ReasoningAges 16-18

Deductive & contrapositive logic

Evaluate conditional statements, contrapositives and valid deductive inferences. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.

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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 16-18

Deductive & contrapositive logic

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. To disprove “For every integer n, n² > n”, which value of n serves as a valid counterexample: “1” or “3”?
“1” · “3” · Deductive & contrapositive…
2. In a biconditional statement “P if and only if Q”, when is the statement True: when P and Q have the same truth value, or when P and Q have opposite truth values?
“P if and only if Q” · Deductive & contrapositive…
3. Given “If a triangle is equilateral, all its interior angles are 60°” and “Triangle T has an angle of 90°”, can T be equilateral (Yes / No)?
60° · 90° · Deductive & contrapositive…
4. Given “If the solution turns blue litmus red, it is acidic” and “The litmus did NOT turn red”, is the solution acidic (Yes / No)?
Given “If the solution tur… · Deductive & contrapositive…
5. Is “Having four sides” a necessary condition or a sufficient condition for a polygon to be a square?
“Having four sides” · Deductive & contrapositive…
6. Given “If A → B” and “If B → C”, what follows if A is true: “C is true” or “C is false”?
“If A → B” · “If B → C” · Deductive & contrapositive…
7. If “P ∧ Q” (P and Q) is True, what must be the truth value of P: True or False?
“P ∧ Q” · Deductive & contrapositive…
8. Is “Being a multiple of 4” a sufficient condition or only a necessary condition for “Being an even number”?
4 · Deductive & contrapositive…
9. Does “If a metal is iron, it is magnetic” logically imply “If a metal is magnetic, it must be iron” (Yes / No)?
Does “If a metal is iron, … · Deductive & contrapositive…
10. What is the contrapositive of “If it rains, the pitch is wet”: “If the pitch is not wet, it did not rain” or “If the pitch is wet, it rained”?
What is the contrapositive… · Deductive & contrapositive…
11. By De Morgan’s laws, the negation of “Both X and Y are true” is: “At least one of X or Y is false” or “Both X and Y are false”?
By De Morgan’s laws, the n… · Deductive & contrapositive…
12. Given “If a figure is a square, then it has four equal sides” and “Figure X does NOT have four equal sides”, can X be a square (Yes / No)?
Given “If a figure is a sq… · Deductive & contrapositive…

12 questions · Seed 104741 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

View the answer key

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 16-18

Deductive & contrapositive logic

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. To disprove “For every integer n, n² > n”, which value of n serves as a valid counterexample: “1” or “3”?
1
For n = 1, 1² = 1, which is not greater than 1 (n = 0 also works).
2. In a biconditional statement “P if and only if Q”, when is the statement True: when P and Q have the same truth value, or when P and Q have opposite truth values?
When P and Q have the same truth value
P ↔ Q is true when both P and Q are true, or when both P and Q are false.
3. Given “If a triangle is equilateral, all its interior angles are 60°” and “Triangle T has an angle of 90°”, can T be equilateral (Yes / No)?
No
By Modus Tollens, since not all angles of T are 60°, T cannot be equilateral.
4. Given “If the solution turns blue litmus red, it is acidic” and “The litmus did NOT turn red”, is the solution acidic (Yes / No)?
No
By Modus Tollens, since the consequent is false, the antecedent must be false.
5. Is “Having four sides” a necessary condition or a sufficient condition for a polygon to be a square?
Necessary
A square must have four sides (necessary), but a rectangle or rhombus also has four sides (so it is not sufficient).
6. Given “If A → B” and “If B → C”, what follows if A is true: “C is true” or “C is false”?
C is true
By hypothetical syllogism (transitivity of implication), A → B and B → C together imply A → C.
7. If “P ∧ Q” (P and Q) is True, what must be the truth value of P: True or False?
True
A conjunction P ∧ Q is true only when both P is true and Q is true.
8. Is “Being a multiple of 4” a sufficient condition or only a necessary condition for “Being an even number”?
Sufficient
Every multiple of 4 is guaranteed to be even (sufficient), though an even number like 6 need not be a multiple of 4.
9. Does “If a metal is iron, it is magnetic” logically imply “If a metal is magnetic, it must be iron” (Yes / No)?
No
Assuming the converse is a fallacy; nickel and cobalt are also magnetic metals.
10. What is the contrapositive of “If it rains, the pitch is wet”: “If the pitch is not wet, it did not rain” or “If the pitch is wet, it rained”?
If the pitch is not wet, it did not rain
The contrapositive of “If P then Q” is “If not Q then not P”, which is logically equivalent.
11. By De Morgan’s laws, the negation of “Both X and Y are true” is: “At least one of X or Y is false” or “Both X and Y are false”?
At least one of X or Y is false
¬(X ∧ Y) is logically equivalent to (¬X ∨ ¬Y): at least one is false.
12. Given “If a figure is a square, then it has four equal sides” and “Figure X does NOT have four equal sides”, can X be a square (Yes / No)?
No
By Modus Tollens (if P then Q; not Q; therefore not P), X cannot be a square.

12 questions · Seed 104741 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 16-18

Deductive & contrapositive logic

Take your time. Show your thinking.

1. To disprove “For every integer n, n² > n”, which value of n serves as a valid counterexample: “1” or “3”?
“1” · “3” · Deductive & contrapositive…
2. In a biconditional statement “P if and only if Q”, when is the statement True: when P and Q have the same truth value, or when P and Q have opposite truth values?
“P if and only if Q” · Deductive & contrapositive…
3. Given “If a triangle is equilateral, all its interior angles are 60°” and “Triangle T has an angle of 90°”, can T be equilateral (Yes / No)?
60° · 90° · Deductive & contrapositive…
4. Given “If the solution turns blue litmus red, it is acidic” and “The litmus did NOT turn red”, is the solution acidic (Yes / No)?
Given “If the solution tur… · Deductive & contrapositive…
5. Is “Having four sides” a necessary condition or a sufficient condition for a polygon to be a square?
“Having four sides” · Deductive & contrapositive…
6. Given “If A → B” and “If B → C”, what follows if A is true: “C is true” or “C is false”?
“If A → B” · “If B → C” · Deductive & contrapositive…
7. If “P ∧ Q” (P and Q) is True, what must be the truth value of P: True or False?
“P ∧ Q” · Deductive & contrapositive…
8. Is “Being a multiple of 4” a sufficient condition or only a necessary condition for “Being an even number”?
4 · Deductive & contrapositive…
9. Does “If a metal is iron, it is magnetic” logically imply “If a metal is magnetic, it must be iron” (Yes / No)?
Does “If a metal is iron, … · Deductive & contrapositive…
10. What is the contrapositive of “If it rains, the pitch is wet”: “If the pitch is not wet, it did not rain” or “If the pitch is wet, it rained”?
What is the contrapositive… · Deductive & contrapositive…
11. By De Morgan’s laws, the negation of “Both X and Y are true” is: “At least one of X or Y is false” or “Both X and Y are false”?
By De Morgan’s laws, the n… · Deductive & contrapositive…
12. Given “If a figure is a square, then it has four equal sides” and “Figure X does NOT have four equal sides”, can X be a square (Yes / No)?
Given “If a figure is a sq… · Deductive & contrapositive…

12 questions · Seed 104741 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification

Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 16-18

Deductive & contrapositive logic

Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.

1. To disprove “For every integer n, n² > n”, which value of n serves as a valid counterexample: “1” or “3”?
1
For n = 1, 1² = 1, which is not greater than 1 (n = 0 also works).
2. In a biconditional statement “P if and only if Q”, when is the statement True: when P and Q have the same truth value, or when P and Q have opposite truth values?
When P and Q have the same truth value
P ↔ Q is true when both P and Q are true, or when both P and Q are false.
3. Given “If a triangle is equilateral, all its interior angles are 60°” and “Triangle T has an angle of 90°”, can T be equilateral (Yes / No)?
No
By Modus Tollens, since not all angles of T are 60°, T cannot be equilateral.
4. Given “If the solution turns blue litmus red, it is acidic” and “The litmus did NOT turn red”, is the solution acidic (Yes / No)?
No
By Modus Tollens, since the consequent is false, the antecedent must be false.
5. Is “Having four sides” a necessary condition or a sufficient condition for a polygon to be a square?
Necessary
A square must have four sides (necessary), but a rectangle or rhombus also has four sides (so it is not sufficient).
6. Given “If A → B” and “If B → C”, what follows if A is true: “C is true” or “C is false”?
C is true
By hypothetical syllogism (transitivity of implication), A → B and B → C together imply A → C.
7. If “P ∧ Q” (P and Q) is True, what must be the truth value of P: True or False?
True
A conjunction P ∧ Q is true only when both P is true and Q is true.
8. Is “Being a multiple of 4” a sufficient condition or only a necessary condition for “Being an even number”?
Sufficient
Every multiple of 4 is guaranteed to be even (sufficient), though an even number like 6 need not be a multiple of 4.
9. Does “If a metal is iron, it is magnetic” logically imply “If a metal is magnetic, it must be iron” (Yes / No)?
No
Assuming the converse is a fallacy; nickel and cobalt are also magnetic metals.
10. What is the contrapositive of “If it rains, the pitch is wet”: “If the pitch is not wet, it did not rain” or “If the pitch is wet, it rained”?
If the pitch is not wet, it did not rain
The contrapositive of “If P then Q” is “If not Q then not P”, which is logically equivalent.
11. By De Morgan’s laws, the negation of “Both X and Y are true” is: “At least one of X or Y is false” or “Both X and Y are false”?
At least one of X or Y is false
¬(X ∧ Y) is logically equivalent to (¬X ∨ ¬Y): at least one is false.
12. Given “If a figure is a square, then it has four equal sides” and “Figure X does NOT have four equal sides”, can X be a square (Yes / No)?
No
By Modus Tollens (if P then Q; not Q; therefore not P), X cannot be a square.

12 questions · Seed 104741 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification