Trina walked into the kitchen and saw that the cake she'd put in the refrigerator the night before was gone. She said to
herself "Dad must've eaten the cake when he got
home last night
Trina's statement can be classified as a(n).
A)
observation
B)
conclusion
C)
hypothesis
D)
inference
The answer is D
Trina's statement can be classified as a(n) inference.
To determine this, it is important to understand the definitions of each option.
Observation refers to the act of noticing or perceiving something using the senses. In this case, Trina did not directly observe her dad eating the cake but rather made a deduction based on the evidence she noticed, which leads us to the next option.
A conclusion is a decision or judgment reached after considering the evidence or information provided. Trina did not provide any evidence or information to reach a conclusion.
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation or prediction that can be tested or further investigated. Trina's statement does not involve proposing an explanation or prediction.
An inference, on the other hand, is a logical deduction made based on the information or evidence available. In this case, Trina does not have direct evidence of her dad eating the cake, but she uses her reasoning to make a logical deduction or inference that her dad ate the cake. Therefore, her statement "Dad must've eaten the cake when he got home last night" can be classified as an inference (option D).