In a particular symbol code, the word STAR is written as 5$*2 and the word TORE is written as $32@. Using the same symbol substitution pattern, how will the word OATS be written in that code?

Introduction / Context:
This is a classic symbol substitution coding question. Each letter in a word is replaced by a particular symbol or digit, and you are given enough examples to deduce the mapping. Once you know which symbol corresponds to which letter, you can encode a new word using the same mapping. Here, STAR and TORE are given in code form, and you must determine the correct code for OATS. Such questions test recognition of one-to-one mappings in simple substitution ciphers.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• STAR is written as 5$*2.
• TORE is written as $32@.
• The same code is applied consistently for each letter.
• We assume each English letter always corresponds to a unique symbol.
• We need to find the code for the word OATS.

Concept / Approach:
We start by matching letters from STAR and TORE with their coded versions to identify the letter-to-symbol mapping. Because some letters repeat in both words (like T and R), we can cross-check consistency. Once we know the symbols for O, A, T, and S, we simply write them in the same order as in the word OATS. This is a direct substitution problem with no rearrangement of positions.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: STAR → 5 $ * 2. So S → 5, T → $, A → *, R → 2. Step 2: TORE → $ 3 2 @. We already know T → $, R → 2 from Step 1, so the new mappings are O → 3 and E → @. Step 3: We now have the complete mapping relevant to this question: S → 5, T → $, A → *, O → 3. Step 4: The target word is OATS. Write down its letters in order: O, A, T, S. Step 5: Replace each letter using the mapping: O → 3, A → *, T → $, S → 5. Step 6: So OATS is coded as 3 * $ 5, which we write as 3*$5.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, substitute back: 3*$5 becomes OATS if you reverse the mapping (3 → O, * → A, $ → T, 5 → S). Also, confirm that STAR and TORE still decode correctly: 5$*2 → S T A R and $32@ → T O R E. Because this backwards check works for both given words as well as the newly formed code, we are confident that the mapping and hence the final answer is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (3*5$) swaps the positions of $ and 5, which would correspond to O A S T rather than OATS. Option C (3$*5) places $ in the second position, which would encode O T A S. Option D (35*$) corresponds to O S A T and is not consistent with the required order of letters in OATS. Option E (5*3$) starts with 5 which stands for S, not O. Only Option B maps OATS to 3*$5 with the correct letter–symbol order.

Common Pitfalls:
The most common error is ignoring the order of letters and just looking at which symbols appear. Another mistake is mis-reading the mapping for a repeated letter like T, which appears in both STAR and TORE. Always build a small table of mappings and double-check each one. Remember that in simple substitution codes there is usually no rearrangement of letter positions, just replacement of characters with symbols or digits.

Final Answer:
Therefore, according to the given letter-to-symbol code, the word OATS is written as 3*$5.