I wrote a letter to the Educational Testing Service to complain about
the question. I wrote:
"The correct answer is none of the above, but I'm afraid (even saddened
and angry) that you will count the correct answer as (b). A gram is not
a unit of weight but a unit of mass, something that I strive on a daily
basis to get my students to understand. A question like this on the
PSAT only demonstrates why US students have so many problems on
international tests.
It is true that the answer (b) is the only choice of units : quantity
but it also reinforces a misconception that is common in our society and
creates huge barriers to understanding physics and chemistry."
Today I received a response:
Dear Ms. DeBruyckere (the first mistake - my wife doesn't like me being
called Ms):
As one of the assessment specialists responsible for the verbal
sections of the PSAT/NMSQT, I am writing in response to your inquiry
regarding an analogy question in the test administered on October 12,
1999.
The capitalized terms of the analogy are "METER:DISTANCE"; the
relationship between these terms can be stated as "The 1st is a unit
that may be used to quantify a 2nd." Of the five choices offered, only
(B), "gram:weight," displays a relationship similar to that of the of
the capitalized terms. While it is true, from a strictly scientific
point of view, that a gram is a unit of mass and not of weight per se,
in common, everyday use grams are often thought of as units of weight.
For example, on the nutrition facts label on a certain can of tuna the
serving size is said to be "1 can (2.8oz/78g)"; the weight of a certain
chocolate bar is given as "3.5 oz/100g." Merriam Webster's Collegiate
Dictionary (Tenth Edition) gives as a second definition of gram "the
weight of a gram under standard gravity." In many "real world"
situations, ounces and grams, as well as pounds and kilograms, are used
interchangeably to quantify weight. This practice is reflected in the
standard conversion tables that give the U.S. equivalents of metric
units: a gram is said to be equivalent to approximately 0.035 ounce (and
ounces, of course, are units of weight).
Again, it is indisputable that for a scientist, especially a
physicist, a gram is a unit of mass; an object with mass does not have
weight until acted on by a gravitational force. The context of the
analogy, however, makes it evident to both the scientifically literate
and those familiar only with the more common, if less precise, sense of
the work that (B) is the only possible answer here. It should be noted,
also that in both the test itself and the descriptive material published
by the College Board (the PSAT/NMSQT Student Bulletin) test takers are
advised to select the best of the choices offered; in this particular
case, that choice is (B). This question was one of the easiest on the
test: nearly 90% of the students selected (B) as the best answer.
Because the test administered on October 12 will be disclosed to
students, no question in it will be used in future versions of the
PSAT/NMSQT.
Thank you very much for letting us know of your concern. We
appreciate comments that can help us maintain the quality of our tests.
Sincerely
Nontas Konstantakis
Should I bother to respond? Or maybe on the next physics test I should
give full credit to the student that uses 78 grams for weight?!