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Difficulty: EasyLogical Inferences

In architectural conservation, researchers study the degradation of limestone monuments exposed to acid rain. Limestone consists primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO3CaCO_3), which reacts with acid rain to form soluble compounds, causing the stone to dissolve over time. However, when monuments are treated with a protective coating of ammonium oxalate, the compound reacts with calcium carbonate to form calcium oxalate. Because calcium oxalate is highly insoluble in acidic solutions, researchers hypothesize that applying this treatment to limestone monuments will shield the stone from dissolution because ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

  1. the newly formed calcium oxalate layer will resist dissolving when exposed to acid rain.Answer
  2. B
    the protective coating will actively neutralize all acid rain in the surrounding atmosphere.
  3. C
    calcium carbonate is less soluble in acidic solutions than calcium oxalate is.
  4. D
    acid rain is primarily composed of nitric and sulfuric acids generated by industrial emissions.

Answer

the newly formed calcium oxalate layer will resist dissolving when exposed to acid rain.
The correct answer logically completes the text by connecting the premises: limestone dissolves because calcium carbonate reacts to form soluble compounds, but the treatment creates calcium oxalate, which is highly insoluble. Thus, the newly formed layer shields the stone because it will resist dissolving in the acid rain.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the cause of limestone degradation from the text.
Limestone (calcium carbonate) dissolves because it reacts with acid rain to form soluble compounds.
To understand the problem the treatment is trying to solve.
2
Analyze the effect of the ammonium oxalate treatment.
The treatment converts the surface calcium carbonate into calcium oxalate, which is highly insoluble in acid.
To determine how the chemical properties of the monument's surface change after treatment.
3
Connect the insolubility of calcium oxalate to the prevention of degradation.
Since calcium oxalate does not dissolve in acid, a layer of it will protect the underlying stone from dissolving when exposed to acid rain.
To draw a direct, non-speculative conclusion that completes the hypothesis.

Key Concept

Drawing logical conclusions based solely on the provided premises without introducing outside assumptions.
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Topics

Logical Inferences

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