October 2012 LSAT
Section 2
Question 13
If aisle 1 contains Hobbies only, which one of the following could be true?
Replies
shunhe on January 9, 2020
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shunhe on January 9, 2020
In the meanwhile, let me offer you a written setup of this game, and a written explanation for this question. We have 6 potential players: FHMPRS. We have 3 aisles to put them in, and each aisle has at least one of them.__ __ __
1 2 3
Now, what are a few things we know? We know that R is with F or S. We know that F must be in a lower aisle than M or P. This entails the following:
____ ____ ____
1 2 3
~M ~F
~P
We also know S has to be less than P.
____ ____ ____
1 2 3
~M ~F
~P ~S
And finally, we know S can't be lower than H. That doesn't preclude the possibility of S and H being in the same aisle. But since S can't be in the third aisle, that means H can't be in the third slot either.
____ ____ ____
1 2 3
~M ~F
~P ~S
~H
We also have
M
/
F - P
/
S
And that's our general set up for the game. Now, for this question in particular, we're told that H and only H is in slot one. Since we know only H is in slot 1, that means F and S have to be in slot 2.
F
H S
____ ____ ____
1 2 3
~M ~F
~P ~S
And since we know that M and P have to come after F, we know M and P are in the last slot.
F P
H S M
____ ____ ____
1 2 3
And we know that H is in aisle 1 by itself, and either way R has to be with F or M, so R has to be in columns 2 or 3. This is what (D) tells us, and so (D) can be true. The other answer choices, if you compare them with what we've deduced so far, all must be false. Hope this helps!