Exam 1: Basic Concepts

PART A If class-action lawsuits are banned, then big business will win. Hence, big business will not win, since class-action lawsuits will not be banned. Which of the following correctly expresses the form of this argument? PART B Which of the following substitutions proves the argument invalid? A) C = Nicole Kidman was beheaded, B = Nicole Kidman is dead. B) C = Bob Smith was beheaded, B = Bob Smith is dead. C) C = Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, B = Abraham Lincoln is dead. D) C = George Washington is dead, B = George Washington was assassinated. E) C = George Washington was beheaded, B = George Washington is dead.

Dennis drives an old beat-up Volkswagen, lives in a cheap apartment, and his clothes are old and bedraggled. Dennis must not have much money.

Liquids and gasses have the property of being fluid-that is, they flow-because their atoms, ions, or molecules are not so strongly attracted to each other as they are in solids. Not being confined to specific locations, the particles in a liquid can move past one another. Melvin D. Joesten and James L Wood, World of Chemistry, 2^nd edition

Which of the following is a sufficient condition for being a fish?

All essay contests are challenges that promote thinking. All challenges that promote thinking are educational experiences. Thus, all essay contests are educational experiences.

When asked how to address the militaristic ambitions of North Korea, two Republican senators said we should drop bombs on Pyongyang, and a third said we should invade. The obvious conclusion is that Republicans are all a bunch of war mongers.

Earth science can be divided into four branches. Geology is the study of rocks, minerals, and forces that wear down the surface and build mountains. Meteorology covers weather, climate, and the atmosphere. Astronomy investigates planets, stars, and other features outside the atmosphere. The study of the oceans is called oceanography. Scott Ryan, Earth Science

Health care is a basic right. Our current system is convoluted and unethical and should go the way of gladiator games. We can spar and battle in the free market in many arenas, but when we get sick we should all have care-not just the lawyers, bankers, politicians, and others who can afford it. We like the free market, but we shouldn't let people die in the street-not in this country. Lucius Schoenbaum, Letter to the Editor

If people buy cars that are more efficient, replace large appliances with energy efficient ones, unplug unused freezers and refrigerators, replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent models, and plant trees on private property and public land, then millions of tons of heat-trapping gasses will be kept out of the atmosphere, the current level of these gasses will be reduced, and the catastrophic consequences of global warming will be averted.

An argument that proceeds from knowledge of a cause to a claim about an effect is:

A misdemeanor is a minor criminal offense punishable by less than one year in prison. Thus, petty theft is a misdemeanor, as is vandalism, trespassing, and prostitution. Some people convicted of misdemeanors are fined. Others are sentenced to probation or community service.

The ozone layer filters out harmful ultraviolet rays from sunlight before they can reach the surface of our planet and cause damage to humans and other life forms. Any substantial reduction in the amount of this ozone would threaten life as we know it. Consequently, the appearance of a large "hole" in the ozone layer over Antarctica represents a major environmental crisis. Colin Baird and Michael Cann, Environmental Chemistry, 3^rd edition

Which of the following is a deductive argument?

Since Gina and Tom have the same natural parents, it follows that they are siblings.

PART A All exercise sessions are healthy activities, so some jogging events are healthy activities, since some exercise sessions are not jogging events. Which of the following correctly expresses the form of this argument? PART B Which of the following substitutions proves the argument invalid? A) E = dogs, H = mammals, J = fish. B) E = mammals, H = animals, J = cats. C) E = fish, H = animals, J = dogs. D) E = cats, H = mammals, J = animals. E) E = animals, H = dogs, J = mammals

If carbon dioxide levels have been rising for years, the polar ice caps are melting, the frequency and intensity of hurricanes is increasing, and the acidity of sea water is rising, then climate change is for real, it's not just a delusion of leftist thinking, and the nations of the world must unite to address the threat.

According to a two hundred year old tradition, the president of the Apex Club has always been a woman. Therefore, the next president will most likely be a woman.

If people are not informed about the workings of government, then they cannot vote intelligently. People cannot vote intelligently. Therefore, people are not informed about the workings of government.

Given circle A inscribed in square B. It follows that the area of B is greater than the area of A.

Given a right triangle with one 30° angle. It follows that the other angle is 55°.