While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: • NASA uses rovers,
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: • NASA uses rovers, large remote vehicles with wheels, to explore the surface of Mars. • NASA’s rovers can’t explore regions inaccessible to wheeled vehicles. • Rovers are also heavy, making them difficult to land on the planet’s surface. • Microprobes, robotic probes that weigh as little as 50 milligrams, could be deployed virtually anywhere on the surface of Mars. • Microprobes have been proposed as an alternative to rovers. The student wants to explain an advantage of microprobes. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
- A) Despite being heavy, NASA
- B) Microprobes, which weigh as little as 50 milligrams, could explore areas of Mars that are inaccessible to NASA
- C) NASA currently uses its rovers on Mars, but microprobes have been proposed as an alternative.
- D) Though they are different sizes, both microprobes and rovers can be used to explore the surface of Mars.
Correct Answer: B) Microprobes, which weigh as little as 50 milligrams, could explore areas of Mars that are inaccessible to NASA
Explanation
The choice that most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to explain an advantage of microprobes is: B) Microprobes, which weigh as little as 50 milligrams, could explore areas of Mars that are inaccessible to NASA's heavy, wheeled rovers. This choice highlights the advantage of microprobes being able to access regions that are inaccessible to the larger and heavier rovers.