18-2-20, Another question Timmy wants to nitpick Forum

[Samara]

Tough break kiddo, that ain't your call. Who elected you king of the shit mountain that is this thread? And really, it's childish behavior to introduce an element of levity to the hulking trainwreck in motion that is your useless atomization of the LSAT's genetic code? The humor in this thread wasn't even at your expense and you had already received the answer to the latest line item in your litany of formal logic neuroses.

This thread is not at rest. It is now the sovereign nation of Partytown.

I greatly enjoy your posts.

Came here to post this.

Clouds are water vapor and dust particles, idiot. You know why no one else could tell you if there is anything else in a cloud? BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING ELSE IN A CLOUD

[Paraflam]

I have asked a couple of people what is a cloud in just side chat. Almost every single one answer water. I then asked if that was the only thing, I did not have one person have 100% confidence that it was so.

Fails to consider that sample is unlikely to be representative of population (people who willingly converse with timmy).

[flem]

Fails to consider that sample is unlikely to be representative of population (people who willingly converse with timmy).

167

[timmydoeslsat]

I of course know that clouds are made of water. I am told in the stimulus that water molecules contain more oxygen than oxygen-18.

I understand that water molecules are in a cloud, but I was hesitant to say that this way the only thing in the cloud. I was not aware if there was a chance that a cloud can absorb gas in the atmosphere.

[shifty_eyed]

It's not a MUST BE TRUE question, and common sense tells us that water molecules make up the MAJORITY if not all of the cloud. Also, since we know that oxygen-18 is heavier than oxygen-16, it doesn't make much common sense to think that it might be a common element in other gases that might comprise a small portion of the cloud (common sense tells us that heavier elements are less volatile, and therefore less likely to be in gases). Therefore, the answer is supported by the stimulus.

[timmydoeslsat]

It's not a MUST BE TRUE question, and common sense tells us that water molecules make up the MAJORITY if not all of the cloud. Also, since we know that oxygen-18 is heavier than oxygen-16, it doesn't make much common sense to think that it might be a common element in other gases that might comprise a small portion of the cloud (common sense tells us that heavier elements are less volatile, and therefore less likely to be in gases). Therefore, the answer is supported by the stimulus.

I agree with that.

[Samara]

Another hint is the term "normal oxygen." If oxygen-18 is not the most common form of oxygen, to the point where oxygen-16 is called normal oxygen, why would you have any reason to believe oxygen-18 is present in large quantities in other molecules?

[thestalkmore]

Tough break kiddo, that ain't your call. Who elected you king of the shit mountain that is this thread? And really, it's childish behavior to introduce an element of levity to the hulking trainwreck in motion that is your useless atomization of the LSAT's genetic code? The humor in this thread wasn't even at your expense and you had already received the answer to the latest line item in your litany of formal logic neuroses.

This thread is not at rest. It is now the sovereign nation of Partytown.

I greatly enjoy your posts.

I greatly enjoy you. *hug*

[foggynotion]

It's not a MUST BE TRUE question, and common sense tells us that water molecules make up the MAJORITY if not all of the cloud. Also, since we know that oxygen-18 is heavier than oxygen-16, it doesn't make much common sense to think that it might be a common element in other gases that might comprise a small portion of the cloud (common sense tells us that heavier elements are less volatile, and therefore less likely to be in gases). Therefore, the answer is supported by the stimulus.

I don't think we have to get into all this.

As already stated, you're looking to support the answer choice, not conclusively prove it. When they tell us that water molecules containing oxygen-18 are rarer than water molecules that contain normal oxygen, that supports the choice they're looking for, namely that there's more normal oxygen in the cloud when formed than oxygen-18. True, it leave open the question Timmy already brought up about there being other types of molecules that might contain the oxygen-18, but we don't know for sure whether there are any other such molecules because the argument doesn't tell us. All we know for sure about that is the water molecules containing oxygen-18 are rarer.

I think it we were to swap that premise for the conclusion, and look at it like a strengthen question, it would make more sense. What would support the "conclusion" that the cloud has more normal oxygen than oxygen-18 when formed? A choice that said "the cloud has less water molecules that contain oxygen-18 than water molecules that contain normal oxgyen", would offer support for that "conclusion". In other words, I'm saying that when they ask us to support that choice, they're really asking us to support it as a conclusion for the argument, just like a strenghten question. Except than in a strengthen question, we don't really expect to come up with conclusive proof--but in this kind of question, it's easier to expect the answer choice to be better supported than it is in this question.