Q10

[kkate]

Can someone help me explain why the correct answer is C? I keep getting D.

10. If the Muirs live west of the Kahns, then the Rutans CANNOT live next to both
A: K and P
B: L and P
C: M and P
D: M and O
E: M and N

These are the inferences I came up with:
1. (N O) M K (R P) L
2. N/O R M K (P-L, O/N)

I used the first inference to eliminate C, chose D based on 2nd inference. I think I got the diagrams wrong.....?

[ohthatpatrick]

Sure thing! Sorry for the delay. (fyi, you don't need to copy the question / answer choices here ... if you're asking about a question from an official prep test, we'll look it up)

In this game we start with knowing that K is 4, and that M is 3 or 5.

When Q10 says M is west of K, then we know we have MK in 3-4.

_ _ M K _ _ _

We know we still need to fit P - L to the right of MK, so we would put a cloud over the last three spots.

_ _ M K ( P - L, _ )

At this point, who's left?

R, who can't be 1 or 7. (So R could still be 2, 5, or 6)
And N and O, who are floaters.

It doesn't really seem worth framing anything here, because we would probably create three frames for R's three possibilities, and then we'd always have interchangeable N/O and O/N in the remaining two spots.

You said you keep getting D, which means that R cannot live between M and O.

But the second hypothetical you game lets that happen:
2. N/O R M K (P-L, O/N)

We could have
O R M K P L N (for instance)

Here are some scenarios proving the other three wrong answers possible
(A) O N M K R P L
(B) O N M K P R L
(E) N R M K P L N

C is impossible because how can we get R in between M and P?

M is already next to K.
_ _ M K _ _ _

So if we wanted R in between M and P, we'd have to do it this way
P R M K _ _ _

And you know that P can't be first. It's over in a cloud to the right.

Does that make sense? It seems like you forgot you were looking for what CAN'T happen (but then you should have noticed that four of the answers actually COULD happen).

[kkate]

You said you keep getting D, which means that R cannot live between M and O.

But the second hypothetical you game lets that happen:
2. N/O R M K (P-L, O/N)

We could have
O R M K P L N (for instance)

Aaaaaah can't believe I missed this even after diagramming.... Thank you so much!