Naturally occurring fullerenes

This topic has expert replies
Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat May 21, 2011 7:28 am

Naturally occurring fullerenes

by KItuz » Sun Oct 23, 2011 3:38 pm
Although fullerenes-spherical molecules made entirely of carbon-were first found in the laboratory, they have since been found in nature, formed in fissures of the rare mineral shungite. Since laboratory synthesis of fullerenes requires distinctive conditions of temperature and pressure, this discovery should give geologists a test case for evaluating hypotheses about the state of the Earth's crust at the time these naturally occurring fullerenes were formed.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the argument?
a] Confirming that the shungite genuinely contained fullerenes took careful experimentation.
b] Some fullerenes have also been found on the remains of a small meteorite that collided with a spacecraft.
c] The mineral shungite itself contains large amounts of carbon, from which the fullerenes apparently formed.
d] The naturally occurring fullerenes are arranged in a previously unknown crystalline structure
e] Shungite itself is formed only under distinctive conditions.

Correct Ans = d any clue how?
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

Legendary Member
Posts: 2789
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:19 am
Location: Chennai, India
Thanked: 206 times
Followed by:43 members
GMAT Score:640

by GmatKiss » Mon Oct 24, 2011 10:33 am
Can you please post your future queries with a spoiler over the OA.

Legendary Member
Posts: 627
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:12 am
Thanked: 4 times
Followed by:1 members

by mankey » Sun Oct 30, 2011 2:11 am
It should be D since it is trying to say that the fullerenes found in shungite and produced in the lab are different (previously unknown crystalline structure). Therefore, reading one type of fullerene will not not tell much about the other kind.

Thanks.