TRUTH TABLES

Let P= Janna is honest and Q= James is honest,

and let us agree that dishonest = not honest.
Write each statement in symbolic form.
1. Both Janna and James are honest.
2. Either Janna or James is honest.
3. Janna is not honest or James is dishonest.
4. If Janna is honest, then James is dishonest.
If “Janna is honest” and “James is honest” are true
statements, which of the statements above do you
think are true?
 EXPLORATION

A teacher promised his student, “If you pass the

final examination and submit all the
requirements, then you may join the graduation”.
The student passes only the final exam, but the
teacher allows him to join the graduation.

Has the teacher broken his original promise?

 INFORMATION
In the next section, the truth value of
component statements will be used to find the
truth values of compound propositions.
A variable in algebra can take any value.
A variable in logic, has only TRUE or FALSE.
In fact, TRUE or FALSE are the “numerical
constants” of logic.
 INFORMATION
Connectives in their dominant order:
 
1. BICONDITIONAL (
 
2. CONDITIONAL (
 
3. CONJUNCTION ( DISJUNCTION (
4. NEGATION (~)
 CONJUNCTIONS
The connective and implies the idea of “both”.
 
For the conjunction pq to be true, both p and q must
be true.
 
Table 1: Truth Table for the Conjunction P and Q (PQ)
P Q (PQ)
T T T
T F F
F T F
F F F
Example 1
Let p represent “7>5” and let q represent “12<0.”
Find the truth value of p and q.
Solution
The statement 7 > 5 is true. Hence, p is true.
The statement 12 < 0 is false. Hence, q is false.
P Q (PQ)
T T T
T F F p is true and q is false
F T F
F F F
 DISJUNCTIONS
a. INCLUSIVE OR
One or the other, or both
Table 2: Truth Table for the Inclusive Conjunction P or Q (PQ)
 

P Q (PQ)
T T T
T F T
F T T
F F F
Example 2
Let p be “I will clean the kitchen.”
Let q be “I will clean the bathroom.”
Solution
The statement, “I will clean the kitchen or I will clean the
bathroom” is the required disjunction. It will be false only
if both components are false and will be true otherwise.
P Q (PQ)
T T T
T F T
F T T
F F F
Example 3
Let p be “I will pass the math quiz.”
Let q be “I will flunk the math quiz.”
Solution
The statement, “I will pass the math quiz or I
will flunk it” is the required disjunction. It will
only be true when exactly one of the two
components is true. Otherwise, it will be false.
 DISJUNCTIONS
b. EXCLUSIVE OR
One or the other, not both
Table 3: Truth Table for the Exclusive Conjunction P or Q (PQ)
 

P Q (PQ)
T T F
T F T
F T T
F F F
Unless otherwise meant or stated, a disjunction is considered inclusive by default.
 NEGATION
If we negate P and P is true, then ~P must be false, and if P
is false, then the ~P must be true. This type of analysis is
shown in Table 4.
Table 4: Truth Table for a Simple Proposition’s Negation
P ~P
T F
F T
Example 4
Construct a truth table for:
a. ~(PQ)
 

 
b. ~(PQ)
 
c. ~(P ~Q)
Solutions
 
a. ~(PQ)
P Q PQ ~(PQ)
T T
T F
F T
F F
Solutions
b. ~(PQ)
 

P Q PQ ~(PQ)
T T
T F
F T
F F
Solutions
c. ~(P ~Q)
 

P Q ~Q P ~Q ~(P ~Q)
T T
T F
F T
F F
  INFORMATION
The truth table of compound proposition of n
component statements, each represented by a
different letter, hasnumber of rows.
 

Ex: A compound proposition with two different

letters (simple statements) has or 4 rows.
 
A compound proposition with three different letters
(simple statements) has or 8 rows.
TRY! Activity #4 Second Quarter
 (
Construct a truth table for:
 
a. PQ
 
b. ~(~P Q)
 

c. Q ~(PQ)