Question

What is wrong with the following statement? Twenty years ago an ancient artifact was determined to be 1900 years old. It must now be 1920 years old. [Section 1.5]

Short answer

There is nothing wrong with the statement. The artifact was determined to be 1900 years old twenty years ago, and with the passage of twenty years, it is now indeed 1920 years old.

Step-by-step solution

Identify the initial age of the artifact

Twenty years ago, the ancient artifact was determined to be 1900 years old. This means during that time, the artifact was 1900 years old.

Calculate the current age of the artifact

As our reference point is set twenty years ago, we need to add 20 years to the artifact's age to find its current age. This can be represented as: \(1900 + 20 = 1920\). The artifact would now be 1920 years old, according to the given statement.

Identify the problem with the statement

The statement says, "It must now be 1920 years old." The problem with the statement is that it is actually correct. The given information supports the conclusion that the artifact is now 1920 years old since twenty years have passed since it was determined to be 1900 years old.

Conclusion

There is nothing logically wrong with the statement. The artifact was determined to be 1900 years old twenty years ago, and with the passage of twenty years, it is now 1920 years old.