Truth Tables

A truth table is a device used to determine when a compound statement is true or false.

Connectives used in truth tables

Negation ~ “Not” ~p
Conjunction ∧ “And” p∧q
Disjunction ∨ “Or” p∨q
Conditional → “If p then q” p→q
Biconditional ↔ “If and only if” p↔q

Types of Arguments

Negation - represents the opposite of the statement Conditional - only false if the second statement is
A True T statement becomes False F and a false and it follows a true statement
False F becomes True T. All other combinations of True T and False F
are True T.
p ~p
T F p q p→q
F T T T T
T F F
F T T
Conjunction - both statements must be true F F T
Two True T statements will result in a True T
-Any other combination will produce a False Biconditional - true only if both statements are
F. true or both statements are false
All other combination of the True T and False
p q p∧q F are False F.
T T T
T F F p q p↔q
F T F T T T
F F F T F F
F T F
F F T
Disjunction - If either/or both statements are true,
the entire statement is true
One True T will result in a True T statement;
two False F statements will result in a False F.

p q p∨q
T T T
T F T
F T T
F F F

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If the test is tomorrow, then I will not go out tonight and I will study for the test.

Step 1: Identify the statements and assign them a variable.

If the test is tomorrow, then I will not go out tonight and I will study for the test.

"→" = if-then
p = "the test is tomorrow"
~ = "not"
q = "go out tonight"
∧ = "and"
r = "I will study for the test"

Step 2: Set up the argument using the variables.

The "if-then" statement is denoted by the arrow symbol, (→). The "not" statement is designated by the
negation of q, (~q). The "and" statement is designated by the conjunction symbol, (∧). The argument in symbols
looks like this: p → (~q ∧ r).

Step 3: Set up the truth table.

Truth tables help insure that all possible outcomes for a statement can be observed. To start the table, set up a series
of rows and columns. The rows will contain a value for each argument and the first row will contain the symbol
representing each piece of the argument. In this example, the first three columns of the first row will contain the
values for each piece of the statement (p, q, and r).

1) To insert the values in each row, start by placing "T", or true values, in one half of the rows or the first 4 rows of
the first piece of the statement (p), followed by 4 "F", or false values, in the remaining 4 rows.
2) To find the values that must be placed in the (q) column, divide the total number of "T" values from the (p)
column in half and place them in the first 2 rows followed by an equal number of "F" values. To complete the
column, repeat the previous values.
3) To find the values for the (r) column, begin with a "T" value and alternate between "T" and "F."
4) To find "~q", negate all the values that were initially placed in the "q" column.
5) To find "~q ∧ r", use the "~q" and the "r" values with the conjunctive symbol, (∧).
6) To find "p → (~q ∧ r)" use the "p" values" and the "~q ∧ r" values that were found in conjunction with the
conditional symbol, (→).

The truth table should look like the following.

p q r ~q ~q ∧ r p → (~q ∧ r)
T T T F F F
T T F F F F
T F T T T T
T F F T F F
F T T F F T
F T F F F T
F F T T T T
F F F T F T

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