To find the relative frequency of 8th graders who prefer cats, you first need to determine the total number of 8th graders and then calculate the percentage of those who prefer cats.
From the table:
- 8th Graders who prefer cats: 22
- 8th Graders who prefer dogs: 26
- 8th Graders with no preference: 6
Total number of 8th graders: \[ \text{Total} = 22 \text{ (cats)} + 26 \text{ (dogs)} + 6 \text{ (no preference)} = 54 \]
Relative frequency of 8th graders who prefer cats: \[ \text{Relative frequency} = \frac{\text{Number of 8th graders who prefer cats}}{\text{Total number of 8th graders}} = \frac{22}{54} \]
Calculating this gives: \[ \frac{22}{54} \approx 0.4074 \]
To express this as a percentage: \[ 0.4074 \times 100 \approx 40.74% \]
Rounding to the nearest tenth gives: \[ 40.7% \]
Thus, the relative frequency of 8th graders who prefer cats is 40.7%.
The correct response is: 40.7%.