LSAT 159 | Section 4 | Reading Comprehension: Q26

RC Question 26 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: The author introduces the example of a faucet in the …

DISCUSSION: The faucet example is used to show what happens when a system shifts from linear (predictable) to nonlinear (chaotic). A very small change, opening the faucet slightly wider, can produce a dramatically different result.

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1. It’s actually the opposite. The example shows when similar causes don’t lead to similar effects.
2. CORRECT. A small change in input (water velocity) can cause a large, unpredictable change in output (turbulence).
3. The faucet starts as a linear system, but the entire point is the transition to chaos.
4. This contradicts the entirety of the third paragraph, which is about systems that are partly both.
5. The example explains unpredictability, but not how to remove it.