No we don't know that if we put mentors in coke there will be an explosion. We know it increased the pressure and integrity of the container of coke.

Hi Susan,

Let's see if we can come to the correct answer by taking the argument apart:

IF "pressure in a closed container builds to the point where the container is no longer strong enough to maintain its integrity",

THEN "the structure of the container will give way"

THIS WILL "result in an explosion."

We know that the Mentos caused the container to lose it's integrity. And we know that a loss of integrity results in an explosion. So we CAN conclude that an explosion occurred.

The premise requires the container to be closed. We are never told that the bottle of coke was closed, which would cause build up and then an explosion?

Oge, the last phrase says "you caused the pressure inside the container to become too great for the container to maintain its integrity." That is enough to conclude that the structure will give way, followed by an explosion.

The discrepancy I am referring to actually has to do, not with the original "if" "then" sequence, but with the scenario in question. Yes we are told that with mentos inside the coke bottle, pressure would build up, but we are not told that the bottle was closed, which would be the actual cause of a combustion. We do not have enough information to conclude that the pressure build- up resulted in a combustion. Concluding this would involve quite a bit of assumptions. We would have to assume that the coke bottle was closed, leaving no other choice but for the pressure in the bottle to overpower and cause an explosion. We would also have to assume that because pressure was building up in the coke bottle, this build up actually results in an explosion ( if there is pressure build up, then there will be an explosion)

Oge is correct...it explicitly says in the premise "when a closed container..." and never mentions that the coke bottle is close.

We are not answering under the condition that ALL containers would explode if enough pressure has built up in them such that they can no longer maintain their integrities; only CLOSED containers.

The statement when you put mentos in the bottle was not a fact more of a hypothetical statement. It was never determined if someone actually did further more the statement says mentos. How many mentors would cause a explosion? Two?three? More? It was never stated that enough mentos was put in there to cause an explosion. Also in this full hypothetical situation no no one every stated that the top was close or for how long. Would being left in there for one minute cause the explosion or ten minutes?