Navigation
An introduction to simple logic patterns and how one idea can lead to another.
What if you could predict the future just by looking at a single rule? Imagine you are a detective: if you see wet footprints on the floor, you can solve the mystery of who just came inside from the rain!
Logic is like a machine that follows a set of tracks. The most basic track is called an If-Then statement. This is a rule that connects two ideas. The first part starts with 'If' and is called the condition. The second part starts with 'Then' and is the consequence or result. For example: 'If the bell rings, then school is over.' The bell ringing is the 'key' that unlocks the result of going home. In logic, we can represent this as , where is the 'If' and is the 'Then'.
Quick Check
In the sentence 'If I drop the ball, then it will fall,' what is the 'condition'?
Answer
Dropping the ball.
Let's look at a simple rule we use in real life: 1. If it is raining outside (Condition) 2. Then I will open my umbrella (Result)
If the first part is true, the second part must follow. If you see someone with an open umbrella, you can use logic to guess it might be raining!
Why do we use 'If-Then' thinking? It helps us predict what will happen next. Scientists and computer programmers use this every day! A computer is just a giant box of 'If-Then' rules. If you click the mouse, then the character jumps. By understanding the rule, you can master the game. We call this conditional reasoning because the result depends on a specific condition being met.
Quick Check
If the rule is 'If you finish your vegetables, then you get dessert,' and you eat all your broccoli, what happens next?
Answer
You get dessert!
Logic rules can be found everywhere, like in a library: 1. Rule: If you whisper, then you can stay in the library. 2. Scenario: Sam is shouting loudly. 3. Logic: Since Sam is NOT whispering, the 'Then' part changes. Sam might be asked to leave because he broke the condition.
Sometimes, one 'If-Then' leads to another! This is called a logic chain. It looks like this: If , and , then we know that .
Think of it like dominoes. If you push the first one, it knocks over the second. If the second falls, it knocks over the third. By only pushing the first domino, you know the third one will eventually fall!
Try to follow this chain of events: 1. Rule 1: If the sun rises, then the birds start singing. 2. Rule 2: If the birds start singing, then the cat wakes up. 3. The Logic: If you see the sun rising, you can predict that the cat will wake up soon, even if the cat is in a different room!
In the statement 'If it is night, then the stars are out,' what is the 'Then' part called?
Look at this chain: 'If I study, I pass the test. If I pass the test, I feel happy.' If I study, how will I feel?
True or False: In an 'If-Then' rule, the 'Then' part happens before the 'If' part.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, try to find one 'If-Then' rule you follow while getting ready for school (like 'If I put on my shoes, then I can go outside').
Practice Activity
Play a game of 'Logic Tag' with a friend. Give them an 'If' (like 'If I clap my hands') and they have to invent a 'Then' (like 'Then you have to hop on one foot').