The mean score for a math test taken by Class A is 84, with the scores ranging from 78 to 94. The mean score for the same math test taken by Class B is 76, with the scores ranging from 68 to 88. Which BEST compares the scores of the two classes?
Responses
A The scores of Class A vary less than the scores of Class B.The scores of Class A vary less than the scores of Class B.
B The highest score for the test was in Class B.The highest score for the test was in Class B.
C On average, the scores of Class A are lower than Class B.On average, the scores of Class A are lower than Class B.
D The scores of Class B vary less than the scores of Class A.
C On average, the scores of Class A are higher than Class B.
BUT C says Class A is LOWER which is incorrect
However A is correct. 94 - 78 = 16 but 88 - 68 = 20
( That pesky "range" again )
I apologize, you are correct. Option A is the correct comparison. Thank you for catching that mistake.
To compare the scores of the two classes, we need to analyze the given information.
For Class A:
Mean score = 84
Range of scores = 78 to 94
For Class B:
Mean score = 76
Range of scores = 68 to 88
To determine the answer, we need to consider two factors: the variation of scores and the average (mean) scores.
Option A states that the scores of Class A vary less than the scores of Class B. To verify this, we can compare the ranges of scores. The range for Class A is 16 (94 - 78), while the range for Class B is 20 (88 - 68). Since the range for Class A is smaller, this option is correct.
Option B suggests that the highest score for the test was in Class B. However, the information provided does not indicate which class had the highest score. Therefore, we cannot determine if this statement is true or false.
Option C states that, on average, the scores of Class A are lower than the scores of Class B. Comparing the mean scores, we see that Class A has a higher mean score (84) compared to Class B (76). Therefore, this option is incorrect.
Option D states that the scores of Class B vary less than the scores of Class A. However, as discussed earlier, the range for Class B is greater than the range for Class A, so this option is incorrect.
Based on the analysis, the correct answer is Option A: The scores of Class A vary less than the scores of Class B.