Question

If the first two statements are true, is the third statement true? A whale is a mammal. All mammals breathe oxygen. Whales breathe oxygen.

A) yes
B) no
C) uncertain

Answer 1

Based on the statements provided, it can be concluded that whales, as mammals, do breathe oxygen. This follows the fact that all mammals respire using oxygen and whales are classified as mammals, corroborated by their lung-based respiratory system.

Step-by-step explanation:

If the first two statements are true, whales breathe oxygen would be the correct conclusion based on the logical sequence presented. We can analyze the information as follows:

• Whales are mammals: This is a fact widely recognized in biology.
• All mammals breathe oxygen: Mammals are characterized by their respiratory system that requires oxygen to function.
• The final statement follows logically that since whales are mammals, they would share this characteristic and therefore, whales breathe oxygen.

Considering these points, statement three is indeed true. Whales, despite being aquatic mammals, have evolved from land-dwelling ancestors and posses lungs to breathe air.