Water Reaches its Freezing Point at 32 Degrees Fahrenheit. Below This GMAT Critical Reasoning

Question: Water reaches its freezing point at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Below this level it is solid, whereas above it is liquid. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

The statements above, if true, best support which of the following as a conclusion?

1. Adding salt to water lowers its freezing point.
2. Captains of boats, which can only sail in water when it is liquid, had better make sure that the temperature of the water they wish to sail in hasn't dropped below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, especially during the winter and in cold regions.
3. Though water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, it starts to evaporate long before it reaches such heat.
4. Since water is a liquid between 32 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit, within this range, with a safety range of 20 degrees Fahrenheit below boiling point, it can be used as an alternative energy force.
5. The higher the temperature of the water above 212 degrees Fahrenheit, the less time it will take to evaporate.

“Water reaches its freezing point at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Below this”- is a GMAT critical reasoning topic. This GMAT Critical Reasoning topic has been taken from the book ‘The Official Guide for GMAT Review.’

This GMAT critical comes with five options and candidates need to choose the one which is correct. GMAT critical reasoning tests the logical and analytical skills of the candidates. To answer the question, a candidate can either find a piece of evidence that would weaken the argument or have logical flaws in the argument. Candidates get 65 minutes to answer 36 MCQ questions in the critical reasoning section of the GMAT.

Answer: B
Explanation: As stated, water reaches its freezing point at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Below this level it is solid, whereas above it is liquid. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. We are asked if the statement is true, which option supports the answer best. Let us take a look at the option choices.

Option A
Adding salt to water lowers its freezing point.- Incorrect. At 32 degrees Fahrenheit, water freezes. It is a liquid above 32 degrees and a solid below 32 degrees. At 212 degrees Fahrenheit, water boils. Nothing is said about adding salt to the water. Therefore, it cannot be inferred.

Option B
Captains of boats, which can only sail in water when it is liquid, had better make sure that the temperature of the water they wish to sail in hasn't dropped below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, especially during the winter and in cold regions.- Correct. The captains of boats must ensure that the temperature is not below 32 degrees Fahrenheit because below that threshold, water becomes solid and beyond that point, it becomes liquid. Otherwise, the boats would become stuck. If water must be in a liquid form, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that its temperature must not go below 32 degrees Fahrenheit

Option C
Though water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, it starts to evaporate long before it reaches such heat.- Incorrect. Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Below 32 degrees it is solid and above 32 degrees it is a liquid. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Though boiling is indeed a form of evaporation, to conclude that water starts evaporating long before then is a leap. But we can't infer anything about its evaporation

Option D
Since water is a liquid between 32 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit, within this range, with a safety range of 20 degrees Fahrenheit below boiling point, it can be used as an alternative energy force.- Incorrect. Nothing regarding liquids as energy sources is mentioned. Can not be inferred.

Option E
The higher the temperature of the water above 212 degrees Fahrenheit, the less time it will take to evaporate.- Incorrect. The relation between the temperature of water above 212 degrees Fahrenheit and the time it takes to evaporate is not mentioned. This answer choice takes too far a leap from what is given in the premises.

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