#8 - Local, Must Be True

[Dave Killoran]

Complete Question Explanation
(The complete setup for this game can be found here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=1572)

The correct answer choice is (C)

If X arrives third, then according to our diagram Z must arrive first and U must arrive second:

June 02_game #2_M12_L4_explanations_game#1_8_diagram_1.png

Hence, U must be green and answer choice (C) is correct.

[akatormubarez]

I am confused why the answer couldn't also be C. Does't "S" also have to be green as well So couldnt the answer also be A?

Z-U- X-Y-T- S W
R-G-R-G-R-G-R

[Ron Gore]

Hi, akatormubarez!

In this game the global placement of Y in position 4, and its permanent green color, creates a barrier that separates the base into two sections, the three spots in front of Y and the three spots after it. The local restriction in Question 8 tells you that X is the third arrival, which will only affect the ordering of the first three trucks and will have no effect on the color or ordering of trucks 4 through 7.

Even if the placement of X could affect anything about the second half of the base, we still would not know the color of S based on the ordering of the first three trucks. Don't forget that the rule regarding not have two consecutive arrivals that are red restricts only red trucks. Regarding the trucks arriving after Y, that rule only has effect if we are told in a local restriction that there is a red truck after Y. The only way we would know that truck S is green would be to find out that truck 5 or truck 7 is red. That is not the case globally, so that information would have to be provided in a local question (as we can infer from the local restriction in Question 9).

Please let me know if I can help further.

Ron

[robijan]

I am still confused as to why the first rule that no two consecutive arrivals are red doesn't apply to how S would be red cause after Y which is green, wouldn't it have to be RGR bc of the first rule?

[Robert Carroll]

robijan,

The first rule prevents two consecutive trucks from both being red, but it does not prevent consecutive trucks from being green. So we could have, after Y, GRG, for instance. Thus, S could itself be red. It's also possible it's green, as in your hypothetical (and that's not the only possible hypothetical where it's green). I think you may be misreading the first rule and thinking that it prevents consecutive trucks from having the same color, which isn't quite true - consecutive reds are a problem, but there is no limit on consecutive greens.

Robert Carroll