Statements: (1) Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. (2) Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius. Conclusion: At low pressure, water boils at a lower temperature. How should this conclusion be classified on the basis of the given statements?

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: Either probably true or probably false

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This verification of truth question asks you to classify a conclusion in relation to two given scientific statements. The statements describe the boiling and freezing points of water at normal atmospheric pressure. The conclusion introduces an additional condition, namely low pressure, and claims that under low pressure water boils at a lower temperature. The task is to decide whether this conclusion is true, false, probably true or false, or irrelevant on the basis of the given information.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Statement 1: Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
  • Statement 2: Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius.
  • Conclusion: At low pressure, water boils at a lower temperature.
  • The statements do not explicitly mention pressure; they refer to standard boiling and freezing points.
  • We must judge the conclusion in relation to the statements, not simply from outside scientific knowledge.


Concept / Approach:
Verification of truth questions often test whether a conclusion can be definitely accepted or rejected on the basis of the given statements. If the statements provide full support, the conclusion is true. If they clearly contradict it, it is false. If the statements are related but do not supply enough information, the conclusion may be classified as probably true or probably false, or as either probably true or probably false when complete certainty is impossible. If the conclusion is completely disconnected from the statements, it is irrelevant.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Interpret Statement 1 as describing the normal boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure, which is 100 degrees Celsius. Step 2: Interpret Statement 2 as describing the normal freezing point of water at 0 degrees Celsius. Step 3: Observe that neither statement mentions what happens to the boiling point when pressure changes. Step 4: The conclusion introduces a new condition, low pressure, and claims that water boils at a lower temperature under this condition. Step 5: From the two given statements alone, we cannot derive any rule relating pressure and boiling temperature. They do not confirm or deny the conclusion. Step 6: The conclusion is related to the same subject (water and its boiling behaviour), so it is not irrelevant, but it is not logically forced by the given statements either. Step 7: Without extra information, the conclusion could be true or could be false from the point of view of the given data, so it falls into the category of either probably true or probably false.


Verification / Alternative check:
From real world science, we know that water indeed boils at a lower temperature when the pressure is reduced. However, the purpose of this reasoning question is not to test physics knowledge directly but to see whether the conclusion follows from the two specific statements provided. Since those statements give only the boiling and freezing points at a particular unspecified but typical pressure, they do not address what happens when pressure changes. Therefore, on the basis of the statements alone, the conclusion remains uncertain. It is clearly connected in topic to the statements, so irrelevant is not appropriate, and it is not definitively true or false from the narrow information given.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Classifying the conclusion as True would incorrectly assume extra scientific knowledge beyond the two statements, which the problem does not authorise. Calling it False would also go beyond the information and contradict actual science. Labeling it Irrelevant is incorrect because the conclusion is about the boiling behaviour of water, which is directly related to the first statement.


Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to answer purely from school science knowledge and immediately mark the conclusion as true. Another error is to think that anything not clearly supported must be false. Verification of truth questions require careful attention to the exact wording of the statements and to whether they are sufficient to settle the conclusion. When the given information is related but incomplete, it is safer to classify the conclusion as either probably true or probably false, indicating that it cannot be definitively judged from the statements alone.


Final Answer:
The conclusion is either probably true or probably false on the basis of the given statements.

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion