PrepTest 133

Incorrect. As long as the VersaTool also includes some tools that are very frequently used, the argument could still be valid, so this answer doesn't highlight the flaw. That said, it's a great trap answer, as it addresses the flawed concept, just in a way that doesn't highlight the specific flaw present here.

Incorrect. Difficulty is out of scope—a difficult-to-use tool might be frequently or infrequently used, depending on when it's needed.

Incorrect. The argument doesn't care about cost, just effect, so this answer is out of scope. If the Ad went one step further to state that the VersaTool is therefore the best deal, cost would be relevant.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed

Question Type:
Errors in Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
The VersaTool has more functions than any other tool, so you'll need to use other tools less often with the VersaTool than any other tool.

Answer Anticipation:
The conclusion of this argument is that the VersaTool will allow you to use other tools less than any other multi-tool. What's this based on? The number of tools/functions that the VersaTool has—more than any other tool out there.

Does the number of tools determine how frequently something can be used compared to other tools? Not at all—what matters is not the number of tools, but how frequently they're used.

For example, imagine a multi-tool with only three tools—hammer, screwdriver, knife. That would probably replace the vast majority of "tool time" that a normal individual has. If the VersaTool has a large number of more obscure tools, then it might be used much less frequently than this three-tool multi-tool we've concocted (patent pending).

In jumping from one metric (number of tools) to another (frequency of use), this argument commits a flaw.

Answer Explanation:
This answer highlights that the argument considers the number of functions the VersaTool can perform rather than the frequency those functions are needed. If another multi-tool with some tools that are more frequently needed, it might require you to use tools less often than the VersaTool would.

Key Takeaway:
Whenever an argument uses one metric as a proxy for another, the argument is equivocating between those terms. Here, the argument treated the number of tools as measuring the frequency that a multi-tool could be used, so the correct answer was bound to point out the difference between those two metrics.

Incorrect. If the VersaTool can't perform functions as well as single-function tools, but it still does a good enough job, then people very well might use it out of convenience or cost, so this answer doesn't highlight a flaw.