Choose the most appropriate word from the options given below to complete the following sentence: Despite the mixture's ________ nature, we found that by lowering its temperature in the laboratory we could dramatically reduce its tendency to vaporize. A. acerbic B. resilient C. volatile D. heterogeneous

GATE 2011 · General Aptitude · Most Appropriate Word · medium

Answer: C. volatile

1. Identify the semantic clue: The phrase 'tendency to vaporize' is the key clue. In chemistry, a substance that vaporizes easily is called volatile. The sentence structure 'despite X nature ... reduce tendency to vaporize' creates a cause-effect link: the nature described is precisely the property of vaporizing.
2. Eliminate distractors: A. acerbic — bitter/sharp; unrelated to vaporization. B. resilient — bounces back; unrelated to vaporization. D. heterogeneous — mixed composition; does not explain vaporization tendency. C. volatile — evaporates readily; directly explains 'tendency to vaporize'. Answer: C.