Setup and Rule Diagrams

[Administrator]

Setup and Rule Diagram Explanation

This is a Basic Linear: Balanced, Identify the Possibilities game.

This game can be confusing if not approached correctly. However, if you take the right approach, this game is quite easy. The critical question is how to handle the cleanings: should they be a separate variable, such as C? Should they be their own row, making this an Advanced Linear game? The answer, interestingly enough, is neither. Making the cleanings a separate variable set greatly increases the difficulty of this game. Instead, treat them as non-variables, and simply note when the materials change. This allows you to approach the game in a Basic Linear alignment. Here is how that diagram appears, with the second rule diagrammed on the setup:

powerscore_M12_T3_J2010_LG_explanations_game_3_diagram_1.png

While we will not treat the cleanings as a separate variable set, they are incredibly important to this game, and quite restrictive. Because the cargo bed cannot be cleaned more than three times, this means that you cannot have MS or SM appear more than three times. Let us consider how that affects the order of the loads.

• 1. If there is exactly one cleaning
  
  If there is only one cleaning, the materials must be in continuous blocks; that is, each type of material must be hauled consecutively, with a single cleaning in between each group of materials. This would normally present two possibilities, but because the second rule stipulates that the fifth load is M, there is only one solution when there is one cleaning:
  
  powerscore_M12_T3_J2010_LG_explanations_game_3_diagram_2.png
  The single cleaning occurs between the fourth and fifth loads.
  
  The templates are numbered on the left for easy reference.
  
  2. If there are exactly two cleanings
  
  If there are exactly two cleanings, the following two possibilities can occur:
  
  powerscore_M12_T3_J2010_LG_explanations_game_3_diagram_3.png
  3. If there are exactly three cleanings
  
  If there are exactly three cleanings, the following four possibilities can occur:
  
  powerscore_M12_T3_J2010_LG_explanations_game_3_diagram_4.png

Thus, there are only seven solutions to the game, and having those seven solutions makes the game easy. But, as always, it is a matter of getting to that setup before the game becomes easy.

[cojokeefe]

Hi,

I am really confused in the Logic Games section: Game 3; Ques. #13-17. I think the lack of rules has really thrown me off and I was wondering if anyone could provide a game setup? Also, question #13 I really do not understand why E is correct. I thought the correct answer was D.

Thanks!
Courtney

[Adam Tyson]

Hi Courtney,

This game causes a lot of confusion, I think, due mainly to test takers treating it as an advanced linear game, with the cleanings as a separate variable set. Instead, treat the cleanings as a limitation on the repetition of variables in the set of S(tone) and M(ulch). What the rule really means is that you cannot have SM or MS appear more than 3 times.

This might lead you to try diagramming the possibilities due to the limited number of solutions. That might look like this:

Variable set: MMMSSSS (7)

Solutions:

SSSSMMM (one cleaning)

SSSMMMS (two cleanings)

SSMMMSS (two cleanings)

MSSSMMS (three cleanings)

MSSMMSS (three cleanings)

SSSMMSM (three cleanings)

MMSSMSS (three cleanings)

You can see how other solutions won't work - SMMSMSS, for example, requires 4 cleanings. You have to keep at least two M's together, and when you split off the third one it has to be at one end or the other.

Looking at q13, if the 3rd and 6th were M, and the 5th always is, it looks like this: SSMSMMS. Look at how many times we have either an SM or an MS (that is, how often do we see a change from one variable to the other variable) - 4 cleanings.

Hope that helps, and good luck on the test!

Adam

[cojokeefe]

Hey Adam,

Thanks so much for you help! The game does make much more sense now!

Courtney

[AylixW]

Hi,

When I took this practice test, this was a game I had to skip over because I had no idea how to set it up. After looking at it for a while after the test, I don't understand how to answer the questions because of the very few constraints. Could someone please explain how to set up this scenario and explain what limits mulch or stone to be in a certain position.

Thanks!!

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi,

If you are a student in a full-length LSAT course with us, you can download the explanation to this game by going to the Online Student Center/Practice Tests/Test Three Logic Games Explanations.

The trick is to identify the 7 solutions to the game. The cleanings rule is extremely restrictive, allowing you to clean the cargo bed at most three times. So you basically have three possibilities for the number of cleanings allowed:

1. There is exactly one cleaning

In this case, you only "switch" from S to M (or M to S) once. So there is only one possible order of Stone/Mulch: SSSSMMM, because the 5th load is M.

2. There are exactly two cleanings

In this case, the order can only be SSMMMSS or SSSMMMS)

3. There are exactly three cleanings

You now have 4 possible solutions

Once you get to the set-up of 7 solutions, the game becomes easy.

I hope this helps you with the set-up.

Thanks!

[Jon Denning]

Just to add a quick bit to Nikki's explanation, with M always locked in 5th, the cleaning numbers really restrict the possibilities. He's given you the orders for 1 or 2 cleanings, and mentioned that 3 cleanings has four orders, but I figured I'd list them out just to be safe:

1. MSSMMSS
2. MSSSMMS
3. MMSSMSS
4. SSSMMSM

And that's it. With those 7 solutions the game becomes really easy. Hope that helps!

[AylixW]

Thanks so much! The game is so easy and quick once the set up is done!

[masadatech]

I did not get #14 and #17.

Thank you so much for posting this up. After reviewing two web forum, I found this just "clicked" with me.

14. I put B and couldn't understand why the answer is D.

I do now.

Thank you.

[Jon Denning]

Hey masadatech,

That's great news! Glad you're finding the Forum a helpful resource! Keep up the hard work