For each of the following questions, choose either authority, rational method or empirical method as the best way to answer the question, and explain how you would do it. Then consider whether any alternative methods might be used.
is your course instructor male or female
what is the average annual snowfall in Buffalo New York
Pick a student in your class (not yourself)? How old is he or she?
How many arms did the Roman emperor Nero have
Tommy is exactly 37 inches tall and a person has to be 40 inches tall to ride the roller coaster. Can Tommy ride?
The local music store is going out of business and is selling all cds for $9.99, You have $42,05? Have many cds can you buy (assume no tax)
Was Henri Toulouse-Lautrec a painter, a musician or a soccer player?
1. Is your course instructor male or female?
Answer: The best way to answer this question would be through authority. You can ask the course instructor directly about their gender.
Alternative method: Empirical method can also be used by observing the instructor's appearance or listening to their voice, but this may not always be accurate.
2. What is the average annual snowfall in Buffalo, New York?
Answer: The best way to answer this question would be through empirical method. You would collect data on the annual snowfall in Buffalo over several years and calculate the average.
Alternative method: Rational method can be used by analyzing historical weather data and patterns, but it may not always accurately represent the current average.
3. Pick a student in your class (not yourself). How old is he or she?
Answer: The best way to answer this question would be through authority. You can ask the student directly about their age.
Alternative method: Empirical method can also be used by obtaining the class roster and checking the birth dates of the students, but this may not always be readily available.
4. How many arms did the Roman emperor Nero have?
Answer: The best way to answer this question would be through authority. You can consult historical records and accounts to determine the number of arms Nero had.
Alternative method: Rational method can be used by analyzing ancient artworks or sculptures depicting Nero, but this may not provide a definitive answer.
5. Tommy is exactly 37 inches tall and a person has to be 40 inches tall to ride the roller coaster. Can Tommy ride?
Answer: The best way to answer this question would be through the rational method. Compare Tommy's height with the height restriction set by the roller coaster to determine if he meets the requirement.
Alternative method: Empirical method can also be used by directly measuring Tommy's height, but this may not always be possible or practical.
6. The local music store is going out of business and is selling all CDs for $9.99. You have $42.05. How many CDs can you buy?
Answer: The best way to answer this question would be through the rational method. Divide the total amount of money you have by the cost of each CD to determine the maximum number of CDs you can buy.
Alternative method: Empirical method can also be used by physically counting the number of CDs you can purchase with the given amount, but this may not account for any additional costs such as taxes or rounding.
7. Was Henri Toulouse-Lautrec a painter, a musician, or a soccer player?
Answer: The best way to answer this question would be through authority. Consult reliable sources, such as art history books or biographies, to determine Toulouse-Lautrec's profession.
Alternative method: Rational method can be used by analyzing Toulouse-Lautrec's artworks or any documented musical or sporting activities, but this may not provide a conclusive answer and could lead to speculation.
To answer each of the questions, I will consider the best method (authority, rational method, or empirical method) and explain how it can be used. Afterward, I will consider whether any alternative methods might be used.
1. Is your course instructor male or female?
The best method to answer this question would be authority. I can ask the course instructor or consult official class records to determine their gender. An alternative method could involve empirical data, where I observe the instructor during class to determine their gender.
2. What is the average annual snowfall in Buffalo, New York?
The best method to answer this question would be empirical. I can gather historical weather data for Buffalo from reliable sources, calculate the average annual snowfall over several years, and provide an estimate. An alternative method could involve the rational method, where I use climatic models or predictive algorithms to estimate the average snowfall based on factors such as latitude, elevation, and historical data from nearby regions.
3. Pick a student in your class (not yourself). How old is he or she?
The best method to answer this question would be empirical. I can ask the student for their age or check official records such as student profiles or school databases. Alternatively, the authority method could be used if the age information is publicly available and verifiable.
4. How many arms did the Roman emperor Nero have?
The best method to answer this question would be the authority method. I can consult historical records, such as ancient texts or reputable historical sources, to determine the number of arms Nero had. An alternative method is not applicable in this case, as the empirical or rational methods would not provide relevant information.
5. Tommy is exactly 37 inches tall, and a person has to be 40 inches tall to ride the roller coaster. Can Tommy ride?
The best method to answer this question would be the rational method. I can compare Tommy's height (37 inches) to the minimum height requirement of 40 inches to determine if he is eligible to ride the roller coaster. An alternative method would not be suitable here, as the empirical or authority methods would not provide accurate height measurement.
6. The local music store is going out of business and selling all CDs for $9.99. You have $42.05. How many CDs can you buy (assume no tax)?
The best method to answer this question would be the rational method. I can divide the total amount of money available ($42.05) by the cost of each CD ($9.99) and round down to the nearest whole number to determine the maximum number of CDs that can be purchased. An alternative method could involve empirical data, where I visit the music store and physically count the number of CDs I can buy with the given amount of money.
7. Was Henri Toulouse-Lautrec a painter, a musician, or a soccer player?
The best method to answer this question would be authority. I can consult reputable art history sources or biographies about Henri Toulouse-Lautrec to determine his profession. An alternative method is not applicable in this case, as the empirical or rational methods would not provide relevant information.
1. To determine whether your course instructor is male or female, the best way to answer this question is through authority. You can inquire with the school administration, check the course syllabus, or contact a relevant department for this information.
Alternative methods: If the instructor has a public online presence, such as a website or social media profiles, their gender might be mentioned there. However, this method is not guaranteed, and it would still be best to confirm through official channels.
2. To find out the average annual snowfall in Buffalo, New York, the best method is the rational method. You can research historical weather data, typically available from meteorological agencies or websites, and calculate the average snowfall over a given period, such as the past 10 years.
Alternative methods: An empirical method could also be used by collecting data on snowfall and computing the average yourself. However, this would require significant time and effort, so using existing data is more practical.
3. To determine the age of a random student in your class, the empirical method would be the most applicable. You can ask the student directly or ask others who might know them well, like friends or classmates.
Alternative methods: Using a rational method, you could estimate the age range based on the typical age range of students in your class. However, this would be less accurate than directly asking or searching for empirical evidence.
4. To find out how many arms the Roman emperor Nero had, the best method is to use authority. You can consult historical records, such as reputable historical texts or academic sources, to obtain this information.
Alternative methods: An empirical method would not be applicable in this case, as there are no direct observations or measurements that can be made to answer this question.
5. To determine if Tommy can ride the roller coaster based on his height, the rational method can be used. By comparing Tommy's height (37 inches) to the minimum height requirement (40 inches), you can deduce that Tommy cannot ride the roller coaster.
Alternative methods: An empirical method could also be utilized by physically measuring Tommy's height and comparing it to the requirement. However, since Tommy's height is given as exactly 37 inches, there is no need for empirical measurement in this case.
6. In order to figure out how many CDs you can buy with $42.05, the rational method is the most suitable approach. By dividing the total amount of money you have by the cost of each CD ($9.99), you can calculate the number of CDs you can buy.
Alternative methods: An empirical method would not be applicable here, as there is no need for observation or measurement.
7. To determine whether Henri Toulouse-Lautrec was a painter, musician, or soccer player, the best method is authority. You can consult reputable art history or biographical sources that provide information about his profession and accomplishments.
Alternative methods: A rational method could also be used by examining the context in which Toulouse-Lautrec is commonly mentioned or associated. However, referring to authoritative sources would provide a more accurate and reliable answer.