Which one of the true statements should come first?
If 4x=12, then 2x=6.
Practice makes perfect
The Law of Syllogism allows us to combine two conditional statements into one. For this to work, however, the conclusion of the first conditional statement must be the same as the hypothesis of the second conditional statement.
First Conditional:& If p, then q.
Second Conditional:& If q, then r.
From there, we are able to form a final conditional statement with the original hypothesis and the final conclusion.
Final Conditional: If p, then r.
For this exercise we notice that the conclusion of the second given conditional x=3 matches the hypothesis of the first conditional. This must be the link we use to combine the two conditionals.
p:& 4x=12
q:& x=3
r:& 2x=6
Thus, we are ready to form our final conditional statement. Remember, we leave out the linking statement x=3.
