Question 11·Medium·Command of Evidence
Body Length, Filter Time, and Lunges per Dive for Four Whale Species
| Whale species | Typical adult body length (meters) | Average time to filter all engulfed water (seconds) | Average number of lunges per dive deeper than 50 meters |
|---|---|---|---|
| fin | 18–22 | 31.30 | 3.95 |
| humpback | 11–17 | 17.12 | 6.28 |
| minke | 7–10 | 8.88 | 7.48 |
| blue | 24–34 | 60.27 | 4.02 |
Some whale species practice lunge feeding, in which they lunge toward prey with their mouths open at wide angles, collect the prey and the surrounding water, and then filter out the water through baleen plates in their mouths. Although the volume of water engulfed increases with whales’ body length, the surface area of whales’ baleen plates, which influences the rate at which water can be filtered, does not increase with body length to the same degree, which helps explain why ______
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?
For SAT questions that ask which choice most effectively uses data from a table or graph to complete a sentence, first restate in your own words what the sentence is trying to show (for example, a relationship between size and time). Next, identify which variables in the chart match that relationship and quickly check how they change together (look for “as X increases, Y increases/decreases”). Then test each answer: eliminate any that (1) are factually incorrect based on the numbers or (2) focus on irrelevant data that don’t match the explanation in the sentence. Only after this filtering should you pick the choice that is both accurate and directly illustrates the stated relationship.
Hints
Focus on what is being explained
Re-read the two sentences before the blank. What are they saying about how body length and baleen surface area affect how quickly water can be filtered?
Decide which table columns matter
Look at the three measurements in the table: body length, time to filter water, and lunges per dive. Which of these directly connects to filtering speed and the amount of water engulfed?
Look for a consistent size–time relationship
Check whether longer-bodied species generally have longer or shorter filter times than shorter-bodied species. Then look for an answer choice that correctly describes a comparison fitting that pattern and is accurate according to the table.
Watch out for irrelevant or partly wrong details
Some choices may copy numbers correctly but talk about the wrong kind of measurement, or combine one true statement with another that the table does not support. Eliminate any option that is not both relevant to filtering and fully supported by the data.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the sentence needs to say
Focus on the part of the prompt right before the blank: it says that as whales get longer, they engulf more water, but their baleen surface area (which controls filtering speed) doesn’t increase as much. This cause-and-effect description should be completed by a statement that shows a relationship between body length and time to filter the water.
Identify the relevant columns in the table
From the table, the columns that matter for this explanation are:
- Typical adult body length (meters)
- Average time to filter all engulfed water (seconds)
The column for average number of lunges per dive is not about how long filtering takes, so it is less likely to be relevant to the explanation about filtering rate.
Look for the pattern between body length and filter time
List the species from shortest to longest and compare their filter times:
- Minke: 7–10 m body length, 8.88 s filter time
- Humpback: 11–17 m, 17.12 s
- Fin: 18–22 m, 31.30 s
- Blue: 24–34 m, 60.27 s
As body length increases from minke to blue, the average filter time also increases. This matches the idea that larger whales, which engulf more water but don’t have proportionally more baleen area, need more time to filter.
Test each answer choice against the pattern and the data
Now check each choice:
- A) Says minke and humpback whales have similar filter times, but the table shows 8.88 s vs. 17.12 s, which is a big difference and doesn’t clearly connect size to longer filter time.
- B) Mentions humpback whales’ lunges per dive (6.28), which is accurate but talks about lunges, not filter time, so it doesn’t explain the filtering effect.
- D) Correctly says blue whales have the longest average filter time (60.27 s), but incorrectly claims they have the highest average lunges per dive; 7.48 (minke) and 6.28 (humpback) are higher than 4.02 (blue). It also adds lunges, which are not tied to the explanation.
- C) Compares fin whales (18–22 m) to minke whales (7–10 m) and states that fin whales have a longer average filter time. The table shows fin: 31.30 s and minke: 8.88 s, so the larger species takes longer to filter, exactly illustrating the relationship described.
Therefore, the correct answer is: fin whales show a longer average filter time than minke whales do.