Question
upstudy study bank question image url

A student is told that AUB is the set of all elements that belong to or to . However, when asked to find the union of and , the student says
that the answer is . How is the word “or” in the definition of set union being misunderstood? Give an everyday example where “or” is used in the
mathematical sense.
Choose the correct answer below. Use the Show Work feature to provide related calculations and additional reasoning to support your answer.
A. The student interpreted AUB as AnB, and listed the correct set of elements in AnB.
B. The student interpreted “or” as “and” in which both possibilities hold.
C. The student interpreted AUB as BUA, and listed the correct set of elements in BUA.
D. The student interpreted “or” as the “exclusive or” in which either one of two possibilities holds, but not both.

Ask by Chadwick Turner. in the United States
Mar 17,2025

Upstudy AI Solution

Tutor-Verified Answer

Answer

The student misunderstood “or” as “and,” thinking that both sets must be included together, which excluded the common elements and .

Solution

Sign in to Unlock Answers for Free!

A Learning Platform Trusted by Millions of Real Students and Teachers.

star-icon Unlock

Answered by UpStudy AI and reviewed by a Professional Tutor

Beyond the Answer

The misunderstanding stems from the interpretation of “or.” The student mistakenly viewed “or” as “exclusive or,” meaning they thought that the elements could either belong to set or set , but not both at the same time. In this case, they excluded the common elements and from the union. In everyday language, “or” is often used in a way that implies one choice but not both, such as when someone says, “You can have tea or coffee,” suggesting you must choose one but not both.
To clarify the correct interpretation, the union should include all elements from both sets, leading to the correct result of .
So, the right answer is:
D. The student interpreted “or” as the “exclusive or” in which either one of two possibilities holds, but not both.

Latest Other Questions

Try Premium now!
Try Premium and ask Thoth AI unlimited math questions now!
Maybe later Go Premium
Study can be a real struggle
Why not UpStudy it?
Select your plan below
Premium

You can enjoy

Start now
  • Step-by-step explanations
  • 24/7 expert live tutors
  • Unlimited number of questions
  • No interruptions
  • Full access to Answer and Solution
  • Full Access to PDF Chat, UpStudy Chat, Browsing Chat
Basic

Totally free but limited

  • Limited Solution
Welcome to UpStudy!
Please sign in to continue the Thoth AI Chat journey
Continue with Email
Or continue with
By clicking “Sign in”, you agree to our Terms of Use & Privacy Policy