A student heats a sample of hydrated cobalt(II) chloride, \(\text{CoCl}_2 \cdot x\text{H}_2\text{O}\), in a crucible to determine the integer value of \(x\). The student heats the crucible once, allows it to cool, and measures the mass of the solid residue without performing additional heating cycles to verify constant mass. If the heating was incomplete and some water of hydration remained bound in the residue, which of the following correctly predicts and explains the effect of this error on the calculated value of \(x\)?