Newtape

Question

The only purpose for which a particular type of tape is needed is to hold certain surgical wounds closed for ten days—the maximum time such wounds need tape. Newtape is a new brand of this type of tape. Newtape’s salespeople claim that Newtape will improve healing because Newtape adheres twice as long as the currently used tape does.
Which of the following statements, if true, would most seriously call into question the claim made by Newtape’s salespeople?
(A) Most surgical wounds take about ten days to heal.
(B) Most surgical tape is purchased by hospitals and clinics rather than by individual surgeons.
(C) The currently used tape’s adhesiveness is more than sufficient to hold wounds closed for ten days.
(D) Neither Newtape nor the currently used tape adheres well to skin that has not been cleaned.
(E) Newtape’s adhesion to skin that has been coated with a special chemical preparation is only half as good as the currently used tape’s adhesion to such coated skin.

OA C . Why is A and E wrong ?

mandarchougule · Answer

A is wrong, because it repeats the point mentioned in the stimulus. Infact stimulus states that the purpose of using particular type of tape is to hold the surgical wound closed for 10 days, which is maximum time needed. However A says most...
E talks about skin coated with special chemical preparation. Hence it is too specific to be weaken the argument. The sales person can always say that such applications are less than 5 % of total applications and hence his claim is valid.

GMATGuruNY · Answer

jainrahul1985 wrote:The only purpose for which a particular type of tape is needed is to hold certain surgical wounds closed for ten days—the maximum time such wounds need tape. Newtape is a new brand of this type of tape. Newtape’s salespeople claim that Newtape will improve healing because Newtape adheres twice as long as the currently used tape does.
Which of the following statements, if true, would most seriously call into question the claim made by Newtape’s salespeople?
(A) Most surgical wounds take about ten days to heal.
(B) Most surgical tape is purchased by hospitals and clinics rather than by individual surgeons.
(C) The currently used tape’s adhesiveness is more than sufficient to hold wounds closed for ten days.
(D) Neither Newtape nor the currently used tape adheres well to skin that has not been cleaned.
(E) Newtape’s adhesion to skin that has been coated with a special chemical preparation is only half as good as the currently used tape’s adhesion to such coated skin.

OA C . Why is A and E wrong ?

Premise: Newtape adheres TWICE AS LONG as the current tape.
Conclusion: Newtape will IMPROVE healing.

The correct answer must BREAK THE LINK between adhering for TWICE AS LONG and IMPROVING HEALING.

Answer choice C: The currently used tape’s adhesiveness is more than sufficient to hold wounds closed for ten days.
According to the passage, TEN DAYS is the MAXIMUM time that a wound needs tape. Since the current tape is more than sufficient to hold wounds for TEN DAYS, the claim that adhering for TWICE AS LONG will improve healing is invalidated.

The correct answer is C.

Reasons to eliminate A and E:

A) Most surgical wounds take about ten days to heal. Beyond the scope. The passage is only about CERTAIN surgical wounds. Also, it is given as a PREMISE that ten days is the maximum time that such wounds need tape. The correct answer choice must weaken the CONCLUSION that Newtape will IMPROVE THE HEALING of these wounds.

(E) Newtape’s adhesion to skin that has been coated with a special chemical preparation is only half as good as the currently used tape’s adhesion to such coated skin. This answer choice refutes the PREMISE that Newtape ADHERES FOR TWICE AS LONG as the currently used tape. Any answer choice that refutes a premise can be eliminated. The correct answer must refute the CONCLUSION that adhering for twice as long will IMPROVE HEALING.

Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Sun Dec 25, 2011 6:01 am, edited 1 time in total.

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ranjeet75 · Answer

Good question but confusing.

As per the expert reply, A is out only because of repetition but it is a valid point because if the wound takes only ten days to heal then what is the point to cover it for 20 days

[quote]This answer choice offers no new information. The passage already states that ten days is the maximum time that a wound needs tape. [/quote]

C is right.

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