Question

A snowstorm took place during the weekend. Meteorologists tracked the total amount of snowfall for the storm. For the first 2 hours, it snowed at a rate of 1 inch per hour. The snow stopped for an hour and a half, then resumed at a rate of 1.5 inches per hour for the next 3 hours. Based on this information, what scale would work best for representing the data on the x-axis?(1 point)
Responses

2
2

5
5

3
3

0.5
0.5

Answer 1

To determine the best scale for representing the time data on the x-axis for the snowstorm's snowfall rates, we should consider the total duration of the snow events.

- **First 2 hours**: Snowed at 1 inch/hour.
- **Stopped for 1.5 hours**: No snow.
- **Next 3 hours**: Snowed at 1.5 inches/hour.

Total duration of the event is \(2 + 1.5 + 3 = 6.5\) hours.

Given that the total time is 6.5 hours, a scale that provides clear divisions over this duration would be useful. A scale of **0.5 hours** would allow you to cover each half-hour interval, which is suitable for tracking the various rates of snowfall over the total time effectively.

Therefore, the best scale for the x-axis would be:

**0.5**