Final answer:
The occipital lobe of the brain is primarily responsible for visual processing, and would be activated when performing a mental rotation task. Other sensory functions like imagining smells and tastes would involve different areas, such as the temporal lobe and the limbic system.
Step-by-step explanation:
Activation of the Occipital Lobe
The occipital lobe of the human brain is primarily responsible for visual processing. This processing begins in the occipital lobe, although other parts of the brain can also contribute to visual function. When considering the activities that would activate the occipital lobe, we can conclude that performing a mental rotation task would activate this region. A mental rotation task involves the visualization of objects as they would appear if rotated in space. Since the occipital lobe has a close relationship with the positions of objects in the visual field and their representation on the cortex, this lobe is integral for such tasks.
Other sensory tasks, such as imagining smells or tastes, would involve different areas of the brain, such as the olfactory system and gustatory areas, which are not localized in the occipital lobe. The temporal lobe and regions within the limbic system and hypothalamus would be more likely to be involved when it comes to smells and long-term memory association, while flavor and its connection to both gustatory and olfactory information may also tie in these areas.