Critical Reasoning

Electronic computer chips made of tiny silicon wafers now regularly contain millions
of electronic switches. Unfortunately, electronic switches that are this small cannot
withstand intense radiation. Micro-Mechanics plans to produce a chip that, because
it uses only microscopic mechanical switches, will be invulnerable to radiation
damage. The switches will, however, be slower than electronic switches and the
chip will contain only 12,000 switches.

For there to be a market for Micro-Mechanics' chip as a result of the apparent
advantage described above, each of the following would have to be true EXCEPT:

A. There will be applications in which the speed attainable by an electronic
switch is not essential.

B. Switches used on electronic chips that contain only 12,000 switches are more
vulnerable to radiation damage than the switches on Micro-Mechanics' chip
will be.

C. There will be applications for computer chips in environments where the chips
may have to survive intense radiation.

D. Some devices in which computer chips will be used will have other
components that will be able to function during or after exposure to radiation
.
E. Manufacturers are able to protect electronic computer chips against exposure
to intense radiation, where this protection is necessary.

gmatmachoman wrote:Electronic computer chips made of tiny silicon wafers now regularly contain millions
of electronic switches. Unfortunately, electronic switches that are this small cannot
withstand intense radiation. Micro-Mechanics plans to produce a chip that, because
it uses only microscopic mechanical switches, will be invulnerable to radiation
damage. The switches will, however, be slower than electronic switches and the
chip will contain only 12,000 switches.

For there to be a market for Micro-Mechanics' chip as a result of the apparent
advantage described above, each of the following would have to be true EXCEPT:

A. There will be applications in which the speed attainable by an electronic
switch is not essential.

B. Switches used on electronic chips that contain only 12,000 switches are more
vulnerable to radiation damage than the switches on Micro-Mechanics' chip
will be.

C. There will be applications for computer chips in environments where the chips
may have to survive intense radiation.

D. Some devices in which computer chips will be used will have other
components that will be able to function during or after exposure to radiation
.
E. Manufacturers are able to protect electronic computer chips against exposure
to intense radiation, where this protection is necessary.

My pick is (E)

A. There will be applications in which the speed attainable by an electronic
switch is not essential.
incorrect: Micro-Mechanics' chip can be used here since they give adv of protection against radiation

B. Switches used on electronic chips that contain only 12,000 switches are more
vulnerable to radiation damage than the switches on Micro-Mechanics' chip
will be.
incorrect: supports usage of Micro-Mechanics' chip

C. There will be applications for computer chips in environments where the chips
may have to survive intense radiation.
incorrect: supports usage of Micro-Mechanics' chip


D. Some devices in which computer chips will be used will have other
components that will be able to function during or after exposure to radiation
incorrect: this shows that the device has some components which will work despite being exposed to radiation. Presence of Micro-Mechanics' chip will boost the device functioning when exposed to radiation


E. Manufacturers are able to protect electronic computer chips against exposure
to intense radiation, where this protection is necessary.
correct: if chips can be protected against radiation then there is no need for Micro-Mechanics' chip

Komal & Oureach..

Wat happened to u?? Take one more chance!!

gmatmachoman wrote:Komal & Oureach..

Wat happened to u?? Take one more chance!!

Brother......I cannot see a reason why E would be wrong

After eliminating all the choices....I reached to D and E

But D in fact would support the "Micro-Mechanics" chip market as the other components used have to be invulnerable to radiation.

This leaves out with E as the only option..

Let us know the OA and the detailed explanation for the same. Thanks!

I'll also go with E, couldn't find out why any other option will work?

Please share the OA?

'gmatmachoman' post regarding second chance has increased the tension.......

E...can somebody explain how this cannot be?..

[email protected] wrote:E...can somebody explain how this cannot be?..

I just check this question in one of the Ron's post .....yes the OA is indeed E.

Below are the comments from Ron(for those who don't know- he is an expert tutor)

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"they're being somewhat nice to you here.

usually, when you have an "except" problem like this one, you'll have 4 answers that work, and 1 that is irrelevant (usually for some subtle reason).

here, though, you have 4 answers that work, and 1 that accomplishes exactly the opposite of what you're supposed to accomplish.

--

you're looking for the one choice that is NOT IN FAVOR OF THE NEW CHIPS. this would be (e).
if (e) is true, then the primary DISADVANTAGE of the OTHER chips - the ones that are faster and have more switches - is REMOVED. this is extremely detrimental to the new chips."

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Thank you Ron!

Looking at it now, E makes sense

I got stumped by choice B.
The stimulus talks of two chips:
Chip 1:
"contain millions of electronic switches"
"cannot withstand intense radiation"
Chip 2:
MicroMechanics chip
uses only microscopic mechanical switches
"chip will contain only 12,000 switches"
"invulnerable to radiation damage"
"switches will, however, be slower than electronic switches"

Choice B states: Switches used on electronic chips that contain only 12,000 switches are more vulnerable to radiation damage than the switches on Micro-Mechanics' chip will be

It seems that a third chip, also with 12,000 switches, is being compared to the MicroMechanics chip.
Am I right?
For the MicroMechanics chip to have a market does it also have to perform better than this third chip or just being better that the fist chip (Chip 1 in stimulus) is sufficient?

TheGraduate wrote:I got stumped by choice B.
The stimulus talks of two chips:
Chip 1:
"contain millions of electronic switches"
"cannot withstand intense radiation"
Chip 2:
MicroMechanics chip
uses only microscopic mechanical switches
"chip will contain only 12,000 switches"
"invulnerable to radiation damage"
"switches will, however, be slower than electronic switches"

Choice B states: Switches used on electronic chips that contain only 12,000 switches are more vulnerable to radiation damage than the switches on Micro-Mechanics' chip will be

It seems that a third chip, also with 12,000 switches, is being compared to the MicroMechanics chip.
Am I right?
For the MicroMechanics chip to have a market does it also have to perform better than this third chip or just being better that the fist chip (Chip 1 in stimulus) is sufficient?

If there electronic chips that weren't vulnerable to radiation, well, suddenly, the mechanical chip loses it's only competitive advantage. Suddenly the choice would be between a slow mechanical chip that's resistant to radiation and a faster electronic chip that's also resistant to radiation. In such a scenario, no thinking consumer would opt for the first chip. So it must be true, if this mechanical chip is to have any chance to thrive, that the faster electronic chips don't offer the same benefit of protection against radiation.

Hi David,

Thanks a lot for your explanation. I got the point. However, I just want to confirm that choice B talks of a third chip (i.e. besides the two talked of in the stimulus).

TheGraduate wrote:Hi David,

Thanks a lot for your explanation. I got the point. However, I just want to confirm that choice B talks of a third chip (i.e. besides the two talked of in the stimulus).

The first sentence of the prompt suggests that there are variety of chips with electronic switches. (If they regularly contain millions of switches, it stands to reason there are some that don't contain millions of switches.)

But yeah, you can think of the logic as: there is a mechanical chip that has advantages when compared to a conventional electronic chip, but those advantages disappear when compared to this other electronic chip.