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Difficulty: MediumSufficient Assumption

Match each incomplete logical argument with the missing bridge premise that, if assumed, logically guarantees the truth of its conclusion.

  • Glaciology Argument:
    Premise: Every polar ice core segment exhibiting elevated methanesulfonic acid concentration was deposited during an epoch of expanded sea ice cover.
    Conclusion: Therefore, Core Sample V-9V\text{-}9 was deposited during a period of sustained marine phytoplankton proliferation.    Core Sample V-9V\text{-}9 exhibits elevated methanesulfonic acid concentration, and any polar ice core segment deposited during an epoch of expanded sea ice cover was deposited during a period of sustained marine phytoplankton proliferation.
  • Admiralty Jurisprudence Argument:
    Premise: No maritime vessel seized outside territorial waters is subject to domestic prize court jurisdiction unless the seizing state maintained an active naval blockade at the time of interdiction.
    Conclusion: Therefore, the merchant vessel Aurelia is not subject to domestic prize court jurisdiction.    The merchant vessel Aurelia was seized outside territorial waters, and the seizing state did not maintain an active naval blockade at the time of interdiction.
  • Mantle Petrology Argument:
    Premise: Any mantle xenolith containing coesite inclusions underwent ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism exceeding three gigapascals.
    Conclusion: Therefore, Rock Specimen X-42X\text{-}42 originated at a subduction depth greater than ninety kilometers.    Rock Specimen X-42X\text{-}42 contains coesite inclusions, and all mantle xenoliths that undergo ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism exceeding three gigapascals originate at a subduction depth greater than ninety kilometers.

Answer

Glaciology Argument pairs with the premise supplying Core Sample V-9V\text{-}9's elevated methanesulfonic acid concentration and linking expanded sea ice cover to phytoplankton proliferation; Admiralty Jurisprudence Argument pairs with the premise establishing that the merchant vessel Aurelia was seized outside territorial waters without an active blockade; Mantle Petrology Argument pairs with the premise establishing Rock Specimen X-42X\text{-}42's coesite content and linking pressures over three gigapascals to depths over ninety kilometers.
Each matched premise provides the exact missing factual instantiation and conditional link needed to form an unbroken deductive syllogism (Premise + Assumption ⇒\Rightarrow Conclusion).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Isolate the inferential gap in the glaciology argument
Identified that Core Sample V-9V\text{-}9 must possess the initial condition (elevated methanesulfonic acid) and that expanded sea ice must guarantee phytoplankton proliferation.
Sufficient assumptions must close all conditional leaps from premises to conclusion.
2
Isolate the inferential gap in the admiralty jurisprudence argument
Recognized the conditional rule: jurisdiction requires territorial waters OR an active naval blockade; the contrapositive requires outside waters AND no active blockade to reach no jurisdiction.
The conclusion claims non-jurisdiction, which requires satisfying both negated necessary conditions.
3
Isolate the inferential gap in the mantle petrology argument
Linked the initial premise condition (coesite inclusions) to the intermediate stage (>3 GPa>3\text{ GPa}) and bridged that to the conclusion (>90 km>90\text{ km}).
A complete deductive chain requires instantiation of the subject and a universal conditional bridge from intermediate to final property.

Key Concept

Sufficient Assumption deductive bridge completion
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Sufficient Assumption

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