Critical Reasoning

Certain instruments used in veterinary surgery can be made either of stainless steel or of nylon. In a study of such instruments, 10 complete sterilizations of a set of nylon instruments required 3.4 times the amount of energy used to manufacture that set of instruments, whereas 50 complete sterilizations of a set of stainless steel instruments required 2.1 times the amount of energy required to manufacture that set of instruments.
If the statements above are true, each of the following could be true EXCEPT:
(A) The 50 complete sterilizations of nylon instruments used more energy than did the 50 complete sterilizations of the stainless steel instruments.
(B) More energy was required for each complete sterilization of the nylon instruments than was required to manufacture the nylon instruments.
(C) More nylon instruments than stainless steel instruments were sterilized in the study.
(D) More energy was used to produce the stainless steel instruments than was used to produce the nylon instruments.
(E) The total cost of 50 complete sterilizations of the stainless steel instruments was greater than the cost of manufacturing the stainless steel instruments.

jamesk486 wrote:Certain instruments used in veterinary surgery can be made either of stainless steel or of nylon. In a study of such instruments, 10 complete sterilizations of a set of nylon instruments required 3.4 times the amount of energy used to manufacture that set of instruments, whereas 50 complete sterilizations of a set of stainless steel instruments required 2.1 times the amount of energy required to manufacture that set of instruments.
If the statements above are true, each of the following could be true EXCEPT:
(A) The 50 complete sterilizations of nylon instruments used more energy than did the 50 complete sterilizations of the stainless steel instruments.
(B) More energy was required for each complete sterilization of the nylon instruments than was required to manufacture the nylon instruments.
(C) More nylon instruments than stainless steel instruments were sterilized in the study.
(D) More energy was used to produce the stainless steel instruments than was used to produce the nylon instruments.
(E) The total cost of 50 complete sterilizations of the stainless steel instruments was greater than the cost of manufacturing the stainless steel instruments.

This looks more like a quants question

My vote for B.

We know 10 iterations took 3.4 times the energy for
nylon equipment. So, each iteration takes .34 times the energy and
hence B cannot be true.

I think C cannot be inferred from the statement

Cybermusings wrote:I think C cannot be inferred from the statement

You are correct that C cannot be inferred from the statement, but be careful in reading the instructions. You are not asked whether it can be inferred or not. You are asked if it could be true or not. C <i>could</i> certainly be true. Only B <i>cannot</i> be true.

Yup.....thanks for pointing out the error!

C is the answer

Jayhawk I would have agreed with in case "energy" here could be treated as a unit but since questions says "times the amount of energy used to manufacture that set of instruments," So i think C is quite evident from the question straigtway ..
What you say?

rocky wrote:Jayhawk I would have agreed with in case "energy" here could be treated as a unit but since questions says "times the amount of energy used to manufacture that set of instruments," So i think C is quite evident from the question straigtway ..
What you say?

I don't think C can be inferred. Take 100 nylon instruments and 2 steel
instruments as an example. All we know is the amount of energy spent
in sterlization relative to the energy spent in manufacturing.

Still sticking with B

Can someone please help on this one?

Thanks.

I'm re-opening an old question, which calls itself 'Prep' based
From the stem I can see only B as the valid 'opposite answer' which is part of stem.

Dear Experts,
Have you seen before.. this kind of format of providing options? (I mean C, D) are not in scope but are against the stem.

Is this pattern part of GMAT ever before???