Bellevue Hospital in New York City uses 100.6 °F as the lowest temperature considered to indicate a fever.
a. (0.1 point) What percentage of normal and healthy adults would be considered to have
a fever? :
b. (0.1 point) Does this percentage suggest that a cutoff of 100.6 °F is appropriate?
To answer these questions, we need to calculate the percentage of normal and healthy adults who would be considered to have a fever using a cutoff temperature of 100.6 °F.
a. To find the percentage of normal and healthy adults who would be considered to have a fever, we can compare this cutoff temperature to the normal body temperature range. The normal body temperature range for adults is typically considered to be between 97 °F and 99 °F.
To calculate the percentage, we can use the following formula:
Percentage = (Number of adults with temperature ≥ 100.6 °F / Total number of normal and healthy adults) * 100
Unfortunately, we don't have information about the number of adults with temperatures ≥ 100.6 °F or the total number of normal and healthy adults. Without this information, we cannot calculate the exact percentage.
b. However, based on the information provided, we can make a general observation. If Bellevue Hospital in New York City considers 100.6 °F as the lowest temperature to indicate a fever, it suggests that they have chosen a conservative cutoff. This means that individuals with lower elevations in body temperature may still be considered to have a fever, resulting in a higher percentage of adults being classified as feverish.
Without the exact calculation, we cannot definitively say whether a cutoff of 100.6 °F is appropriate or not. However, based on the fact that a normal body temperature is typically lower than this cutoff, it suggests that Bellevue Hospital may be erring on the side of caution by including a larger percentage of adults as having a fever.
What is the mean and standard deviation of the distribution of normal temperatures?
Z = (100.6 - mean)/SD
Find table in the back of your statistics text labeled something like "areas under normal distribution" to find the proportion related to this Z score.
Come to your own conclusions.