Table 2 Example explanations for the answer by GPT-3.5 to a multiple-choice question used in experiments 1a and 2a
From: What large language models know and what people think they know
Prompt style | Explanation |
|---|---|
Experiment 1a | |
Baseline | The answer is [A] Velocity. This is because in an inelastic collision, the two objects involved will stick together and move with a common velocity after the collision. […] In this case, the initial momentum of the 1.5-kg cart is transferred to the combined mass of the two carts after the collision, resulting in the same velocity for both carts. Therefore, the correct answer is [A] Velocity. |
Experiment 2a | |
Low confidence and long | I am not completely sure that the answer is [A] because velocity is a vector quantity that includes both magnitude and direction. In this scenario, the carts may have the same magnitude of velocity, but they may not necessarily have the same direction. Therefore, I am not completely convinced that the answer is [A]. […] In this case, the carts would indeed have the same velocity as each other. |
Medium confidence and long | I am somewhat sure that the answer is [A] because velocity is a vector quantity that takes into account both the speed and direction of an object’s motion. In this scenario, the two carts are colliding and sticking together, […] Therefore, I am somewhat sure that the answer is [A] because the velocity of the two carts will be the same after the collision due to the conservation of momentum principle. |
High confidence and long | I am sure that the answer is [A] because velocity is a vector quantity that describes the speed and direction of an object’s motion. In this scenario, the two carts are colliding and sticking together, meaning they will have the same final velocity after the collision. […] This is also supported by the fact that the carts have different masses, so their kinetic energies and linear momenta will not be the same. Thus, the correct answer is [A] velocity. |
Low confidence and short | I am not sure that the answer is [A] because the carts may have different velocities before and after the collision due to the conservation of momentum. |
Medium confidence and short | I am somewhat sure that the answer is [A] because velocity is a vector quantity that takes into account both the speed and direction of an object’s motion. In this scenario, the carts will have the same velocity after the collision because they are stuck together and moving in the same direction. |
High confidence and short | I am sure that the answer is [A] because velocity is a vector quantity that is conserved in collisions, meaning that the final velocity of the two carts will be the same. |
Low confidence and uncertainty only | I am not sure that the answer is [A]. |
Medium confidence and uncertainty only | I am somewhat sure that the answer is [A]. |
High confidence and uncertainty only | I am sure that the answer is [A]. |
