Final answer:
Based on Kimberly's current season's performance of scoring 3 goals from 54 shots, her scoring rate is 0.0556. Multiplying this rate by the next 72 shots gives an expectation of approximately 4 goals, with the closest option provided being 3 goals.
Step-by-step explanation:
To predict how many goals Kimberly would score on her next 72 shots, we first need to determine her scoring rate based on the current season's performance. Kimberly scored 3 goals from a total of 54 shots (3 goals + 51 misses). To find the scoring rate, we divide the number of goals by the total number of shots:
Scoring Rate = Goals Scored / Total Shots = 3 / 54
The scoring rate is therefore approximately 0.0556. To estimate the number of goals Kimberly might score in her next 72 shots, we multiply the scoring rate by 72:
Expected Goals = Scoring Rate × Next Shots = 0.0556 × 72
This calculation gives an expected value of about 4 goals. Considering the options provided in the question, the closest estimate to our calculated value is 3 goals, which corresponds to option a.