Two students were practicing the use of a scale. They each weighed an identical object 5 times. Student A got weights of 103, 104, 105,106, and 107 pounds for the object, and student B got 101, 103, 105, 107, and 109 pounds for the same object. Which of the following statements best describes the average and variation in their results?
A. Student B got a higher average weight than student A and higher range.
B. Student B got a higher average weight than student A and the same range.
C. The two students got the same average weight and each had 5 measurements so the variability was the same.
D. The two students got the same average weight, but student B had a higher range of measurements and more variability.
Answer:D
Two students were practicing the use of a scale. They each weighed an identical object 5 times. Student A got weights of 103, 104, 105,106, and 107 pounds for the object, and student B got 101, 103, 105, 107, and 109 pounds for the same object. Which of the following statements best describes the average and variation in their results?
A. Student B got a higher average weight than student A and higher range. B. Student B got a higher average weight than student A and the same range. C. The two students got the same average weight and each had 5 measurements so the variability was the same. D. The two students got the same average weight, but student B had a higher range of measurements and more variability.
Explanation: The average weight, the sum of each student’s measurements divided by the total number of measurements (5) was the same at 105 pounds. The range of student A’s data was 107 – 103 = 4 pounds and the range of student B’s data was greater: 109 – 101 = 8 pounds.