Okay so here we have a Strengthen with Sufficient Premise question. A sufficient premise is sufficient for a conclusion if and only if the existence of the premise guarantees or brings about the existence of the conclusion. Therefore, we need to find the premise that 100% guarantees the conclusion. The way you want to attack these answer choices is two-pronged. Ask yourself whether it strengthens the argument. If it doesn't, cross it out and continue to the next answer choice. If it does strengthen, however, then ask yourself whether or not the premise guarantees the conclusion.
The conclusion of this argument is: "If the alchemists of the seventeenth century had published the results of their experiments, chemistry in the eighteenth century would have been more advanced than it actually was."
Why? We know that other than conducting research on motion and gravity, Sir Isaac Newton also conducted experiments secretly for many years based on the old theories of alchemy.
There's still a huge gap here. We have been given no information on what would have further advanced chemistry in the eighteenth century.
Answer choice (B) states: "Advances in science are hastened when reports of experiments, whether successful or not, are available for review by other scientists."
Does this strengthen the argument? Yes. If advances in science are hastened when reports of the experiments, regardless of their success, are available for review by other scientists, then chemistry would have been more advanced in the eighteenth century.
Does this answer choice guarantee the conclusion? Yes.
If the reports of experiments are available for review (regardless of success), then advances in science are hastened.
PR: REAR ==> ASH not ASH ==> not REAR
Therefore, if the alchemists of the seventeenth century had published the results of their experiments, i.e. "REAR", then--according to the principle rule in answer choice (B)--it is guaranteed that chemistry in the eighteenth century would have been more advanced than it actually was, i.e. "ASH."
Thus, answer choice (B) allows the conclusion concerning eighteenth-century chemistry to be properly drawn.
Hope that was helpful! Please let us know if you have any other questions.
