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Mathematics & Probability Syllogisms:Atoms that are not radioactive are always unexcitable.
Heavy atoms have strong bonds.
Uranium is tasteless.
No radioactive atom is easy to swallow.
No atom that is not strong-bonded is tasteless.
All atoms are excitable, except uranium.
Guest author Joseph Mazur
What can be logically deduced from the following syllogism?
1. |
Tasty things are excitable |
2. |
Heavy things are not easy to swallow |
3. |
Atoms are radioactive |
Author: Joseph Mazur
>> Click here for solution
Heavy things are not easy to swallow
Reason: rewrite the syllogism in a positive way (eliminating the negatives) as follows:Excitable atoms are radioactive.Heavy atoms are strong-bonded.
Uranium is tasteless.
Radioactive atoms are not easy to swallow.
Strong-bonded atoms are tasty.
The only unexcitable atom is uranium.
Assume that tasteless is the negation of tasty. Then fit them together so they nest like this:
Heavy atoms are strong-bonded.
Strong-bonded atoms are tasty.
Any tasty atom is not uranium.
An atom that is not uranium is excitable.
An excitable atom is radioactive.
A radioactive atom is not easy to swallow.
This last group of statements telescopes to become “heavy things are not easy to swallow.”
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