Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Medium

PT131 S1 Q12 Explanation

The number of different synthetic

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

TopicsFlaw

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Stimulus

The number of different synthetic chemical compounds that are known to be carcinogenic but are nonetheless used as pesticides, preservatives, or food additives is tiny compared to the number of nonsynthetic carcinogenic compounds widely found in plants and animals. It is therefore absurd to in recent decades is due to synthetic carcinogens.

What this question is testing

Flaw

Your task

Describe the reasoning error the argument actually commits.

Common trap

Answers that name a real logical flaw the argument doesn't actually make.

Winning move

Articulate the gap in the reasoning yourself, then match it to the choice that describes that gap.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
12.

The reasoning above is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that it overlooks

Answer choices

  1. Contradiction4% picked this

    the rise in the cancer rate in recent decades is due to increased exposure

    This point is not overlooked, but rather asserted to be a possibility.

  2. Contradiction5% picked this

    the rise in the cancer rate in recent decades is due to something other than

    This point is not overlooked, but rather asserted to be a possibility.

  3. Out of Scope9% picked this

    some synthetic chemical compounds that are not known to be carcinogenic are in

    Forms of toxicity other than being carcinogenic are not relevant to the argument.

  4. Correct77% picked this

    people undergo significantly less exposure to carcinogens that are not synthetic than to those

    Why this is right

    This points to another difference between synthetic and nonsynthetic carcinogenic compounds that would be relevant when determining the cause of the rise in the rate of cancer.

    Skill tested: Flaw · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

  5. Out of Scope5% picked this

    people can vary greatly in their susceptibility to cancers caused by

    The concern of this argument is the recent rise in the general rate of cancer and so variation in individual susceptibility to cancers cause by nonsynthetic carcinogens is not relevant.

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