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Difficulty: MediumWeakening Arguments

A pharmaceutical company plans to transition from traditional synthetic batch processing to enzyme-catalyzed continuous-flow processing to manufacture its primary hypertension medication. In small-scale laboratory trials, continuous-flow processing achieved a 40 percent reduction in raw material waste and required significantly shorter reaction times per production run. Based on these findings, company management concluded that implementing continuous-flow processing on a commercial scale will substantially reduce the overall per-unit manufacturing cost of the medication. Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the management's conclusion?

  1. A
    Raw material suppliers recently lowered the purchase price of the precursor chemicals used in both traditional batch synthesis and continuous-flow processing.
  2. The specialized enzymes required for continuous-flow processing degrade rapidly under high-volume pressure in commercial reactors, necessitating frequent and costly replacement.Answer
  3. C
    Patients taking the hypertension medication manufactured via continuous-flow processing report fewer minor side effects than those taking medication from batch synthesis.
  4. D
    Traditional batch synthesis requires environmental disposal permits for chemical byproducts that are not required for continuous-flow processing.
  5. E
    Competing pharmaceutical manufacturers are currently attempting to develop alternative continuous-flow methods for different drug compounds.

Answer

The conclusion is most weakened by the finding that the specialized enzymes degrade rapidly under high-volume commercial pressure, requiring frequent and expensive replacements that offset raw material savings.
The correct answer demonstrates that scaling up the continuous-flow process introduces a substantial operational expense—frequent, costly enzyme replacement—that was not present or impactful during small-scale laboratory trials. This directly undermines management's assumption that laboratory savings will translate into overall per-unit cost reductions at the commercial level.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the premises and main conclusion of the argument.
Premises: Small-scale trials of continuous-flow processing reduced raw material waste by 40% and shortened reaction times. Conclusion: Full commercial implementation will significantly lower overall per-unit manufacturing costs.
Understanding the logic gap between small-scale lab success and commercial financial viability is key to finding the unstated assumption.
2
Identify the unstated assumption in the reasoning.
The argument assumes that the cost benefits observed in small-scale trials will not be negated by new, unexpected expenses that arise when scaling up to commercial production.
To weaken a plan-to-cost argument, look for a factor that introduces significant new costs unique to full-scale operations.
3
Evaluate the choices to find new information that breaks the central assumption.
The statement regarding rapid enzyme degradation under commercial pressure identifies a severe recurring cost unique to commercial scaling that directly neutralizes the efficiency gains.
This hidden operational drawback demonstrates that total per-unit manufacturing costs may actually rise rather than fall.

Key Concept

Weakening a Causal / Plan-to-Cost Argument via Unintended Scaling Costs
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Topics

Weakening Arguments

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