing steps
A strong answer should connect the Sun’s particles to the light you can see, not stop at the magnetic field.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the goal
The student wants to explain what causes the northern lights, so the best sentence should describe the process that produces the light.
Select the most relevant notes
The key notes for cause are that charged particles from the Sun reach Earth and that collisions with gases in the atmosphere produce visible light.
Choose the option that states the full cause
The choice that combines the particles from the Sun with collisions in the atmosphere producing light is:
The northern lights occur when charged particles from the Sun collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere and produce visible light.