In 1952, chemists Harold Urey and Stanley Miller mixed ammonia, methane, and hydrogen in a closed container, zapped it with electrical sparks, and found that

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Question recap: In 1952, chemists Harold Urey and Stanley Miller mixed ammonia, methane, and hydrogen in a closed container, zapped it with electrical sparks, and found that

Option 1: they could induce cold fusion. This is incorrect because cold fusion refers to a controversial and unproven process of producing fusion energy at room temperature, which has nothing to do with forming organic molecules from simple gases under electrical sparks. The Miller–Urey setup was not about fusion physics, so this choice misrepresents the experiment’s purpose and outcome.

Option 2: they had created life in a test tube. This is a common misconception. While the experiment simulated early Earth conditions and produced organic compounds, it did not generate living organisms. Life requires complex replication and metabolism beyond simple amino acid formation, so declaring life creation is inaccurate.

Option 3: amino acids had been created. This statement aligns with the historical result of the Miller–Urey experiment: under electric stimulation, the mixture yielded amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins and essential to biochemistry. The formation of amino acids demonstrates abiotic synthesis of organic molecules from simple gases.

Option 4: amino acids cannot form this way. This is incorrect because the experiment explicitly demonstrated that amino acids can form under energy input (sparks) from a mixture of hydrogen, methane, and ammonia, supporting abiotic synthesis pathways for organic molecules.

Option 5: single-celled microorganisms had been spontaneously created. This is false for similar reasons to Option 2: no life, cells, or microorganisms arose in the apparatus; only simple organic molecules like amino acids were produced, not cells or organisms.

In summary, the only option that accurately reflects the outcome of the Miller–Urey experiment is that amino acids had been created, while all other statements misrepresent the experiment’s results or the nature of abiotic synthesis.

EESC1120.01|.02 Summer 2025 Our Home Amongst the Cosmos [Kruckenberg] Week 6 Quiz

In 1952, chemists Harold Urey and Stanley Miller mixed ammonia, methane, and hydrogen in a closed container, zapped it with electrical sparks, and found that

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