Under normal conditions, a single AA NiCd battery will power

OE seems to be wrong to to me.
A does not weaken the conclusion. Can anyone please tell the source of this question

C should have been the answer. I couldn't understand the reasoning behind A as the OA.

Stat A : states that chemicals affect smoke detectors and not batteries. So crossed
Stat B : This statement only adds to the stated facts and does not weaken the argument. So crossed
Stat C : This statement states that the batteries are preferred to be replaced on a rotating schedule rather than as a batch. So here there is a possibility that each battery is actually replaced after 60 days and since it is a rotating schedule the replacement between two batteries could be 45 days. So selected.
Stat D: Half of the administrators supported the proposal while half could have rejected the proposal. So crossed.
Stat E : Completely irrelevant. So crossed

The chemicals used in certain medical treatments can affect the operation of a smoke detector -
If it effect the operation of smoke detector it will disturb the operation whether it has new battery, 45 days old battery or 60 days or more.Than this will not help in decreasing environmental damage and illogical or logical time limit of replacement of battery because batteries in good shape or bad shape can be their in smoke detector- DESTROY THE ARGUMENT AND CONCLUSION.

B is not right because - it is mention in the argument that battery removed before 45 days is illogical and might damage the environment. option b. states the life of battery is more than 60 days - so lets assume if hospital will remove the batteries on 6Oth day than also they may or may not face the same consequences which they would have faced on removing on 45th day.
So option B doesn't necessarily most weaken the argument ( 45- 60 = 15 DAYS VARIANCE AND 60 DAYS - SOME MORE DAYS THAN 60 DAYS = SOME VARIANCE SO BATTER MAY OR MAY NOT WORK )

Hi Experts / chetan2u / @mikecmcgarry / daagh,

I can't understand how could the answer be A. Infact I did not find any option which can actually weaken the argument.

Argument debrief-
A battery can power a smoke detector for 60 days but hospitals replace these batteries in 45 days.
Conclusion- The current replacement schedule could safely be extended to 60 days thereby decreasing the number of environment-damaging batteries requiring disposal.

To weaken the argument we need to find an option from which we can prove that if the hospitals replace the batteries in 60 days it will damage environment more.
But, none options seems correct

Can you please correct what wrong in my reasoning.
Thanks

Hi Prakhar,

My take on the problem, correct if you find some flaw.

Under normal conditions the battery powers the smoke detectors for 60 days.

Conclusion:The current replacement schedule could safely be extended to 60 days thereby decreasing the number of environment-damaging batteries requiring disposal.

To weaken the argument we need to prethink of a situation wherein the 60 days has to be reduced to 45 as per the regulations thus increasing the number of environment-damaging batteries requiring disposal.

Now say there is some Abnormal condition, something with the smoke detectors which increase its power consumption.

A. The chemicals used in certain medical treatments can affect the operation of a smoke detector- What if there is some treatment which affects the detectors operation and thus increases power consumption.

Under normal conditions, a single AA NiCd battery will power a smoke detector for a minimum of 60 days. The current county regulation requiring all hospitals to replace the AA NiCd batteries in their smoke detectors every 45 days is both illogical and unduly harms the environment. The current replacement schedule could safely be extended to 60 days thereby decreasing the number of environment-damaging batteries requiring disposal.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the above conclusion ?

Conclusion : The current replacement schedule could safely be extended to 60 days, leading to decrease in the number of environment-damaging batteries requiring disposal.

Assumption : smoke detectors are fault free and it can be operational for 60 days with AA NiCd batteries.

Falsification Condition : any instance that cites a factor that there is gonna be problem with smoke detectors will be a weakener.

A. The chemicals used in certain medical treatments can affect the operation of a smoke detector - correct
B.Smoke detectors can normally operate on a single AA NiCd battery for longer than 60 days. - assumption
C.The county's hospital administrations would prefer to replace smoke detector batteries on a rotating schedule rather than in a single batch.- no impact.
D.The results of a recent poll indicate that over half of the county's hospital administrators supported a change to the current replacement schedule.- strengthen
E.Most homeowners replace their smoke detector batteries only four times per year.--OFS

Conclusion : The current replacement schedule could safely be extended to 60 days.
Premise : a single battery can light up a detector for 60 days under normal conditions.
Premise : Hospitals do replacement for every 45 days.

Assumption : The hospitals provide normal conditions for the battery to work for 60 days.

option A says - The hospital conditions will affect the working of detector. This destroys the assumption.

Answer is A.

Under normal conditions, a single AA NiCd battery will power a smoke detector for a minimum of 60 days. The current county regulation requiring all hospitals to replace the AA NiCd batteries in their smoke detectors every 45 days is both illogical and unduly harms the environment. The current replacement schedule could safely be extended to 60 days thereby decreasing the number of environment-damaging batteries requiring disposal.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the above conclusion ?

A. The chemicals used in certain medical treatments can affect the operation of a smoke detector
B.Smoke detectors can normally operate on a single AA NiCd battery for longer than 60 days.
C.The county's hospital administrations would prefer to replace smoke detector batteries on a rotating schedule rather than in a single batch.
D.The results of a recent poll indicate that over half of the county's hospital administrators supported a change to the current replacement schedule.
E.Most homeowners replace their smoke detector batteries only four times per year

Answer : option A
can anyone explain how does option A weakens the argument ?

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the above conclusion ?

A. The chemicals used in certain medical treatments can affect the operation of a smoke detector. (this is the OA, as the chemicals affect the operation of the detector, which could lead to the battery getting depleted faster.)

B.Smoke detectors can normally operate on a single AA NiCd battery for longer than 60 days. (Rejected, as this has already been stated in the argument)

C.The county's hospital administrations would prefer to replace smoke detector batteries on a rotating schedule rather than in a single batch. (I rejected this statement as this does not have any impact.)

D.The results of a recent poll indicate that over half of the county's hospital administrators supported a change to the current replacement schedule. (Strengthens)

E.Most homeowners replace their smoke detector batteries only four times per year. (Irrelevant, we are talking about hospitals and not homes.)

The OA is A.