Biologist: We know the following things about plant X. Specimens with

Question

Biologist: We know the following things about plant X. Specimens with fuzzy seeds always have long stems but never have white flowers. Specimens with curled leaves always have white flowers, and specimens with thorny seedpods always have curled leaves. A specimen of plant X in my garden has a long stem and curled leaves.

From the biologist’s statements, which one of the following can be properly inferred about the specimen of plant X in the biologist’s garden?

(A) It has white flowers and thorny seedpods
(B) It has white flowers but lacks thorny seedpods
(C) It has white flowers but lacks fuzzy seeds
(D) It has fuzzy seeds and thorny seedpods
(E) It lacks both white flowers and fuzzy seeds

KarishmaB · Accepted Answer

Relations given:

Fuzzy seeds ---> long stem
Fuzzy seeds -/-> white flowers
Curled leaves ---> white flowers
Thorny seedpods ---> Curled leaves ---> white flowers (from above)

Note that these all are single direction relations. So long stem does not imply fuzzy seeds. Only fuzzy seeds imply long stem is present.

Specimen has long stem and curled leaves. Long stem doesn't imply anything because it is not at the left side in any relation. 
Curled leaves implies white flowers. So the specimen has white flowers. 
But note this relation: Fuzzy seeds -/-> white flowers

Fuzzy seeds implies that white flowers cannot be there. If white flowers are there, it means there must be no fuzzy seeds. Had there been fuzzy seeds, white flowers would not have been there.

So we get that the specimen has white flowers but lacks fuzzy seeds.

Answer (C)

Arro44 · Answer

This is one of the only question types in CR that makes me write down information.

Once you have the information structured, it turns out the specimen of plant X will have white flowers but no fuzzy seeds as these attributes do not go together.

Regards,
Chris

ParthSanghavi · Answer

VeritasKarishma  &  daagh

Thoughts on this?

rish2708 · Answer

Awesome question. Did this w/o pen and paper but took a bit time to structure it.
Logic is to check what no fuzzy seeds plants' characteristic will be?

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Mohitstarc · Answer

Can somebody help me if it lacks fuzzy seeds then how X has long stems?
In my opinion D is right

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manishcmu · Answer

According to the given information - FS -> LS ...(1),
 FS->  WF ...(2),
 CL -> WF...(3), 
 TS-> CL...(4)
This implies - WF ->  FS  ...(5) (from (2) )) 
 and CL ->  FS  ..(6) (from 3 and 5)

From 6 and 3 , we get choice C

I highly doubt that this type of question will come up in GMAT. This is a very LSATy thing.

Diwakar003 · Answer

Hey  Mohitstarc

The given condition says that, if the plant has fuzzy seeds, it will always have long stems.
Fuzzy seeds -> Long stems.
This doesn't mean all plants with long stems will have Fuzzy seeds. I.e, the vice versa NEED NOT be true.

Consider a similar example below.
If I have tea, I'll always have biscuits along with tea.
Tea -> Biscuits.
We can infer from the above statement that if I had tea, I definitely had biscuits along with tea. We CANNOT infer that if I had biscuits, I had tea.

Hope it's clear!

Cheers!

sssanskaar · Answer

An absolutely brilliant/tricky yet such a simple question!

Use pen and paper and solve using Logic gates. Option C it is!

Trick: "A always will contain B". That does not mean that if B is there, A has to be there. C can also contain B.

Crytiocanalyst · Answer

The key to solving the question is getting the must and might relations correct

(A) It has white flowers and thorny seedpods
It does not address the long stem it has hence out

(B) It has white flowers but lacks thorny seedpods
It should have thorny seed pots since it has curled leaves and fuzzy seeds cannot have both long stem and white flowers

(C) It has white flowers but lacks fuzzy seeds
Exactly since white flowered doesn't have fuzzy seeds since both cannot happen simultaneously

(D) It has fuzzy seeds and thorny seedpods
Both cannot happen simultaneously

(E) It lacks both white flowers and fuzzy seeds
This also cannot happen
Hence IMO C

unraveled · Answer

Biologist: We know the following things about plant X. Specimens with fuzzy seeds always have long stems but never have white flowers. Specimens with curled leaves always have white flowers, and specimens with thorny seedpods always have curled leaves. A specimen of plant X in my garden has a long stem and curled leaves.

From the biologist’s statements, which one of the following can be properly inferred about the specimen of plant X in the biologist’s garden?

(A) It has white flowers and  thorny seedpods  - WRONG. It is enticing as it tests the logic A ----> B but it does not mean B --/--> A.
(B) It has white flowers but  lacks thorny seedpods  - WRONG. May be it lacks thorny seedpods, may be not.
(C) It has white flowers but  lacks fuzzy seeds  - CORRECT. 
(D) It  has fuzzy seeds  and thorny seedpods - WRONG. Again may be or may be not. 
(E) It  lacks both white flowers  and fuzzy seeds - WRONG. Easiest to eliminate.

Answer C.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Biologist: We know the following things about plant X. Specimens with

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