Conditional Statement Math Example 2

Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.

Example 2

medium
Determine the truth value of: 'If 2>52 > 5, then 10>310 > 3.'

Solution

  1. 1
    Identify the hypothesis pp: '2>52 > 5' which is false.
  2. 2
    A conditional pโ‡’qp \Rightarrow q is false only when pp is true and qq is false.
  3. 3
    Since pp is false, the conditional is true regardless of qq. This is called vacuous truth.

Answer

Trueย (vacuously)\text{True (vacuously)}
A conditional statement with a false hypothesis is always true. This is a key principle in logic that often surprises students.

About Conditional Statement

A conditional Pโ†’QP \to Q is a statement meaning "if PP is true, then QQ must be true," read as "if PP then QQ."

Learn more about Conditional Statement โ†’

More Conditional Statement Examples