Water Usage for San Carlos
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Water Needed
(millions of gallons) 13 19 37 43 87 102 178 130 92 54 21 15
Water Available
(millions of gallons) 47 44 46 45 32 3 0 0 5 22 19 45
Scientists in San Carlos, California have tracked the amount of water the city needed per month versus how much water was available. The city had to pipe in water from other sources to make up the difference between the two values during months when there was a deficit. Which of these can be concluded based on the table above?
A.
The city received more rain in the fall than it did in the spring.
B.
The city had to cope with the greatest water deficit during the summer months.
C.
The city had the least amount of water available during the winter months.
D.
The city used more water in the winter than it did in the summer.
B. The city had to cope with the greatest water deficit during the summer months.
Based on the table, we can conclude that:
B. The city had to cope with the greatest water deficit during the summer months.
The water deficit is the difference between the water needed and the water available. The largest deficit occurs in the month with the largest difference between the two values. In this case, the largest difference occurs in July, which is during the summer months. Therefore, option B is correct.
To answer this question, we need to analyze the data provided in the table.
First, let's compare the water needed and water available for each month. We can see that the values provided represent the monthly water usage and availability in millions of gallons.
Looking at the water needed column, we can observe that the water usage fluctuates throughout the year. The highest water usage occurs in July with 178 million gallons, followed by June with 102 million gallons. The lowest water usage occurs in November and December with 15 and 21 million gallons, respectively.
Now, let's examine the water available column. We can see that the water availability also varies from month to month. The highest water availability occurs in January with 47 million gallons, followed by February with 44 million gallons. The lowest water availability occurs in June and July with only 3 and 0 million gallons, respectively.
Based on this analysis, we can conclude the following:
A. The city received more rain in the fall than it did in the spring.
- This cannot be concluded based on the given data as it does not provide information about the source of the water or the rainfall in different months.
B. The city had to cope with the greatest water deficit during the summer months.
- This can be concluded based on the data. The water deficit is calculated by subtracting the water available from the water needed. As we can see, the water deficit is the highest in June and July when the water availability is significantly lower compared to other months.
C. The city had the least amount of water available during the winter months.
- This cannot be concluded based on the given data as the water availability varies throughout the year, and there are other months with lower water availability (e.g., June and July).
D. The city used more water in the winter than it did in the summer.
- This cannot be concluded based on the given data as it only provides information about water usage and availability, not the specific months when the usage occurred.
Therefore, the correct conclusion is:
B. The city had to cope with the greatest water deficit during the summer months.