A sloped pattern excites the ______ active element first.

A sloped pattern excites the ______ active element first.

• A. Highest
• B. Lowest
• C. Middle
• D. Outer

Answer: (B)

A sloped pattern creates a gradient of how easily each element turns on. As you increase drive, the element with the smallest turn-on requirement crosses its threshold first. That corresponds to the low end of the pattern where the excitation threshold is lowest. Once that element is active, increasing drive will light up elements with higher thresholds along the slope in order. So the first active element is the one at the low end of the pattern—the lowest-threshold element. The highest-threshold element won’t light up first, and a middle or outer element isn’t guaranteed to be the first unless the slope is arranged differently.

A sloped pattern creates a gradient of how easily each element turns on. As you increase drive, the element with the smallest turn-on requirement crosses its threshold first. That corresponds to the low end of the pattern where the excitation threshold is lowest. Once that element is active, increasing drive will light up elements with higher thresholds along the slope in order. So the first active element is the one at the low end of the pattern—the lowest-threshold element. The highest-threshold element won’t light up first, and a middle or outer element isn’t guaranteed to be the first unless the slope is arranged differently.