LSAT 34, Logical Reasoning I, Q25, LSATHacks

LR Question 25 Explanation, by LSATHacks

QUESTION TEXT: Although wood-burning stoves are more efficient than…

QUESTION TYPE: Weaken 

CONCLUSION: Wood-burning stoves are more dangerous that open fireplaces.

REASONING: Their smoke travels more slowly and therefore leaves behind more creosote. Creosote can clog up a chimney or burn inside of it.

ANALYSIS: This argument makes a common error: it lists one relevant difference and then makes a final judgment. We know one disadvantage of stoves. But it could be that fireplaces have other disadvantages that make them even more dangerous.

The correct answer lists one such disadvantage. 

___________

1. This sounds tempting but it doesn’t do much. The stimulus is talking about how dangerous the stoves are on average. It could be that the most efficient stove costs $1,000,000 and nobody owns one. That won’t affect the average stove.
2. This makes sense – if you don’t use your stove, how can it produce creosote. But this affects both fireplaces and stoves.
3. CORRECT. This shows a reason that fireplaces are dangerous. It might outweigh the creosote danger and it weakens the argument. 
4. That doesn’t matter since we know that stoves produce more creosote.
5. But if they used them, which type would be more dangerous? This doesn’t let us conclude that fireplaces are as dangerous as stoves. 

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