Q12 - Some accountants calculate

[WaltGrace1983]

One can perform more calculations in less time with a computer than with an adding machine

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One who uses a computer can earn more per hour than one who uses an adding machine

Alright so there is two different types of calculation methods: a computer and an adding machine. All we know is that the computer can do MORE calculations in an hour - we don't know how much more and it could be 1 and it could be 1,000. For argument's sake, let's say that the computer can do 100 calculations per hour and an adding machine can do 90 calculations per hour. But why does it entail that the computer accountant will earn more? The gap here is that we are assuming that MORE calculations = MORE pay. Maybe it is the case that accountants use adding machines only with the most tricky calculations and that requires more work? Who knows. However, this is the gap...more calculations does not have to equal more pay

(A) It doesn't matter if there is more people in one group than in another. There could be 1 computer accountant and 1,000 adding machine accountants. This doesn't change anything. We are talking about who earns more.

(B) Yea okay but this doesn't attack the gap. All this says is that if a computer accountant or an adding machine accountant worked for 100 hours, this would equal more money than if they spent 90 hours. That is fine but it doesn't get to where our gap is.

(D) This actually weakens the argument. If the adding machine accountant can charge a higher hourly rate, maybe it doesn't matter that he or she does less calculations?

(E) This answer choice is saying that there is nothing constant about how much they earn and number of calculations they make. However, it still doesn't attack the gap because our gap is about a dollar for dollar earning per calculation.

This leaves us with (C), the correct answer. If we assume (C) then there is NO POSSIBLE WAY that the conclusion cannot be reached with the premises provided.
The premises say Accountant Computer makes more calculations than Accountant Adding Machine.
The assumption says that more calculations = more money
The conclusion says Accountant Computer makes more money.

With the assumption intact, there is no way we can get any other conclusion.

[tommywallach]

Great post, Walt!