The table below shows the number of deaths in the U.S. in a year due to a variety of causes. For these questions, assume these values are not changing.
Cause Deaths
Passenger car occupant (driver or rider) 13,100
Motorcycle (driver or rider) 4,500
Tornado 553
Skydiving 56
e) Estimate the probability that you will die as the result of a tornado next year?
Make sure your answer is accurate to at least 2 significant figures (values after leading zeros)
f) Why is this answer different than the probability for an American chosen at random?
g) People sometimes claim skydiving is less dangerous than driving or riding in a car. Does the data support this claim? Explain.
h) People sometimes claim motorcycle riding is less dangerous than traveling by car. Does the data support this claim? What additional information and/or calculations would be useful to evaluate this claim?
help plz.
To answer these questions, we need to compare the number of deaths due to a specific cause with the total number of deaths in the U.S. in a year. Based on the table, here are the relevant numbers:
Total Deaths = 13,100 + 4,500 + 553 + 56 = 18,209 deaths
a) Probability of dying as the result of a tornado next year:
Number of deaths due to tornado = 553
Probability = (Number of deaths due to tornado / Total Deaths) * 100
Probability = (553 / 18,209) * 100
Probability ≈ 3.04% (rounded to 2 significant figures)
b) The probability for an American chosen at random would be different because the calculation would involve the total population of the U.S., not just the number of deaths.
c) To determine if skydiving is less dangerous than driving or riding in a car, we need to compare the number of deaths for each activity per participant. The data only provides the total number of deaths, not the number of participants, so we cannot make a direct comparison.
d) Similarly, to determine if motorcycle riding is less dangerous than traveling by car, we need to compare the number of deaths per participant for each mode of transportation. The data only provides the total number of deaths, so we need additional information on the number of participants and the distance traveled to make a meaningful comparison.
e) To estimate the probability of dying as a result of a tornado next year, we need to divide the number of deaths due to tornadoes by the total number of deaths in a year. From the table, we can see that there were 553 deaths due to tornadoes in a year. The total number of deaths from all causes is the sum of deaths due to various causes, which is 13,100 (passenger car occupant) + 4,500 (motorcycle) + 553 (tornado) + 56 (skydiving) = 18,209.
So, the probability of dying as a result of a tornado next year is given by:
Probability = Number of deaths due to a tornado / Total number of deaths
Probability = 553 / 18,209 = 0.03038
Rounding to two significant figures, the probability is approximately 0.03.
f) The probability calculated above is specific to an individual dying as a result of a tornado next year, whereas the probability for an American chosen at random would be different. The calculation for an average American would involve considering the total population of the United States and the number of deaths due to tornadoes in a year. We would also need to account for other factors such as geographical location, which can affect the likelihood of being affected by a tornado.
g) To determine if the data supports the claim that skydiving is less dangerous than driving or riding in a car, we need to compare the number of deaths in each activity. From the table, we see that there were 13,100 deaths due to passenger car occupants and 56 deaths due to skydiving in a year.
Comparing these numbers, we can conclude that skydiving is indeed less dangerous than driving or riding in a car. The likelihood of dying while skydiving is significantly lower than the likelihood of dying as a car passenger or driver.
h) To evaluate the claim that motorcycle riding is less dangerous than traveling by car, we need to compare the number of deaths in each activity. From the table, we see that there were 13,100 deaths due to passenger car occupants and 4,500 deaths due to motorcycle riding in a year.
However, simply comparing these numbers may not be sufficient to evaluate the claim. Additional information and calculations are necessary to assess the relative risks accurately. To evaluate the claim, we would need to consider factors such as the number of individuals engaging in each activity (i.e., the exposure rate), the distance traveled by each mode of transport, and the prevalence of accidents in each category.
Calculating fatality rates per distance traveled or per hours spent could provide a more accurate comparison. We would need data on the number of miles traveled by car and motorcycles and the number of hours spent in each mode of transport to perform such calculations. These additional measures would help us determine the relative risk and provide a more comprehensive evaluation of the claim.