LSAT 156 – Section 2 – Question 19

LSAT 156 - Section 2 - Question 19

July 2020

You need a full course to see this video. Enroll now and get started in less than a minute.

Target time: 1:09

This is question data from the 7Sage LSAT Scorer. You can score your LSATs, track your results, and analyze your performance with pretty charts and vital statistics - all with a Free Account ← sign up in less than 10 seconds

Question QuickView	Type	Tags	Answer Choices	Curve	Question Difficulty	Psg/Game/S Difficulty	Explanation
PT156 S2 Q19	+LR	Weaken +Weak	A 4% 144 B 80% 159 C 2% 145 D 10% 150 E 4% 147	135 144 152	+Medium	145.275 +SubsectionEasier

Geologist: As a spinning object’s radius decreases, its rate of rotation increases; for example, figure skaters can twirl faster by bringing their arms closer to their sides. This law of physics helps to explain why, over the past decade, Earth’s rate of rotation increased. For earthquakes have increased in number and severity during the past decade; and since immediately after an earthquake Earth’s tectonic plates move toward the center of the earth, their movement causes Earth’s radius to decrease.

Summarize Argument: Phenomenon-Hypothesis

A Geologist believes that Earth’s rate of rotation increased over the past decade due to a law of physics: as a spinning object’s radius decreases, its rate of rotation increases. The Geologist claims that the increase in the number and severity of earthquakes have caused the Earth’s tectonic plates to move toward the center of the Earth, causing the radius to decrease and the speed to subsequently increase.

Notable Assumptions

The author assumes that the movement of tectonic plates toward the center of the Earth outweighs any other factors that could cause the Earth’s radius to increase.

In the beginning of the twentieth century, geologists observed an increase in number and severity of earthquakes, accompanied by a decrease of Earth’s radius.

This supports the argument by bolstering the idea that earthquakes are causing the Earth’s radius to decrease.

During the past decade, other geological events have counteracted the movements of the tectonic plates that occur immediately after earthquakes.

This undermines one of the geologists' key assumptions: that another force did not counteract the decrease in the Earth’s radius from earthquakes. If this is true, the entire support of the argument is weakened, and its conclusion is called into question.

Only skillful figure skaters succeed in twirling faster by bringing their arms closer to their sides.

This is completely unrelated to the argument. The info about the skater is just context to explain how the law of physics works.

Since the time of the ancient Egyptians, Earth’s rate of rotation has been known to fluctuate.

If anything, this strengthens the argument by giving credence to the idea that the Earth’s rate of rotation changes. But it certainly gives nothing to weaken the argument.

Increased volcanic activity over the last ten years suggests that the overall movement of the tectonic plates has increased.

This does not say whether the tectonic plates are moving inward or outward. If anything, it is easiest to assume that the tectonic plates are moving inward, which would strengthen the argument, not weaken it.

LSAT 156 – Section 2 – Question 19

LSAT 156 - Section 2 - Question 19

You need a full course to see this video. Enroll now and get started in less than a minute.

Take PrepTest

Review Results

LSAT PrepTest 156 Explanations

Section 1 - Reading Comprehension

Section 2 - Logical Reasoning

Section 3 - Reading Comprehension

Section 4 - Logical Reasoning

Leave a Reply Cancel