A science class stored

Answer choices

1. A

   Wrong Flaw7% picked this

   generalized too readily from the fruits it tested to fruits it

   "Generalizing too readily (too hastily)" is codename for the famous Sampling flaw. This conclusion specifies that we're still talking about these varieties of fruit, so the author hasn't extrapolated from a sample of certain fruits to a conclusion about fruits more generally. The author is certainly making a sampling move by thinking, "what was true in this experiment for these fruits would be true more broadly for these fruits".

   7%
2. B

   Not an Objection17% picked this

   ignored the effects of other factors such as humidity and sunlight on the

   There can be more than one causal influence for a certain thing, while still allowing us to use a "the more X, the more Y' formulation. For example, your law school application ... would you say it's true that, "The higher your LSAT score, the more competitive your application is"? Of course. In agreeing to that claim, are you ignoring the effects of other factors on your app, such as GPA or personal statement? No. Because you could also agree that, "The higher your GPA, the more competitive your application is". Similarly, just because the author is stressing the way that coolness affects freshness doesn't mean that he's ignoring that other things can also affect freshness/spoilage.

   17%
3. C

   Correct71% picked this

   too readily extrapolated from a narrow range of temperatures to the entire

   Why this is right

   The science class's experiment suggests that within the range of 10 degrees to 30 degrees, the cooler the temperature, the fresher the fruit. But it doesn't suggest that 0 degrees (frozen) is fresher than 10 degrees, or that -60 degrees is fresher than -50 degrees. This answer is just complaining about how over-strongly the conclusion is worded. It shouldn't posit a relationship that extends infinitely in both directions.

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

   71%
4. D

   Not a Reasoning Flaw1% picked this

   assumed without proof that its thermometer

   Yes, the author does assume her premises are valid. If the thermometer were not reliable, then that would undermine the integrity of the science class's experiment. But this would just be trying to deny the validity / trustworthiness of an empirical measurement in the premise. This wouldn't relate to our task, which is to explain why "even if the evidence is true, it doesn't justify the move to the claim in the conclusion".

   1%
5. E

   Not an Objection4% picked this

   neglected to offer any explanation for the results

   We're trying to judge whether authors' conclusions are true claims. For a claim to be true, you don't need to be able to explain it. "Water molecules are H20" - true claim. I can't explain to you why they have two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Someone could say, "Peggy Jenkins won that election. After all, she received more votes than her opponent. " and they would be saying something true, even if they can't offer any causal explanation for why she won. So the author can correctly conclude that "the cooler the temp, the fresher the fruit", even if she can't explain the causal mechanism that connects cooler temperatures and fresher fruit.

   4%