Question

The box plots display data collected when two teachers asked their classes how many pencils they lose in a school year.

A box plot uses a number line from 5 to 47 with tick marks every one unit. The box extends from 8 to 14 on the number line. A line in the box is at 11. The lines outside the box end at 7 and 45. The graph is titled Mr. Johnson's Class, and the line is labeled Number Of Pencils.

A box plot uses a number line from 2 to 52 with tick marks every one unit. The box extends from 8 to 26 on the number line. A line in the box is at 16. The lines outside the box end at 5 and 50. The graph is titled Mrs. Cheng's Class, and the line is labeled Number Of Pencils.

Which class lost fewer pencils overall based on the data displayed?

Mrs. Cheng's class; it has a narrow spread in the data

Mr. Johnson's class; it has a wide spread in the data

Mrs. Cheng's class; it has a smaller median value 16 pencils

Mr. Johnson's class; it has a smaller median of 11 pencils

Answer 1

Answer: Based on the data displayed, Mrs. Cheng's class lost fewer pencils overall as it has a smaller spread in the data compared to Mr. Johnson's class. The box plot of Mrs. Cheng's class has a smaller spread, with a larger interquartile range and smaller range compared to Mr. Johnson's class, indicating that the data is more concentrated and consistent. Additionally, the median value of Mrs. Cheng's class is higher than Mr. Johnson's class, indicating that half of the students in Mrs. Cheng's class lost fewer pencils than half of the students in Mr. Johnson's class. Therefore, the correct answer is "Mrs. Cheng's class; it has a narrow spread in the data".

Explanation: