#22 - Local, Could Be True

[Dave Killoran]

Complete Question Explanation
(The complete setup for this game can be found here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=2408)

The correct answer choice is (E)

If the first experiment performed results in a single orange flask being present, then the experiment was either 1 + 2 (leaving 3 and 4 unused), or 1 + 3 (leaving 2 and 4 unused). These are possibilities #1 and #3 in the master list.

Thus, the second experiment could either mix flasks 3 and 4, or flasks 2 and 4. Answer choice (E) is correct because mixing 3 and 4 is possible.

[kch0522]

Hi -

I selected C because the q stem says after 2 experiments, not 1.

After 2 experiments, only 1 of the resulting flask combos contains 1 orange chemical (ie 1+4 + 2+3).

I could see why you'd choose E if the q stem said 1 experiment, but that wasn't the case here.

Where am I going wrong?

Many thanks,
Kyle

[Rachael Wilkenfeld]

Hi Kyle,

This was a complicated question stem. You have to break it down part by part.

The stem reads:

"If the student will perform exactly two experiments, and after the first, exactly one of the resulting three nonempty flasks contains an orange chemical....."

That means that although we know there are two total experiments performed, there is exactly one orange chemical after the FIRST experiment.

The second experiment is what the question asks you to find.

So after one experiment, the only ways that we can have EXACTLY one orange chemical is by mixing 1+2, and leaving 3+4 or by mixing 1+3, and leaving 2+4. Mixing 2+3 to get orange wouldn't work because then there would be two orange flasks.

That means the only options for the second experiment are 3+4 or 2+4, leaving us with answer choice (E).

Answer choice (C) wouldn't work because that would mean the first experiment would have mixed 1+4, leaving the three flasks after one experiment as G, B, G. No orange flasks after one, we have to eliminate it.

Hope that helps!
Rachael

[kch0522]

Thanks, Rachael. That was super helpful and I think I'm almost there. Just some follow-ups.

When I first saw this game, I thought of the distribution in two ways: Either we'd have one experiment (e.g., 1+2, with a "remainder" of 3 and 4 = R/G/O) or two experiments (e.g., 1+2 + 3+4 with no remainders = R/B). Am I wrong to approach it in this way? My inkling is heck yeah, since those colors correspond to the number of flasks, not experiments, in the description/scenario. I have this sense only after thinking hard upon a second, third, fourth, etc. pass at the game, so do you have any tips for understanding the number of experiments there are upfront? I know this is an extremely rare game, but I'm sure there's something here that can translate elsewhere - and boost my performance - on test day.

Now is one of the keys to question 22 the point about "three nonempty flasks"? I focused on that originally - thinking I should look under the "three experiment" regime as noted above, but then I decided to look under the "two experiment" regime because the q stem says "...will perform exactly two experiments".

If one of the - and here's the key - three nonempty flasks contains an orange experiment then it makes sense to me to choose 1+2 or 1+3 because they make up flask combinations with just one orange experiment (i.e., R/G/O and B/B/O). I guess the additional/critical point here is the q stem asks you to focus on "the remainder", although I can't seem to point to the words that tell me that.

Please let me know your thoughts and thank you so much again again for your wisdom.

Best,
Kyle

[kch0522]

Rachael - just wanted to amend my message for clarity.

Many thanks,
Kyle

***

***Now is one of the keys to question 22 the point about "three nonempty flasks"? I focused on that originally - thinking I should look under the "one experiment" regime (with three flasks, e.g., R/G/O) as noted above, but then I decided to look under the "two experiment" regime (with two flasks, e.g., B/O) because the q stem says "...will perform exactly two experiments".**

[George George]

@kch0522

I think both of the elements you identified - "will perform exactly two experiments" and "exactly one of the resulting three nonempty flasks contains an orange chemical" - are key to understanding the Q. It is also important to note the phrase "after the first experiment." At this point, I've just said the entire Q-stem is basically key, but unfortunately, on a harder Q, this is what happens! I think the takeaway here is that when the LSAT wants to be difficult and convoluted, it'll ask the Q in a strange way.

Now, as to your more general Q to Rachael, the number of experiments that a game will ask you to perform in a Patterns game will be Q-specific. Easier Qs just want one iteration (here, "experiment"). Harder Qs ask about what can happen after two iterations (again, here, "experiments"). I think your hunch to notice the game could break down according to how many "experiments" was right, but the game as a whole has separate properties from the individual Qs in the set, and that may be your next takeaway.