Question becaus

3.3 Transitions - Contrast transitions (however, although)
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Because an achiral molecule is symmetrical, flipping it yields a structurally identical molecule. A flipped chiral molecule, blank can be compared to a glove that has been turned inside out: it produces a structurally inverted molecule rather than an identical one.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A.

in other words,

B.

by contrast,

C.

for example,

D.

similarly,

Because an achiral molecule is symmetrical, flipping it yields a structurally identical molecule. A flipped chiral

Hard-difficulty · SAT Reading & Writing · Transitions — Contrast transitions (however, although). Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.

Answer explanation

Choice B is the best answer. This sentence compares a chiral molecule to an achiral one. It discusses how when a chiral molecule is flipped, it results in something very different than when an achiral molecule is flipped. So the transition "by contrast" fits the context perfectly.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice uses a transition that indies a restatement of the same idea in different words. But this sentence doesn’t restate the same idea as the previous sentence. Instead, it makes a new point about a different type of molecule (chiral instead of achiral). Choice C is incorrect. This choice uses a transition that introduces an example, which doesn’t make sense here. The second sentence isn’t an example of the first sentence’s claim about achiral molecules: it actually introduces an entirely different idea that focuses on chiral molecules. Choice D is incorrect. This choice uses a transition that indies the addition of an agreeing idea. But this sentence shows a contrast with the first sentence—namely, that a chiral molecule acts very differently from an achiral molecule when flipped.