Math Problem Statement

Consider the conditional statement: "If Sandra voted in the last presidential election, then Sandra is at least 18 years old." Use this information to fill in the blanks in the statements below.

Solution

Let's analyze the statements and match each one to a form of the conditional statement provided. Here's the original conditional statement:

"If Sandra voted in the last presidential election, then Sandra is at least 18 years old."

This statement follows the "If pp, then qq" format, where:

  • pp: "Sandra voted in the last presidential election."
  • qq: "Sandra is at least 18 years old."

In conditional logic, we often refer to different forms of the statement:

  1. Contrapositive: "If not qq, then not pp."

    • Here, this would be: "If Sandra is not at least 18 years old, then Sandra did not vote in the last presidential election."
  2. Converse: "If qq, then pp."

    • Here, this would be: "If Sandra is at least 18 years old, then Sandra voted in the last presidential election."
  3. Inverse: "If not pp, then not qq."

    • Here, this would be: "If Sandra did not vote in the last presidential election, then Sandra is not at least 18 years old."

Now, let's apply this to each of the statements in the exercise:

  1. Statement 1: "If Sandra is not at least 18 years old, then Sandra did not vote in the last presidential election."

    • This matches the Contrapositive.
  2. Statement 2: "If Sandra is at least 18 years old, then Sandra voted in the last presidential election."

    • This matches the Converse.
  3. Statement 3: "If Sandra did not vote in the last presidential election, then Sandra is not at least 18 years old."

    • This matches the Inverse.

Answers

  1. Contrapositive
  2. Converse
  3. Inverse

Would you like further explanation on conditional statements or have any other questions?

Here are 5 related questions that expand on this information:

  1. What is the truth value of a contrapositive if the original conditional statement is true?
  2. How does the truth value of a converse compare to the original conditional statement?
  3. What is the importance of understanding the inverse in logical reasoning?
  4. How can understanding these logical forms help in mathematical proofs?
  5. Can you provide an example of a real-life scenario where contrapositive reasoning is useful?

Tip: The contrapositive of a true conditional statement is always true, while the converse and inverse are not necessarily true.