A teacher presents a rule: ‘Water boils at 100°C at sea level.’ She asks…
2026
A teacher presents a rule: ‘Water boils at 100°C at sea level.’ She asks students to predict whether water will boil at 100°C in a classroom located at sea level. Which reasoning approach is involved?
Answer: C. Deductive reasoning to test a rule in context — ConceptDeductive reasoning moves from a general rule to a conclusion about a particular case when that case satisfies the rule’s conditions. Inductive…
- A.
Inductive reasoning from class experiments
- B.
Emotional reasoning to share experiences
- C.
Deductive reasoning to test a rule in context
- D.
Intuitive reasoning based on feelings
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept
Deductive reasoning moves from a general rule to a conclusion about a particular case when that case satisfies the rule’s conditions. Inductive reasoning moves in the opposite direction: it uses particular observations to form a broader rule.
Application
The stated rule applies to water at sea level. The classroom is also at sea level, so the case satisfies the condition in the rule. Applying the general rule to this particular case is deductive reasoning.
Contrast
Inductive reasoning from class experiments would begin with several observed boiling events and then infer a general rule.
Emotional reasoning to share experiences would organize the judgment around feelings or personal reactions rather than a general premise.
Intuitive reasoning based on feelings would rely on an immediate impression rather than an explicit premise-to-conclusion step.
Cross-check
The logical form is: if a case is at sea level, the stated boiling-point rule applies; this classroom is at sea level; therefore the rule is applied to this classroom. This confirms deductive reasoning.
Therefore, the reasoning approach is deductive reasoning to test a rule in context.