Extremely difficult SC; PLEASE HELP!!

[Stockmoose16]

Nuclear fusion is the force that powers the Sun, the stars, and hydrogen bombs, merging the nuclei of atoms and not splitting them apart, as in nuclear reactors.

(A) merging the nuclei of atoms and not splitting them apart, as in nuclear reactors
(B) merging the nuclei of atoms instead of splitting them apart, like nuclear reactors
(C) merging the nuclei of atoms rather than splitting them apart, as nuclear reactors do
(D) and merges the nuclei of atoms but does not split them apart, as is done in nuclear reactors
(E) and merges the nuclei of atoms, unlike atomic reactors that split them apart

Some sources say the OA is E, others say it is C. According to the moderators of this board, the answer is C. I, personally, still believe the answer is E, because "merging" (in answer "C") is NOT parallel with "powers."

Can an expert explain why my logic is wrong?

[RonPurewal]

there's a ginormous thread on this problem here.

choice (e) has two fatal problems.

1: "unlike atomic reactors" is a faulty comparison; you can't directly compare a force (nuclear fusion) to a manmade device that produces forces (atomic reactors).
the gmat has extremely high standards for properly parallel comparisons. make sure you obey those standards.

2: "atomic reactors that split them apart" has a limiting modifier. in other words, the implication is that only some atomic reactors split them apart, and that we're only talking about those atomic reactors.
the intended meaning of the original - and, therefore, the meaning that you must preserve here - is that atomic reactors in general split them apart. you are not at liberty to change that meaning.

[Heartbeat]

(E) and merges the nuclei of atoms, unlike atomic reactors that split them apart

Ron pls teach

1. whether ", unlike atomic reactors that split them apart" act as adv modifier that modify "Nuclear fusion is the force"?
I don't think it is adj modifier because it located very far away from nuclear fusion

2. In other sentence "X is Y, unlike Z"
Could ", unlike Z" act as adj modifier of Y

Thank alot from yr great help

[RonPurewal]

(E) and merges the nuclei of atoms, unlike atomic reactors that split them apart

Ron pls teach

1. whether ", unlike atomic reactors that split them apart" act as adv modifier that modify "Nuclear fusion is the force"?
I don't think it is adj modifier because it located very far away from nuclear fusion

2. In other sentence "X is Y, unlike Z"
Could ", unlike Z" act as adj modifier of Y

Thank alot from yr great help

i see two major problems with choice (e).

first:
if you're going to write "...and merges", then you CANNOT have a comma after "bombs". this is a special, and rather difficult-to-detect, case of the general rule that in series containing exactly two items, there should be no comma before "and".
in other words:
X does Y, and does Z --> wrong.
X does Y and does Z --> correct.

in this case, "does Y" would be "powers the sun, the stars, and hydrogen bombs", and "does Z" would be "merges the nuclei of atoms". this means that you can't have a comma after "bombs".

--

note: the above rule applies to series; it does not generally apply when "and" is used as a conjunction to separate two independent clauses. in that case, it's perfectly acceptable to have a comma before "and":
my sister writes articles for cosmopolitan, and my brother writes blog articles.
this sentence would also be acceptable without the comma.

[RonPurewal]

second:

in choice (e), "...split them apart" is not really part of any parallel construction. therefore, "them" is an ambiguous pronoun in this case; it's not grammatically apparent whether "them" refers to "the nuclei of atoms" (as it's supposed to) or to "the sun, the stars, and hydrogen bombs".

in the correct choice (c), though, "them" is not considered ambiguous because it's part of the clear parallel structure involving "rather than".