General Question

chelle21689's avatar

Can someone explain the answer to me?

Asked by chelle21689 (7907points) May 4th, 2013 from iPhone

Sample question #1:
The 10-unit office complex consists of 8 two-office suites at $1450/month and two three-office suites at $1575/month. The Smith-Johnson law practice moves into the office complex.

Conclusion:
The Smith-Johnson practice pays $1575/month in rent.
Is this
a. necessarily true.
b. probably, not necessarily true.
c. indeterminable, cannot be determined.
d. probably, not necessarily false.
e. necessarily false.

Answer:
The conclusion is probably, not necessarily false.

I don’t understand because I feel like the answer could be D or B. what’s the difference?

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11 Answers

ETpro's avatar

You have no way of knowing whether the firm needs a 2 or 3 office suite. All you know for certain is the 8 of the 10 suites are just 2-office style, and only 2 have 3 offices. Thus it is more probable that they rented one of the 80% that are 2-office than the 20% that are 3-office. But you cannot say with certainty.

Red_Turtle's avatar

Nothing indicates this conclusion is false. However there is 4/5th of a chance that the office is paying 1450.

chelle21689's avatar

Of course uncertain.

But probably false or true goes both ways after that statement

dxs's avatar

Since the odds are greater that the company rents a two-office suite (given that the choice is random), then concluding that the company bought a two-office suite is (d.) probably false (taking away the “not necessarily part”). But it could be true—the company could rent a three-office suite, so it is, again, (d.) not necessarily false.
[Addition]: is it the wording that is confusing you? It confused me a bit at first.
b. This conclusion is probably true, but not necessarily true.
d. This conclusion is probably false, but not necessarily false.

Seaofclouds's avatar

@chelle21689 it says probably false because it is less likely they are in the more expensive space and more likely that they are in the less expensive space. If the questions would have said they pay $1450 a month, it would have been (b) because it would be more likely to be true, but not necessarily true.

chelle21689's avatar

Thanks everyone. I answered a question similar to this and actually had it right. Although it was just a guy choice no really reason because it fit

CWOTUS's avatar

I would expect that a Smith-Johnson law practice would have at least two practicing attorneys, named Smith and Johnson. That’s not necessarily so, but it would be my expectation. Given two attorneys and their likely need to maintain private offices and have a separate entrance / waiting room / reception area, I’d expect to see them in a three-office suite.

But Smith-Johnson could be a large firm with many other non-named partners and attorneys, and they may have taken the whole building, for all we know.

The answer is c.

dxs's avatar

@CWOTUS It looks as if the “multiple choices” (a,b,c,d,e) are based off of a stated conclusion above them.

chelle21689's avatar

no the answer is D.@CWOTUS

CWOTUS's avatar

I’m going to repeat, that unless you know the makeup of Smith-Johnson, there is no way to know the answer. Regardless of what the book says.

ETpro's avatar

@CWOTUS There is no way you can answer with certainty. You can answer about probability, which is obviously the topic under investigation in this test.

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