LSAT 143 – Section 1 – Question 15

LSAT 143 - Section 1 - Question 15

June 2015

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Question
QuickView		 Type Tags Answer
Choices		 Curve Question
Difficulty		 Psg/Game/S
Difficulty		 Explanation
PT143 S1 Q15
+LR
Strengthen +Streng
Causal Reasoning +CausR
A
7%
160
B
9%
164
C
54%
166
D
23%
160
E
7%
162
150
162
174
 +Hardest 148.401 +SubsectionMedium

Astronomer: In most cases in which a planet has been detected orbiting a distant star, the planet’s orbit is distinctly oval, whereas the orbits of Earth and several other planets around our sun are approximately circular. However, many comets orbiting our sun have been thrown into oval orbits by close encounters with planets orbiting our sun. So some of the planets in oval orbits around distant stars were probably thrown into those orbits by close encounters with other planets orbiting the same stars.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis
The author hypothesizes that some planets with oval orbits around distant stars were probably thrown into those orbits by encounters with other planets orbiting those same distant stars. This is because many comets orbiting our sun have been thrown into oval orbits by close encounters with planets orbiting our sun.

Notable Assumptions
The author asumes there is no other more likely explanation for the oval orbits of planets around distant stars other than close encounters with planets around those same stars. The author also assumes that the origin of the oval orbits of comets around our sun is relevant to the origin of the oval orbits around planets around distant stars. Another assumption is that at least some distant stars with planets that have oval orbits also have other planets that might get close to the planets with oval orbits.

A
When two planets or other large objects in orbit have a close encounter, usually the smaller of the two is the more greatly affected.
This has no impact, because we have no reason to think the planets with oval orbits are smaller than whatever other planets they may have had close encounters with.
B
There is no indication that the orbit of any planet orbiting our sun has been affected by a close encounter with another planet orbiting our sun.
This weakens the argument by suggesting that planetary orbits being affected by other planets might not be as likely as comets being thrown into oval orbits by planets.
C
In most cases in which planets have been discovered orbiting a distant star, more than one planet has been found orbiting the star.
This strengthens by helping to establish one of the assumptions: some distant stars have multiple planets orbiting them, which is required in order for the author’s theory about close encounters between planets orbiting the same star to work.
D
Most comets with an oval orbit around our sun were thrown into that orbit by a close encounter with some other object.
We already know that many comets orbiting our sun have been thrown into an oval orbit by other planets. We don’t need additional help establishing that comet orbits can be affected by planets. We need to show that this effect can happen to planetary orbits.
E
For each distant star that has been found to have a planet, no other object large enough to affect the planet’s orbit has been found orbiting the star.
This weakens the argument by undermining the plausibility of the theory that planets with oval orbits were thrown into those orbits by other planets orbiting the same star.

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LSAT PrepTest 143 Explanations

Section 1 - Logical Reasoning

Section 2 - Reading Comprehension

Section 3 - Logical Reasoning

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

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