Jennifer considered the numbers 4, 24, 44, and 64 and
noticed that they all ended in 4 and that they can be
divided evenly by 4, leaving no remainder. She concluded
that all numbers that end in 4 can be divided
evenly by 4. What type of reasoning did Jennifer use? Is
her conclusion correct? Explain your answer.
Didn't Jennifer go from the specific to the general? What is that called?
example: Most of the men on Death Row are black. Therefore, black men are likely to be murderers.
Is 14 divisible by 4? Is 34?
Bobpursley...What?
Jennifer used inductive reasoning to come up with her conclusion. Inductive reasoning involves making generalizations based on observed patterns or examples. In this case, Jennifer observed that all the numbers she considered (4, 24, 44, and 64) ended in 4 and could be divided evenly by 4 without any remainder. From this limited set of examples, she generalized that all numbers ending in 4 can be divided evenly by 4.
However, it is important to note that Jennifer's conclusion is not necessarily correct. While her observation holds true for the specific numbers she considered, it does not provide sufficient evidence to guarantee that all numbers ending in 4 are divisible by 4. To reach a more valid and reliable conclusion, Jennifer would need to test her hypothesis with a larger and more diverse set of numbers or provide a logical proof that explains why numbers ending in 4 will always be divisible by 4.