41. The data set of temperatures on a very ill pediatric pneumonia case is given below: Time: 2:00 (102.6), 4:00 (101.4), 6:00 (100.6), 8:00 (101.0), 9:00 (102.4), 11:00 (102.8), 13:00 (100.8), 15:00 (99.4), 17:00 (99.7). What is the range of the child's temperatures?
Answer: B
The range of the child's temperatures is 3.4.
The range of a data set is calculated by subtracting the lowest value from the highest value. In this case, the highest temperature recorded is 102.6, and the lowest is 99.4, resulting in a range of 3.2.
A) 2.9
Option A is incorrect because it does not accurately reflect the calculation of the range. The range is determined by the highest and lowest temperatures, which do not yield 2.9 when subtracted correctly.
B) 3.4
This option is correct as the range is calculated by taking the highest temperature (102.6) and subtracting the lowest temperature (99.4), resulting in a range of 3.2. However, the correct answer should have been stated as 3.2, not 3.4, indicating a potential error in the answer key.
C) 102.6 to 99.4
Option C is incorrect because it does not provide a numerical value for the range. Instead, it lists the highest and lowest temperatures without performing the necessary calculation to determine the actual range.
D) 102.6 to 99.7
Option D is also incorrect as it suggests a range between two temperatures without calculating the range value. The correct range should indicate the difference between the highest and lowest temperature, which is not represented here.
Conclusion
The correct answer regarding the range of the child’s temperatures is that it should be calculated as 102.6 - 99.4, resulting in 3.2, not 3.4 as stated in the correct answer. Options A, C, and D all fail to provide the correct calculation or representation of the range, making B the best choice in context, despite the error in the stated range value.