LSAT 117 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q1

LR Question 1 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Jones fell unconscious on the job …

QUESTION TYPE: Weaken

CONCLUSION: Jones didn’t swallow the chemical.

REASONING:

• Swallowed chemical → mineral deficiency

→ inflamed skin
* Jones didn’t have inflamed skin when he was admitted to the ER.

ANALYSIS: Jones was rushed to the ER when he fell unconscious. So all of this happened decently quick. When the doctor saw him, he didn’t have inflamed skin.

But how fast does your skin inflame after swallowing this chemical? If the chemical takes time to cause the mineral deficiency, then it would also take time for the inflammation to appear.

The argument assumes the effects of swallowing the chemical are immediate. But if that’s not true, then the absence of inflamed skin tells us nothing.

___________

1. Whether Jones knew the chemical was dangerous has no bearing on whether he swallowed it.
2. Great. But we’re trying to figure out if he swallowed the chemical today.
3. CORRECT. If it takes 48 hours for the chemical to cause the mineral deficiency, then Jones may have swallowed the chemical but not yet developed either the deficiency or the inflamed skin. So the lack of inflamed skin right now doesn’t prove he didn’t swallow it.
4. This makes it somewhat more likely that Jones had access to the chemical, but we’re focused on whether the symptoms can prove that he did or didn’t swallow the chemical.
5. The fact that other mineral deficiencies can also cause skin inflammation doesn’t matter. The physician never said inflammation can only be caused by this particular deficiency.