Question

a magazine published a list consisting of the state tax on each gallon of gas. if we add the 50 state tax amounts and then divide by 50, we get 27.3 cents. is the value of 27.3 cents the mean amount of state sales tax paid by all u.s. drivers? why or why not? choose the correct answer below. a. no, the value of 27.3 cents is not the mean because the 50 amounts are all weighted equally in the calculation, but some states consume more gas than others, so the mean amount of state sales tax should be calculated using a weighted mean. b. yes, the value of 27.3 cents is the mean because a mean is found by summing all sample values and then dividing the by total number of values. c. yes, the value of 27.3 cents is the mean because it is a measure of center and all measures of centers can be refered to as either an average or a mean. d. no, the value of 27.3 cents is not the mean because it is the median that is found by summing all sample values and then dividing the by total number of values.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall mean - calculation concept

The mean of a set of data is found by summing all the values and dividing by the number of values. When calculating the mean state - sales tax paid by all U.S. drivers, if we just add the 50 state tax amounts and divide by 50 without considering the different populations (or gas - consumption levels) of each state, we are not accounting for the fact that some states consume more gas. A weighted mean should be used where states with higher gas consumption have a greater weight in the calculation.

Answer:

A. No, the value of 27.3 cents is not the mean because the 50 amounts are all weighted equally in the calculation, but some states consume more gas than others, so the mean amount of state sales tax should be calculated using a weighted mean.