LG from PT 12 (Oct. 1994)
Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:22 pm
The game: "A science student has exactly 4 flasks--1, 2, 3, and 4--originally containing a red, a blue, a green, and an orange chemical, respectively. An experiment consists of mixing exactly two of these chemicals together by completely emptying the contents of one of the flasks into another of the flasks. The following conditions apply:
-The product of an experiment cannot be used in further experiments.
-Mixing the contents of 1 and 2 produces a red chemical.
-Mixing the contents of 2 and 3 produces an orange chemical.
-Mixing the contents of 3 with the contents of either 1 or 4 produces a blue chemical.
-Mixing the contents of 4 with the contents of either 1 or 2 produces a green chemical."
I correctly answered all 7 of the questions associated with this game, except for the last one (which, incidentally, was the last question of the section--#24). I'm worried primarily about how to answer the last question (see below) and secondarily about speeding up my pace on a complicated game like this. Input addressing either concern is greatly appreciated.
Q. 24: "If the student performs exactly two experiments and exactly one of the reslting two nonempty flasks contains an orange chemical, then it must be true that the contents of the other nonempty flask is (sic):"
(A) obtained by mixing flasks 1 and 2
(B) obtained by mixiing flasks 2 and 4
(c) blue
(D) green
(E) red
Correct answer: (D)
I knew that only answers (D) or (A) could satisfy the "must be true" requirement, so I chose (A) because the combination of R (flasks 1 and 2 mixed) G(3) O(4) produces an orange chemical only if flasks 3 (green) and 1/2 (red) are mixed, which produces a blue chemical as the 2nd nonempty flask. All or almost all of the other possible combinations produce a green nonempty flask, so I guess my main question is, how is this question coherent? Have I totally missed something?
-The product of an experiment cannot be used in further experiments.
-Mixing the contents of 1 and 2 produces a red chemical.
-Mixing the contents of 2 and 3 produces an orange chemical.
-Mixing the contents of 3 with the contents of either 1 or 4 produces a blue chemical.
-Mixing the contents of 4 with the contents of either 1 or 2 produces a green chemical."
I correctly answered all 7 of the questions associated with this game, except for the last one (which, incidentally, was the last question of the section--#24). I'm worried primarily about how to answer the last question (see below) and secondarily about speeding up my pace on a complicated game like this. Input addressing either concern is greatly appreciated.
Q. 24: "If the student performs exactly two experiments and exactly one of the reslting two nonempty flasks contains an orange chemical, then it must be true that the contents of the other nonempty flask is (sic):"
(A) obtained by mixing flasks 1 and 2
(B) obtained by mixiing flasks 2 and 4
(c) blue
(D) green
(E) red
Correct answer: (D)
I knew that only answers (D) or (A) could satisfy the "must be true" requirement, so I chose (A) because the combination of R (flasks 1 and 2 mixed) G(3) O(4) produces an orange chemical only if flasks 3 (green) and 1/2 (red) are mixed, which produces a blue chemical as the 2nd nonempty flask. All or almost all of the other possible combinations produce a green nonempty flask, so I guess my main question is, how is this question coherent? Have I totally missed something?