Fallacy of Composition
Assuming that something true of part of a whole must also be true of the whole.
Example
Dental fillings contain mercury and mercury is poisonous. Therefore dental fillings are poisonous.
This is not correct because dental amalgam and methylmercury are completely different chemical compounds that both include mercury atoms but have different properties. Just like how water contains contains oxygen atoms, but water is nothing like the oxygen that we breathe.
Famous Examples
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Honey – It contains hydrogen peroxide, which may explain some of its antibacterial qualities. You can apply it to wounds externally, or ingest it to aid internal infections.
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If our Founding Fathers wanted us to care about the rest of the world, they wouldn't have declared their independence from it.
Context: The Colbert Report (television show) -
Hey, you know, I love Korea. See? I'm having a... Bulgogi tonight! lovely. That is a... not sure what's in there but I do know that you crack a roll egg over it. And... I ... am... going to... enjoy that... a little bit later.
Context: The Colbert Report (television show)
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