The Detective’s DeskVictor Moss
Gardener
“At the quarter mark, mine contained 150 mL.”
EASY · CASE FILE
The half-filled flask
Easy · ASTER GARDEN LAB
Gardeners describe measurements from identical calibrated flasks. Each measurement is separate and the marked fractions refer to the full usable capacity. Check the numbers against the calibration card.
Read the case file below, or open the interactive desk to examine records, keep notes and submit your reasoning. These are the case materials, without the solution.
Your assignment
Inspect, test and record the finding. What does the verified record establish?
- The source records are verified and their stated conditions apply to every account.
- Find the account contradicted by a record. A contradiction alone does not establish wrongdoing.
People and accounts
Willa Cole
Gardener
“At the full mark, mine contained 600 mL.”
Uma Reed
Gardener
“At the half mark, my flask contained 400 mL.”
Case records
Read each record on its own terms. A claim made by a person is different from a fact established by an independent record.
FLASK CALIBRATION
Six hundred millilitres full
Each flask’s usable full capacity is exactly 600 mL. Half, quarter and full marks represent exactly those fractions of the usable capacity.
This is a verified source record for this case. Compare its stated facts with the exact question.
DESK RECORD
The water label
All the flasks contained plain water from the same tap.
All the flasks contained plain water from the same tap.
LOCATION SKETCH
The garden-bed plan
The plan names the beds that would later be watered.
The plan names the beds that would later be watered.
Questions to resolve
Audit all three statements against the verified record.
- Victor Moss — “At the quarter mark, mine contained 150 mL.”
- Willa Cole — “At the full mark, mine contained 600 mL.”
- Uma Reed — “At the half mark, my flask contained 400 mL.”
Use the interactive case desk to select your finding and cite the records that support it. The answer is checked there, and your progress stays in your browser.
Build your finding
Compare the records with each account. Work out what the evidence establishes, then separate that finding from anything it does not prove.