PSAT Math : Data Analysis

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Math

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Example Questions

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Example Question #51 : Statistics & Probability

A middle school teacher conducted a survey of the  grade class and found that  students were athletes and  of those students drink soda. There were  students that were not athletes, but drank soda. Last, they found that  students were neither athletes nor drank soda. Given this information, how many students don't drink soda? 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To help answer this question, we can construct a two-way table and fill in our known quantities from the question.

The columns of the table will represent the students who are athletes or are not athletes and the rows will contain the students who drink soda or do not drink soda. The first bit of information that we were given from the question was that  students were athletes; therefore,  needs to go in the "athlete" column as the row total. Next, we were told that of those students,  drinks soda; therefore, we need to put  in the "athlete" column and in the "drinks soda" row. Then, we were told that  students were not athletes, but drink soda, so we need to put  in the "not an athlete" column and the "drinks soda" row. Finally, we were told that  students are not athletes or soda drinkers, so  needs to go in the "not an athlete" column and "doesn't drink soda" row. If done correctly, you should create a table similar to the following: 

Screen shot 2016 03 25 at 2.05.31 pm

 

Our question asked how many students don't drink soda. We add up the numbers in the "doesn't drink soda" row to get the total, but first we need to fill in a gap in our table, students who were athletes, but don't drink soda. We can take the total number of students who are athletes, , and subtract the number of students who drink soda, 

This means that  students who are athletes, don't drink soda.  

Now, we add up the numbers in the "doesn't drink soda" row to get the total:

This means that  students don't drink soda. 

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