Question a-bag-

3.6 Inference from Samples & Margin of Error - Margin of error interpretation
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A bag containing 10,000 beads of assorted colors is purchased from a craft store. To estimate the percent of red beads in the bag, a sample of beads is selected at random. The percent of red beads in the bag was estimated to be 15%, with an associated margin of error of 2%. If r is the actual number of red beads in the bag, which of the following is most plausible?

A.

r is greater than 1,700

B.

1,300 is less than r, which is less than 1,700

C.

200 is less than r, which is less than 1,500

D.

r is less than 1,300

A bag containing 10,000 beads of assorted colors is purchased from a craft store. To estimate

Medium-difficulty · SAT Math · Inference from Samples & Margin of Error — Margin of error interpretation. Read the question above, select your answer, and check the full explanation below to understand exactly why the correct choice works.

Answer explanation

Choice B is correct. It was estimated that 15% of the beads in the bag are red. Since the bag contains 10,000 beads, it follows that there are an estimated 10,000 times 0 point 1 5, equals 1,500 red beads. It’s given that the margin of error is 2%, or 10,000 times 0 point 0 2, equals 200 beads. If the estimate is too high, there could plausibly be 1,500 minus 200, equals 1,300 red beads. If the estimate is too low, there could plausibly be 1,500 plus 200, equals 1,700 red beads. Therefore, the most plausible statement of the actual number of red beads in the bag is 1,300 is less than r, which is less than 1,700.

Choices A and D are incorrect and may result from misinterpreting the margin of error. It’s unlikely that more than 1,700 beads or fewer than 1,300 beads in the bag are red. Choice C is incorrect because 200 is the margin of error for the number of red beads, not the lower bound of the range of red beads.