Hi everyone, I think I've cracked the code for understanding the difference between sufficient vs. necessary conditions. Ever since I've made sense of it, though, I've felt that every explanation video or workbook has just been making it more difficult for me to understand, so I wanted to provide my explanation in hopes that it helps other make sense of it too! . Necessary = condition(s) required for something to occur example: Plants need sunlight to grow. However, if a plant gets sunlight, does it GUARANTEE that the plant will grow? No. --> Therefore, sunlight is a NECESSARY condition for plant growth, but it's not SUFFICIENT (enough). . Sufficient = condition(s) that GUARANTEE something to occur example: If a plant is fed magic plant food, it will 100% guaranteed grow. However, if a plant DOESN'T receive magic plant food, is it guaranteed to never grow? No. WHY? = because they can still grow in the natural, boring way (sunlight, good soil, CO2, etc.) --> Therefore, magic plant food is a SUFFICIENT condition for plant growth, but it's not NECESSARY . . Let's take the example from a real question 7Sage gave us (PT123.S3.Q22) . "If the price it pays for coffee beans continues to increase, the Coffee Shoppe will have to increase its prices. In that case, either the Coffee Shoppe will begin selling noncoffee products or its coffee sales will decrease. But selling noncoffee products will decrease the Coffee Shoppe's overall profitability. Moreover, the Coffee Shoppe can avoid a decrease in overall profitability only if its coffee sales do not decrease." . The stimulus states: Shoppe sells noncoffee (A) or coffee sales decrease (B) --> decrease in overall profitability (C) . So we know A and B are GUARANTEED conditions that will cause C, but is A or B the ONLY way you can get to C? No. (A and B are magic plant food, but magic plant food isn’t the only way you can get to C.) . —> Therefore, this answer choice is wrong: “If the Coffee Shoppe's overall profitability decreases (C) , either it will have begun selling noncoffee products (A) or its coffee sales will have decreased (B).” . Because if C occurs, it doesn’t mean it was DEFINITELY CAUSED by A or B (or even that A/B had to have occurred at any point). (In other words, if you see a grown plant, it doesn’t automatically mean it was given magic plant food.) . Hope that makes sense!
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I'm not sure the magic plant food is sufficient though. You still probably need water, sunlight, and for your cat not to come along and dig it up. The magic plant food is a strengthener, but sufficient assumption is pretty tough.