PT148 S4 Q12 ExplanationOn average, cats fed canned cat food

Answer choices, explained

1. A

   Unknown Comparison: more calories6% picked this

   On average, cats fed canned cat food eat more calories per day than do cats

   As we evaluated, we can't figure out which type of cat consumes more calories. Compared to a cat eating dry food, the cat eating canned food is getting fewer ounces of food, but each ounce of food contains more calories. If the canned-food cat gets 1/2 as many ounces of food but each ounce contains twice as many calories as dry food does, then the canned food and the dry food cat would eat the same number of calories. But if the canned-food cat gets 20% fewer ounces whereas each ounce contains twice as many calories, then the canned food cat is getting more calories. And if the canned-food cat is getting 1/2 as many ounces but each ounce contains 20% more calories, then the the canned-food cat is still getting fewer calories. We know that (Bigger) * (Bigger) > (Smaller) * (Smaller) But we can't judge (Smaller) * (Bigger) vs. (Bigger) * (Smaller) The cats getting canned food are getting fewer ounces of something that is more-calorie-enriched. Depending on how many fewer ounces / how much more enriched, the canned food could end up being more calories overall, fewer calories overall, or the same calories overall as the dry food.

   6%
2. B

   Too Strong: typically2% picked this

   Typically, cats are fed either canned cat food or dry cat

   The fact that the paragraph only mentions canned food and dry food doesn't mean that we can infer that those two types of food are the typical options for cats. I could say, "On average, high school students with extra fingers have more TikTok followers than do students with no hair". Does that mean we can infer that, "Typically, high schoolers have extra fingers, no hair, or both"?

   2%
3. C

   Too Strong: only6% picked this

   How much it costs to feed a cat a given kind of food depends only on how many calories

   We have no way to justify the extreme claim that the only influence on the cost feeding a cat a given kind of food is how many calories per ounce that food contains. (Maybe the size or exercise level of the cat also affects how many ounces you feed the cat and thus how much it costs to feed that cat).

   6%
4. D

   Goes Against Common Sense8% picked this

   On average, it costs no less to feed a cat that eats fewer ounces of food per day than it does to feed a

   Huh? It costs the same to feed a cat fewer ounces of food per day as it does to feed a cat more ounces of food per day? We have no reason to think it wouldn't cost less to feed a cat 10 oz of food than it would to feed a cat 20 oz of food. In fact, it's seems to contradict common sense. The paragraph certainly creates a possibility like "a cat being fed 5 oz of canned food costs no less than a cat being fed 8 oz of dry food", but there's no we could say, "on average, cats being fed less cat food aren't cheaper to feed than cats being fed more cat food".

   8%
5. E

   Correct79% picked this

   Canned cat food typically costs more per ounce than does dry

   Why this is right

   This was the mathematical inference we predicted. The final claim was telegraphed with a Pivot (nonetheless), which is a huge hint that we're supposed to combine this last idea with something that came before it. We know that if the owner who feeds their cat canned food is spending more money each day on cat food, but feeding their cat fewer ounces of cat food each day, then they are spending more per ounce of food than is the owner who feeds their cat dry food.

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

   79%