QuestionCheyenne told her little brother, Joseph, that horses, cats, and dogs are all mammals.
As a result, Joseph made the following conjecture:
All animals with four legs are mammals.
Use a counterexample to show Joseph that his conjecture is not valid.
Studdy Solution
STEP 1
What is this asking? We need to find an animal with four legs that *isn't* a mammal to show Joseph he's wrong. Watch out! Make sure your counterexample *actually* has four legs and *definitely* isn't a mammal!
STEP 2
1. Understand Mammals
2. Find a Counterexample
STEP 3
So, Joseph thinks *all* four-legged creatures are mammals.
But what *is* a mammal, anyway?
Mammals are warm-blooded, have fur or hair, and the mothers feed their babies milk.
Horses, cats, and dogs fit this description, but are *all* four-legged animals mammals?
Hmm, let's see...
STEP 4
Let's think about some other four-legged animals.
What about a **lizard**?
Lizards have scales, not fur, and they lay eggs.
They certainly aren't mammals!
STEP 5
Another example could be a **crocodile**.
They're cold-blooded, have scales, and lay eggs.
Definitely not mammals!
STEP 6
And how about a **tortoise**?
They have a shell, lay eggs, and are cold-blooded.
Not a mammal either!
STEP 7
We only need *one* counterexample to show Joseph his conjecture isn't true.
Any of these will do!
STEP 8
A **lizard**, a **crocodile**, or a **tortoise** are all excellent counterexamples.
They all have four legs, but none of them are mammals!
Joseph's theory is *busted*!
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