Question at position 34 Jerome can lift, at most, 150 pounds over his head. That storage box must weigh at least 300 pounds. Therefore, Jerome will never be able to lift that storage box over his head. This argument is a deductive argument by definitiona deductive hypothetical syllogism argumenta deductive argument based on Mathematicsa deductive argument by elimination单项选择题
A
a deductive argument by definition
B
a deductive hypothetical syllogism argument
C
a deductive argument based on Mathematics
D
a deductive argument by elimination

Question

Question at position 34 Jerome can lift, at most, 150 pounds over his head. That storage box must weigh at least 300 pounds. Therefore, Jerome will never be able to lift that storage box over his head. This argument is a deductive argument by definitiona deductive hypothetical syllogism argumenta deductive argument based on Mathematicsa deductive argument by elimination单项选择题

A

a deductive argument by definition

B

a deductive hypothetical syllogism argument

C

a deductive argument based on Mathematics

D

a deductive argument by elimination

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Because Jerome's maximum overhead lift is 150 pounds and the box must weigh at least 300 pounds, simple arithmetic comparisons determine the conclusion.

1. Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Deductive argument: premises guarantee the conclusion if valid.  
- Types named in the options:
  - By definition: conclusion follows from meanings of terms (e.g., "All bachelors are unmarried").  
  - Hypothetical syllogism: chain of conditionals (If A → B, If B → C, therefore If A → C).  
  - Based on Mathematics: uses numerical facts or arithmetic relations to deduce a conclusion.  
  - By elimination: uses disjunction and negation to rule out alternatives (A or B; not A; therefore B).

2. Complete reasoning process step by step
- Premise 1: Jerome can lift, at most, 150 pounds over his head. (Interpret as Jerome’s maximum capacity J = 150 lb.)
- Premise 2: The storage box must weigh at least 300 pounds. (Interpret as box weight B ≥ 300 lb.)
- From these premises we compare capacities: if B ≥ 300 and J = 150, then B > J.

3. Calculations and intermediate steps
- Numerical comparison: 300 > 150.
- Difference: B − J ≥ 300 − 150 = 150 pounds. So the box exceeds Jerome’s capacity by at least 150 lb.

4. Why the correct answer is correct
- The argument relies directly on numerical facts and an inequality to deduce impossibility. Because the premises give concrete numbers and the arithmetic comparison shows the box weight strictly exceeds Jerome’s lift capacity, the conclusion (Jerome will never be able to lift the box over his head) follows with certainty. This is characteristic of a deductive argument based on Mathematics.

5. Why the other options are incorrect
- By definition: no definitional equivalence or lexical meaning drives the conclusion.  
- Hypothetical syllogism: there are no conditional “if…then” chains in the premises.  
- By elimination: there is no disjunctive choice being eliminated (no “either/or” structure).

6. Conclusion
The argument is a deductive argument based on Mathematics, which matches the provided answer: a deductive argument based on Mathematics.