213k views
2 votes
The number of structures built in each decade in Denver County is shown in the histogram to the left. Data for years before 1940 or after 2009 was not collected. Which of the following statements about the shape of the number of structures built is true? It is bell-shaped because most structures were built

A in the 1950-1959 decade. It is bell-shaped because most structures were built
B in the 1970-1979 decade.
C There is little variance in the shape
D There is a lot of variance in the shape

User Jerem
by
8.3k points

1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

Without the actual histogram, we cannot confirm the shape of the distribution of structures built in Denver County. However, the shape is described based on whether there is a central peak and how the data tapers off, indicating whether it's bell-shaped or showing variance.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question refers to the analysis of the shape of the distribution of structures built in Denver County as shown on a histogram. When describing the shape of a histogram, we often refer to whether it is bell-shaped (symmetrical with tails at each end), uniform, skewed, or has a particular pattern such as a hump or a V-shape. Unfortunately, without a visual representation of the histogram, we cannot definitively say if the shape is bell-shaped, has little variance, or a lot of variance.

However, we can discuss the options: A bell-shaped histogram means most of the data points are around a central peak and the frequencies decrease symmetrically at both ends. So if the histogram with the number of structures built has a central peak during the 1950-1959 or 1970-1979 decades and tapers off on both sides, one of those statements (A or B) could be true. Otherwise, without a central peak, the distribution is not bell-shaped. When discussing variance, little variance (C) suggests that the number of structures built each decade does not fluctuate drastically, while a lot of variance (D) indicates substantial fluctuations in numbers from decade to decade.

To answer a question on a histogram's shape, one would generally draw a smooth curve through the tops of the bars (the highest point of each bar) and describe the resulting shape, whether it's uniform, bell-shaped, skewed, etc.

User Amit Ray
by
8.1k points