Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT15 S3 Q23 Explanation

Asbestos, an almost indestructible mineral

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

TopicsStrengthen

Keep going in LSAT Lab

  • Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one

  • Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step

  • 81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

Start practicing free

Free to start

Full official LSAT questions are available through LawHub. This page provides LSAT Lab's explanation, strategy, and review tools without republishing the full official question.

Stimulus

Asbestos, an almost indestructible mineral once installed as building insulation, poses no health risk unless the asbestos is disturbed and asbestos fibers are released into the environment. Since removing asbestos from buildings disturbs it, thereby not require removal of all asbestos insulation.

What this question is testing

Strengthen

Your task

Find the choice that makes the argument's conclusion more likely to be true.

Common trap

Answers that are consistent with the argument but add no real support, or that strengthen a claim the argument doesn't make.

Winning move

Locate the gap between evidence and conclusion, then pick the choice that closes it.

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

The question
23.

Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens

Answer choices

  1. Irrelevant Comparison4% picked this

    Asbestos poses far less risk to health than does smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, improper diet,

    Comparing asbestos to other health risks like smoking or exercise does not directly impact the decision whether asbestos should be removed. It provides no new information about the consequences of removal.

  2. Unclear Impact14% picked this

    Asbestos can pose a health threat to workers who remove it without wearing

    This might sound a bit like it strengthens by highlighting a risk associated with removing asbestos. However, this risk is only triggered by workers who aren't wearing protective gear. We have no reason to think they wouldn't be wearing protective gear, so it's not clear that this does anything.

  3. Irrelevant Comparison11% picked this

    Some kinds of asbestos, when disturbed, pose greater health risks than

    We have no interest in comparing different types of asbestos, especially when we have no idea where the more dangerous or less dangerous kinds are located. We are interested in comparing removing asbestos (of any kind) vs. leaving it there. This answer doesn't relate to that conversation.

  4. Opposite Impact19% picked this

    Asbestos is inevitably disturbed by building renovations or

    This would sound more like a weakening idea, because it's saying that if we leave the asbestos in the buildings, it will be inevitably disturbed later by renovations or demolition.

  5. Correct52% picked this

    Much of the time, removed asbestos is buried in landfills and forgotten, with no guarantee that it will

    Why this is right

    This strengthens the argument by adding another danger associated with removing asbestos: even if we safely get it to a landfill, we might accidentally dredge it up later and expose people to health risks. If disturbed after being buried, it can still re-enter the environment, meaning removal does not eliminate future health risks.

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

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill
LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free