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Question

rrange the following terms in order of increasing abstractness :

(A) Mobile Telephone

(B) Android Phone

(C) Communication device

(D) Telephone

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

The correct answer is

(B), (A), (D), (C)

Understanding Abstractness and Specificity

The question asks us to arrange a set of terms in order of increasing abstractness. Abstractness refers to how general or broad a concept is. A highly abstract term covers a wide range of things, while a less abstract (or more specific) term refers to a narrower category or a particular instance.

Think of it like a hierarchy. At the top are very general concepts, and as you move down, the concepts become more specific and detailed.

Analyzing the Given Terms

Let's look at each term provided:
  • (A) Mobile Telephone: This refers to a phone that is portable and uses cellular networks for communication. It's a specific type of telephone.
  • (B) Android Phone: This is an even more specific type of mobile telephone. It's a mobile phone that uses the Android operating system. This is a very narrow category compared to 'Mobile Telephone'.
  • (C) Communication device: This is a very broad term. It includes anything used for communication, such as telephones, radios, computers, satellites, telegraphs, etc. It is the most general term among the given options.
  • (D) Telephone: This refers to a device used for transmitting voice over a distance. It is more general than a mobile telephone (as it includes landline phones) but less general than a 'Communication device'.

Ordering by Increasing Abstractness

We need to arrange the terms from the least abstract (most specific) to the most abstract (most general). 1. Least Abstract: The most specific term is 'Android Phone' (B), as it's a particular type of mobile phone running a specific OS. 2. Next Abstract: 'Mobile Telephone' (A) is less specific than an Android Phone (it includes other mobile phones like iPhones) but still specific to mobile devices used for voice calls. 3. More Abstract: 'Telephone' (D) is more abstract than 'Mobile Telephone' because it includes both mobile phones and landline phones. 4. Most Abstract: 'Communication device' (C) is the most abstract term, covering all kinds of devices used for communication, not just telephones. So, the order from least abstract to most abstract is: Android Phone (B) → Mobile Telephone (A) → Telephone (D) → Communication device (C) This sequence is (B), (A), (D), (C).

Comparing Terms by Abstractness

Let's compare the terms step-by-step to confirm the order:
  • An Android Phone (B) is always a Mobile Telephone (A). (B is more specific than A)
  • A Mobile Telephone (A) is always a Telephone (D). (A is more specific than D)
  • A Telephone (D) is always a Communication device (C). (D is more specific than C)
Therefore, the order of increasing abstractness (from specific to general) is indeed (B), (A), (D), (C).
Abstractness Comparison
Term Description Relative Abstractness (Least to Most)
(B) Android Phone A specific type of mobile phone 1 (Least Abstract)
(A) Mobile Telephone A type of telephone that is portable 2
(D) Telephone Device for voice communication 3
(C) Communication device Any device used for communication 4 (Most Abstract)

Conclusion on Term Arrangement

Based on the analysis of abstractness, the correct arrangement in increasing order of abstractness is (B), (A), (D), (C). Let's examine the given options:
  • Option 1: (B), (A), (D), (C)
  • Option 2: (B), (D), (A), (C)
  • Option 3: (C), (D), (A), (B)
  • Option 4: (C), (A), (B), (D)
Our derived order is (B), (A), (D), (C), which matches Option 1.

Revision Table: Abstractness Concepts

Key Concepts in Abstractness
Term Definition Example (from question)
Abstractness How general or broad a concept is. Covers many instances. Communication device (C)
Specificity How narrow or particular a concept is. Refers to a limited set or instance. Android Phone (B)
Hierarchy A system where concepts are arranged in order of rank or level, often from general to specific or vice versa. Communication device > Telephone > Mobile Telephone > Android Phone

Additional Information: Examples of Abstraction

Understanding abstractness is important in many fields, including computer science, philosophy, and everyday language.
  • In computer science, you might have a very abstract concept like 'Vehicle', which branches into 'Car', 'Truck', 'Motorcycle', etc., which then branch into specific models like 'Toyota Camry', 'Ford F-150', etc. 'Vehicle' is most abstract, 'Toyota Camry' is most specific.
  • In biology, 'Animal' is very abstract. It includes 'Mammal', 'Bird', 'Reptile'. 'Mammal' includes 'Dog', 'Cat', 'Human'. 'Dog' includes specific breeds like 'Golden Retriever'. The hierarchy goes from general ('Animal') to specific ('Golden Retriever').
  • In this question, 'Communication device' is like 'Animal' or 'Vehicle'. 'Telephone' is a more specific category, like 'Mammal' or 'Car'. 'Mobile Telephone' is even more specific, like 'Dog' or 'Sedan'. 'Android Phone' is a very specific instance or subcategory, like 'Golden Retriever' or 'Toyota Camry'.

Ordering by increasing abstractness means going from the most specific item up to the most general category it belongs to.

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Important Questions from Miscellaneous

  1. A stone is thrown horizontally from the top of a 20 m high building with a speed of 12 m/s. It hits the ground at a distance R from the building. Taking g = 10 m/s2 and neglecting air resistance will give :

  2. A sphere of volume V is made of a material with lower density than water. While on Earth, it floats on water with its volume f1V (f1 < 1) submerged. On the other hand, on a spaceship accelerating with acceleration a < g (g is the acceleration due to gravity on Earth) in outer space, its submerged volume in water is f2V. Then:

  3. A railway wagon (open at the top) of mass M1 is moving with speed v1 along a straight track. As a result of rain, after some time it gets partially filled with water so that the mass of the wagon becomes M2 and speed becomes v2. Taking the rain to be falling vertically and the water stationery inside the wagon, the relation between the two speeds v1 and v2 is :

  4. Consider the following statements:

    1. Distance between the longitudes becomes zero on North Pole and South Pole.

    2. Distance between the longitudes is maximum on the Equator.

    3. Number of longitudes is more than number of latitudes.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  5. One block of 2⋅0 kg mass is placed on top of another block of 3⋅0 kg mass. The coefficient of static friction between the two blocks is 0⋅2. The bottom block is pulled with a horizontal force F such that both the blocks move together without slipping. Taking acceleration due to gravity as 10 m/s2, the maximum value of the frictional force is :

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