ASVAB CampDistractor Elimination flashcards
8 cards with the formulas, rules and traps from this lesson. Answer in your head, then flip to check.
Term · 1/8
What is an invariant in distractor elimination?
A feature that must stay constant under the allowed motion. Under translation, shape, cell arrangement and protrusion direction all stay fixed; under rotation, distances stay fixed but directions change.
Formula · 2/8
Grid connector rule: X faces right, Y faces left. When do they meet?
Exactly when and : Y is in the next column on the same row. Rows one apart mean a slip; columns two apart mean a gap.
Common trap · 3/8
Does a matching total cell count prove a candidate assembly is right?
No. It is a necessary screen only (6 + 5 cells must show 11), but different 11-cell layouts exist. Still check shape, orientation and the exact connector placement.
Term · 4/8
Face contact vs. corner contact on a grid
Face contact shares a full unit boundary between cells of the two pieces. Diagonal corner contact touches at a single point and does not count as a join.
Strategy · 5/8
Handedness test for spotting a mirrored piece
Pick two distinct landmarks (a top notch and a lower spur) and note their left-right order, or trace landmarks clockwise. A mirrored candidate reverses that order even with the same cell count.
Common trap · 6/8
Should you reject a choice because an extra, unmarked edge also touches?
No. Extra contact is fine unless the prompt forbids it. Reject only for a stated rule: the marked X and Y must meet. Never add rules the prompt does not give.
Strategy · 7/8
Two-pass elimination for AO choices
Pass 1: quickly drop clear violations (extra or missing piece, forbidden mirror, open gap). Pass 2: on the survivors, compare marked cells and one distinctive landmark, then positively verify the final choice.
Common trap · 8/8
A choice meets two of three constraints and looks neat. Can it be the answer?
No. The answer must satisfy every stated condition at once, judged as printed. A tidy silhouette that needs one edit (shift, unflip) is still a distractor.