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Stephanie on March 28, 2020

Help with question #11

I need further help with question #11, I do not seem to understand how to get the correct answer

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Skylar on March 29, 2020

@Stephanie, for some reason I cannot see the question you are posting about. If you could briefly specify the topic of the question and either the lesson or LSAT (year/section/question number) you are referring to, we would be more than happy to help!

Skylar on April 17, 2020

@Stephanie, I am able to see your question now and am happy to help!

Question #11 asks: "What is the maximum possible number of the soft drink names any one of which could be among the three most popular?" In other words, this question is asking for the number of different variables that could ever be assigned to one of the first 3 spots.

To determine this, we should look to the sequence chain we made during our set-up:
- From combining Rules 1, 2, and 3, we determined: J - O - K - M
- Rule 5 told us: L - P - N
- O
- We can combine these two chains to get: L - P - N
J - O - K - M
- Rule 4 allows us to conclude that M must be last.
- Note that it may be difficult to see in typed form like this, but P comes before both N and O in the chain. However, J only comes before O in the chain.

So, which variables could place in one of the first 3 spots? Any variable that does not have to have 3 or more variables preceding it would be correct.
- This eliminates M (which we know is last), K (which must be preceded by L, P, J, and O), and O (which must be preceded by L, P, and J).
- On the other hand, L and J do not have any variables that must precede them. P must only be preceded by one variable (L), and N must only be preceded by two variables (L and P).

The scenarios in questions #7 and #9 confirm that L, J, and P could all place somewhere in spots 1 through 3. We could also have a top three of LPN.

Therefore, L, J, P, and N could all be among the three most popular drinks. So there is a total of four different variables that would ever be able to occupy one of the first 3 spots and the correct answer is (B).

Does that make sense? Please let us know if you have any other questions!