Answer: The overall average of the weights is 24 pounds.
Explanation:
To find the overall average of the weights, we need to calculate the weighted mean. A weighted mean is a type of average that takes into account the number of items or observations in each group.
In this case, we know that the average of the first 3 weights is 20 pounds and the average of the next 12 weights is 25 pounds.
To find the overall average, we will use the following formula:
( (number of items in first group * average of first group) + (number of items in second group * average of second group) ) / (number of items in first group + number of items in second group)
The formula can be applied as:
( (3 * 20) + (12 * 25) ) / (3 + 12) = (60 + 300) / 15 = 360 / 15 = 24
- C