Q3 - Millions of homes are now

[ohthatpatrick]

Question Type:
Evaluate EXCEPT (least helpful evaluating)

Stimulus Breakdown:
Conclusion: Everyone should use low-wattage bulbs
Evidence: Even though the bulbs cost more than normal ones, the advantages to the homeowner are enormous.

Answer Anticipation:
What sort of counterargument might we make if we took the position of "NOT everyone should use low-wattage bulbs"? First of all, I'd like to hear specifically what advantages low-wattage bulbs have that are supposed outweigh their increased cost. Do they last longer? Are they more durable? Is the type of light they give off more pleasant/desirable? Do they make less noise/smell? Do they work in the same fixtures?

Correct Answer:
B

Answer Choice Analysis:
(A) Useful. I'm not familiar with the term "BURNING a bulb", but I think it just means "the overall usage of a bulb", from when you first turn it on until when it burns out.

(B) Not useful to the notion of whether all consumers should use low-watt bulbs. Who cares what profits the lighting industry will make. Is THAT how anyone would decide whether or not to buy a low-watt bulb? All companies expect to make a profit on their products, so that doesn't help us infer anything about product quality. If you suspected that the extra cost of the low-watt bulb was for profit, not extra quality, you'd want an answer that says "the profit margin on a low-wattage bulb vs. on a normal bulb".

(C) Useful. How MUCH more expensive per bulb are these low-watt bulbs. I, as a consumer, would like to know.

(D) Useful. Do people LIKE their low-watt bulbs?

(E) Useful. How often will I have to replace this bulb? If it's more expensive AND I need to replace it more often, that's really going to get costly.

Takeaway/Pattern: This question could have been interchangeably written as, "Which of these questions will NOT affect your decision, as you're mulling whether to buy a normal bulb or a low-watt bulb?"

#officialexplanation

[vik]

It seems to be that B is important to know - how much the companies stand to earn from the new bulbs. That may be why they are pushing it instead of the reason that the bulbs are good for consumers.

[ManhattanPrepLSAT1]

You're absolutely right, if those companies stood to make a lot of money, we should consider that before we just take the light bulb manufacturers word that it's a good idea to buy these low-wattage bulbs.

So notice that the question doesn't ask you to evaluate the conclusion, but rather the argument. What's the difference? In evaluating the conclusion, we assess whether it's something we can prove or not. In evaluating an argument, we ask whether the conclusion follows from the evidence given. Since the argument never relied on a claim from the light bulb manufacturers to support the conclusion, their motives are irrelevant.

So how do we avoid answer choice (B)? Focus on the argument core. Notice that the argument mentioned that light bulb manufacturers are eager to point out that there are still millions of homes to be converted, but never used this claim in the argument.

The Argument Core: while there is a short term financial burden associated with these bulbs, the advantages to the homeowner are enormous. Therefore everyone should buy these bulbs.

Well, it'd be useful to know just how sizable that benefit is! Answer choices (A), (C), and (E) each address the issue of cost and would help determine the true cost savings (if any) of the bulb over the long-run. Answer choice (D) gets to some other characteristic that would influence whether one should or should not buy a certain product - its effectiveness.

So we're left with answer choice (B)! This could not be used to evaluate the argument, because the argument never said that you should buy these bulbs because the light bulb manufacturers told you to. So whether their interests and your interests align is irrelevant.

Hope that helps!

[vincentiswaiting]

So how do we avoid answer choice (B)? Focus on the argument core. Notice that the argument mentioned that light bulb manufacturers are eager to point out that there are still millions of homes to be converted, but never used this claim in the argument.

Hi Matt,I think you want to say" but never used this claim in the argument CORE". The author certainly did use it in the argument.

[MH834]

Hi I was wondering how one should regard the opinion of people since opinions of experts are usually considered negligible in many questions. When are opinions valid in supporting an argument?

Thanks!