Question

A teacher wants to investigate whether listening to music while taking a math test increases scores. He instructs half

of his 36 students to listen to music while taking a test and the other half to not listen to music during the test. To
determine who listens and who does not, the teacher identifies the two students who scored highest on the last test
and randomly instructs one to listen to music and one to not. The teacher does the same for the next two highest-
scoring students and continues in this manner until each student has their instructions. Which of the following best
describes this plan?
O This is a cluster sample.
O This is an observational study.
O This is a stratified random sample.
O This is an experiment with blocking.
O This is a completely randomized experiment.

Answer 1

The plan described in the question is an experiment with blocking, where the teacher divides the students into two groups based on previous test scores and randomly assigns the highest-scoring students to different groups.

Step-by-step explanation:

The plan described in the question is an experiment with blocking. In this plan, the teacher divides the students into two groups based on their previous test scores. The two highest-scoring students are randomly assigned to different groups, and this process continues until all students have been assigned. By using this blocking technique, the teacher ensures that the two groups are as similar as possible in terms of their previous test performance.

Answer 2

D. This is an experiment with blocking

For your question: "A teacher wants to investigate whether listening to music while taking a math test increases scores. He instructs half

of his 36 students to listen to music while taking a test and the other half to not listen to music during the test. To

determine who listens and who does not, the teacher identifies the two students who scored highest on the last test

and randomly instructs one to listen to music and one to not. The teacher does the same for the next two highest-

scoring students and continues in this manner until each student has their instructions. Which of the following best

describes this plan?"

The answer is D