Critical Reasoning: Inference Questions

Water reaches its freezing point at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Below this level it is solid, whereas above it is liquid. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

The statements above, if true, best support which of the following as a conclusion?

Incorrect.

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We are told nothing of the effect of salt on water. New premises are not acceptable answers to inference questions. Remember, we are looking for a conclusion, not a premise.

Incorrect.

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Though boiling is indeed a form of evaporation, to conclude that water starts evaporating long before then is a leap. Remember, we are looking for a small step forward.

Incorrect.

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We are told nothing of liquids as energy sources. In GMAT logic, this is still too much of a leap. Remember: one small step is all you need.

Incorrect.

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We are told nothing of the relation between the temperature of water above 212 degrees Fahrenheit and the time it takes to evaporate. This answer choice takes too far a leap from what is given in the premises.

Aye aye, Sir!

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If water is solid below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (Premise B) and above that point it is liquid (Premise C), boats' captains must check that the temperature isn't below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or their boats will get stuck.

Adding salt to water lowers its freezing point.

Captains of boats, which can only sail in water when it is liquid, had better make sure that the temperature of the water they wish to sail in hasn't dropped below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, especially during the winter and in cold regions.

Though water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, it starts to evaporate long before it reaches such heat.

Since water is a liquid between 32 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit, within this range, with a safety range of 20 degrees Fahrenheit below boiling point, it can be used as an alternative energy force.

The higher the temperature of the water above 212 degrees Fahrenheit, the less time it will take to evaporate.