Explanation

 An optical instrument uses lenses or mirrors to manipulate light, 

A telescope uses lenses or mirrors to collect and focus light from distant objects, making them appear closer and larger. 

Explanation

 The wave nature of light was primarily proposed by Christian Huygens.

Explanation

 In the sentence:

I met a traveler from an antique land

The word "antique" refers to something very old or ancient, typically from a distant past.

So:

Antique land = Ancient land (a place from ancient history)

Explanation

 Miss McCutcheon wanted to quit and go back home.

The word "quit" means to stop trying or give up.

So the phrase "wanted to quit" is best matched with Give up

Explanation

The transpose of a row matrix is a column matrix.

Similarly, the transpose of a column matrix is a row matrix.

In essence, when transposing a matrix, you swap rows with columns.

So, a matrix with one row becomes a matrix with one column, and vice versa. 

Explanation

"At the station": Indicates the location where they waited.

"For twenty minutes": Specifies the duration of waiting.

Use "at" for general locations (e.g., at the park, at home).

Use "for" to indicate duration (e.g., for hours, for days).

Explanation

If |A| ≠ 0, then matrix A is Non-singular (also known as invertible).

Explanation

CaCO₃ (Calcium carbonate)

No, it is not hygroscopic.

It does not absorb moisture significantly → NOT a desiccating agent

Explanation

When multiplying matrices A (order m × n) and B (order n × p), the resulting matrix has an order of m × p.

Explanation

Circinate vernation, a term in botany, describes the arrangement of young leaves in a coiled or spiralled manner, characteristic of fern fronds. This coiled structure, often resembling a crozier or fiddlehead, protects the tender growing tip of the leaf as it matures.