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A 12 oz can of soda has a mean volume of 12 oz, with a standard deviation of 0.25 oz. How common are cans with less than 11.5 oz of soda? Calculate the probability.

A. 0.25
B. 0.35
C. 0.45
D. 0.55

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

The probability is 2.28% (Option E). To find the probability of a can containing less than 11.5 oz of soda, we calculate the z-score and use the Standard Normal Distribution to find that there is approximately a 2.28% chance.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks to calculate the probability of finding cans with less than 11.5 oz of soda when the mean volume is 12 oz with a standard deviation of 0.25 oz.

To calculate this, we need to use the Standard Normal Distribution method.

First, we convert the volume of 11.5 oz into a z-score, which is given by the equation z = (X - μ) / σ,

where X is the value we're interested in (11.5 oz), μ is the mean (12 oz), and σ is the standard deviation (0.25 oz).

So the z-score for 11.5 oz is:

z = (11.5 - 12) / 0.25
z = -0.5 / 0.25
z = -2

Next, we consult a z-table or use software that provides the cumulative probability for a z-score of -2.

This gives us the probability that a can will have less than 11.5 oz of soda.

The value from the z-table for a z-score of -2 is approximately 0.0228.

Therefore, the probability can be read directly from the table or software as roughly 2.28%. This represents a relatively uncommon occurrence.

Thus, the correct answer is 2.28% (Option E).

The complete question is:

A 12 oz can of soda has a mean volume of 12 oz, with a standard deviation of 0.25 oz. How common are cans with less than 11.5 oz of soda? Calculate the probability.

A. 0.25

B. 0.35

C. 0.45

D. 0.55

E. 2.28

User Colin Keenan
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