説得 and 説明: a desired response and explained content
Compare the family being persuaded and the stated permission outcome with the machine-use content being explained, without inferring persuasion from explanation alone.
The person targeted by persuasion
「家族を説得して一人旅の許可を得た。」 describes persuading family members and obtaining permission to travel alone. The family is the target, and this example explicitly includes the permission outcome.
「十分な資料がなければ相手の説得は難しい。」 says persuasion is difficult without enough supporting materials. Difficult does not mean impossible or establish that a particular attempt has already failed.
The content being explained
「先生が機械の使い方を分かりやすく説明した。」 identifies the teacher as explaining how to use the machine clearly. Distinguish the person giving the explanation from its content.
「詳しい説明は資料の二頁に載っています。」 locates a detailed explanation on page two of the materials. That location does not establish that anyone was persuaded to agree.
Read purpose and any stated outcome
説得 focuses on seeking a change in someone’s judgment or behavior; 説明 focuses on making content understandable. An explanation can be part of persuasion, so the activities need not be mutually exclusive.
Preserve the permission obtained in the family example. Explaining machine use alone, however, does not establish that the listener agreed to a proposal or changed their behavior.
What are the targets of 説得 in the family example and 説明 in the teacher example, and which sentence explicitly states that permission was obtained?
Show the answer and why
The family members are the people targeted by persuasion, while machine use is the content explained. The family example explicitly states that permission to travel alone was obtained. Do not add the same persuasion outcome to the machine-use explanation.