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Difficulty: HardSupporting Claims with Evidence and Details

The following sentences are from a draft of an essay about the discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation. To ensure the paragraph logically builds its claim that scientific discovery relies on systematically ruling out alternative explanations before accepting a cosmological conclusion, what is the most logical order of the sentences?

  1. 1The discovery of the Big Bang's echo was not a sudden breakthrough but rather the result of ruling out mundane explanations for a persistent noise.
  2. 2When physicists Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson first detected a low-frequency hum in 1964, they assumed it was caused by terrestrial interference.
  3. 3They spent months troubleshooting, even cleaning the antenna's interior to remove nesting pigeons and their debris.
  4. 4Only after this thorough cleaning failed to silence the static did they conclude the signal was coming from beyond Earth.
  5. 5This persistent signal, they later learned, was the cosmic microwave background radiation, a physical remnant of the early universe.

Answer

The logical order of the sentences starts with the sentence establishing the central claim, followed by the sentence introducing the hum and initial assumption, then the sentence describing the troubleshooting process, followed by the sentence concluding the source was extraterrestrial after cleaning failed, and finally the sentence identifying the signal as cosmic microwave background radiation.
The correct sequence begins with the overarching claim that the discovery resulted from ruling out mundane explanations. It then introduces the initial detection of the hum and the assumption of terrestrial interference, followed by the specific details of troubleshooting (cleaning the antenna). Next, it notes the failure of the cleaning to solve the problem and the subsequent conclusion that the signal was extraterrestrial, ending with the identification of the signal as the cosmic microwave background radiation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the main claim or topic sentence of the paragraph.
The sentence starting with 'The discovery of the Big Bang's echo' serves as the topic sentence because it states the central claim that the discovery was the result of ruling out mundane explanations.
Supporting paragraphs should begin with a clear claim that establishes the framework for the evidence that follows.
2
Find the sentence that introduces the primary evidence or starting point of the historical event.
The sentence starting with 'When physicists Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson' introduces the low-frequency hum in 1964.
This provides the necessary context and introduces the characters and the initial observation.
3
Trace the logical progression of troubleshooting and ruling out alternative explanations.
The sentence starting with 'They spent months troubleshooting' logically follows because it details the troubleshooting steps (cleaning the antenna) to address the interference.
This provides the specific details and evidence supporting the claim of systematically ruling out mundane sources.
4
Identify the transition that shows the results of the troubleshooting.
The sentence starting with 'Only after this thorough cleaning' must follow the cleaning details.
The phrase 'this thorough cleaning' is a transition that directly links back to the cleaning mentioned in the third sentence.
5
Confirm the final sentence that wraps up the paragraph by identifying the signal.
The sentence starting with 'This persistent signal' identifies the hum as the cosmic microwave background radiation.
This provides the resolution to the narrative and connects back to the 'Big Bang's echo' mentioned in the opening claim.

Key Concept

Supporting Claims with Evidence and Details
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Supporting Claims with Evidence and Details

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