16. Given the following dataset of 4th grade students participating in a healthy weight program: Participant 1 weight = 75 lbs, Participant 2 weight = 80 lbs, Participant 3 weight = 84 lbs, Participant 4 weight = 96 lbs, Participant 5 weight = 110 lbs. What is the mean weight?
Answer: C
The mean weight of the participants is 89 lbs.
To calculate the mean weight of the participants, we sum all the weights and divide by the number of participants. The total weight is 75 + 80 + 84 + 96 + 110 = 445 lbs, and dividing this by 5 gives a mean weight of 89 lbs.
A) 84 lbs
While 84 lbs is one of the participant's weights, it does not represent the mean. The mean is calculated by averaging all the weights, which results in a higher value than 84 lbs.
B) 91 lbs
91 lbs is also incorrect as the mean weight. The correct calculation shows that the average weight is lower than this figure, indicating that it does not accurately reflect the data provided.
C) 89 lbs
This is the correct answer as it accurately represents the mean weight calculated from the total weights of all participants. By summing the weights and dividing by the number of participants, 89 lbs is confirmed as the average.
D) 90 lbs
90 lbs is too high to be the mean weight. The calculations demonstrate that the average weight, when computed correctly, is actually 89 lbs, making this option incorrect.
Conclusion
The correct answer is 89 lbs, as it is derived from the precise calculation of the mean weight of the participants. All other options fail to represent the average correctly; hence, they do not align with the given dataset.