Question

when tom took a sip of coffee, it burned his tongue. a few days later, he touched his cup of coffee with his hands to feel how hot it was before he took a sip. he then left it on the table for a few minutes to let it cool. which statement best explains why tom didnt drink the coffee?
a. the sensory receptors in toms hands sent a message to his brain, which processed the message according to a stored memory and caused him to refrain from drinking the coffee immediately.
b. the sensory receptors in toms tongue sent a message to his brain, which processed the message according to a stored memory and caused him to refrain from drinking the coffee immediately.
c. the sensory receptors in toms tongue sent a message directly to his hands, which caused him to refrain from drinking the coffee immediately.

Explanation:

Tom’s past experience of burning his tongue (stored memory) leads him to check the coffee’s temperature with his hands. The hand’s sensory receptors detect heat, send a message to the brain, which uses the stored memory of the burn to decide not to drink immediately. Option A correctly links hand receptors, brain processing with stored memory, and the decision to refrain. Option B is wrong because the tongue receptors weren’t activated this time; Option C is incorrect as messages don’t go directly from tongue to hands.

Answer:

A. The sensory receptors in Tom’s hands sent a message to his brain, which processed the message according to a stored memory and caused him to refrain from drinking the coffee immediately.