Question 1
What is a pathogen?No clue? Show me the answer
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IncorrectStep-by-step walkthrough
Choose a solution method
Method #1Direct ApproachStep 1: Identify the key term
The question asks for the definition of a pathogen. This is a key scientific vocabulary term related to water safety and disease.
Step 2: Recall the definition
A pathogen is a disease-causing organism. Pathogens include bacteria, viruses, and single-celled organisms (protists) that can make us ill when they enter our bodies.
Step 3: Select the correct answer
The option that correctly defines a pathogen is: 'A disease-causing organism such as a bacterium, virus, or protist.' The other options describe chlorine, water filters, and pH — completely different concepts.
Method #2Process of EliminationStep 1: Identify what is being asked
We need to find the correct definition of a pathogen from the four options provided.
Step 2: Eliminate 'A chemical used to clean drinking water'
This describes chlorine, not a pathogen. Chlorine is added to water to kill pathogens, so this is the opposite of the answer.
Step 3: Eliminate 'A type of filter that removes dirt from water'
This describes a water filter — a physical tool used in water treatment. It has nothing to do with the definition of a pathogen.
Step 4: Eliminate 'A measurement of how acidic or alkaline water is'
This describes pH, which is a scale from 0 to 14. It is unrelated to the definition of a pathogen.
Step 5: Select the correct answer
The remaining option — 'A disease-causing organism such as a bacterium, virus, or protist' — is the correct definition of a pathogen.
Question 2
Which disease is caused by a bacterium found in contaminated drinking water and can lead to severe dehydration?No clue? Show me the answer
Correct answerCorrect!IncorrectStep-by-step walkthrough
Choose a solution method
Method #1Direct ApproachStep 1: Identify the clues in the question
The question asks for a disease that is (1) caused by a bacterium, (2) spread through contaminated water, and (3) leads to severe dehydration.
Step 2: Match the clues to the correct disease
Cholera is caused by a bacterium, is spread through contaminated water, and is known for causing severe dehydration through profuse diarrhoea and vomiting.
Step 3: Confirm the answer
All three clues point directly to Cholera. The other diseases have different causes or transmission routes.
Method #2Process of EliminationStep 1: Identify what is being asked
We need the waterborne, bacterial disease that causes severe dehydration.
Step 2: Eliminate 'Malaria'
Malaria is caused by a single-celled protist (Plasmodium) and is spread by mosquito bites, not contaminated drinking water. This does not fit the clues.
Step 3: Eliminate 'Giardia'
Giardia is caused by a single-celled protist, not a bacterium. Although it is waterborne, the question specifically asks for a bacterial cause.
Step 4: Eliminate 'Amoebic dysentery'
Amoebic dysentery is caused by Entamoeba histolytica, a single-celled organism — not a bacterium. It also does not primarily cause severe dehydration in the same way as cholera.
Step 5: Select the correct answer
Cholera is the only option that is caused by a bacterium and leads to severe dehydration. This is the correct answer.
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