Question

Mandy and Edna each measured the volume of an egg three times. The actual volume of the egg is 48.75 mL.

Mandy's measurements: 47.03 mL, 47.07 mL, 47.09 mL.

Edna's measurements: 48.22 mL, 48.53 mL, 49.44 mL.

What is the best description of the data collected by the students?

(A) Mandy has more accurate data, and both sets of data are equally precise
(B) Mandy has more accurate data, and Edna has more precise data
(C) Edna has more accurate data, and Mandy has more precise data
(D) Mandy has more accurate and more precise data
(E) Edna has more accurate and more precise data

Answer 1

Option C is correct, as Edna's measurements are closer to the actual volume (more accurate), and Mandy's measurements are consistently close to each other (more precise).

Step-by-step explanation:

The question deals with understanding the concepts of accuracy and precision in the context of volume measurements made by Mandy and Edna. Accuracy refers to how close a measured value is to the actual or true value, while precision refers to how close repeated measurements are to each other, irrespective of how close they are to the actual value. Mandy's measurements are 47.03 mL, 47.07 mL, and 47.09 mL, and Edna's measurements are 48.22 mL, 48.53 mL, and 49.44 mL. With the actual volume of the egg being 48.75 mL, Edna's measurements are closer to the actual volume, so they are more accurate. Mandy's measurements are closer to each other, indicating higher precision.

Hence, the best description of the data collected by the students is Option C: Edna has more accurate data, and Mandy has more precise data. Edna's accuracy is evident by the proximity of her measurements to the actual volume, while Mandy's precision is shown by the consistency of her measurements, despite them not being close to the actual volume.