Let’s go one-by-one through the answer choices:

(1) Median is the middle number
Since there are 4 data points, we take the average of the middle two.
For Company 1, the average of 32,000 and 35,000 is not greater than 37,000 and for company 2, the average of 35,500 and 37,000 is also not greater than 37000.

(2) The mean salary: add them up and divide by 4…the 4 numbers for Company 1 are 30, 32, 35 and 38 while the 4 for Company 2 are 29, 35.5, 37 and 65…that 65 is going to make the mean salary of Company 2 greater than Company 1

(3) Range = High – Low
Company 2 Range = 65,000 – 29,000
Company 1 Range = 38,000 – 30,000
The salary range in company 2 is greater than the salary range of company 1

(4) Mean Age company 1 = (25 + 27 + 28 + 33)/4 = 113/4
Mean age  company 2 = (25 + 28 + 29 + 31)/4 = 113/4
The  mean age is the same at both companies

2 points 🙂

We will try n = 3 and n = 5 in each equation to see if the 3rd term is 10 and the 5th term is 26.

Using each answer with n=3 and looking for an answer of 10:
(1) 8n + 10,  substitute n = 3, 8(3) + 10 = 34 not 10!
(2) 8n – 14, substitute n=3, 8(3) – 14 = 10 keep this one
(3) 16n + 10, substitute n=3, 16(3) + 10 = 58 not 10!
(4) 16n – 38, substitute n=3, 16(3) – 38 = 10 keep this one

Now we have narrowed it down to either answer (2) or (4)
The fifth term is 26 so when n = 5, the answer should be 26
(2) 8n – 14 substitute n = 5, 8(5) -14 = 26!!!!
(4) 16n – 38, substitute n=5, 16(5) – 38 = 42 (not 26!)

That’s it for 2 more points!!  🙂

This is great practice for generating the Y= using the TI-84 linear regression feature
We must create 2 lists with Stats, Edit
Put the x values into L1 and the y values into L2
If there is already data in a list, press the up arrow until you get to L1 (or L2) and press clear, enter
Then Stats, right arrow, Calc, 4 enter for Linear regression and there you have it!!!
The equation of the line…match it up with one of the answers 🙂

Functions will not always be linear or exponential but in this question there is 1 linear and 3 exponential answer choices:
An exponential function has the variable on the exponent.  A student in a classroom last year called it the “floating midget x”!
Let’s look at our options:
(1) compounded interest: exponential!!  Notice the formula has A = P (1+r)^t — that exponent makes it exponential and not linear!!
(2) doubling…hey that’s Moore’s Law: exponential function that makes the phone/computer you are reading this on exist!!
(3) cell phone service we could write the equation like this:  y = .20x + base  looks mighty like y = mx + b
(4) decay function is exponential as it also uses an exponent

The maximum of the above graph f(x) is 5 (when x = 1, y = 5)>
Let’s put g(x) into the TI-84:
Look at the graph below: definitely goes higher than the original graph and therefore has a larger maximum value.
Check out the table below — maximum y value is 11 which definitely beats 5!