A state has 178 counties and has a sporadic power outage throughout the state. They have reports of 3%, 7%, and 12% power outage percentages coming from three different counties. Which is the best estimate of the percentage of the state that has a power outage?(1 point)

Question

Responses

22%
22%

7.3%
7.3%

37.3%
37.3%

8.1%

Answer 1

To find the best estimate of the percentage of the entire state that has a power outage based on the given percentages from the three counties, we can use a weighted average approach.

First, let's assume that the reports come from different numbers of counties or populations. However, since no specific county populations are provided, we will take the average of the three percentages.

1. Counties and their corresponding outage percentages:

   • County A: 3%
   • County B: 7%
   • County C: 12%

2. Calculating the average of these percentages:

   \[ \text{Average outage percentage} = \frac{3% + 7% + 12%}{3} = \frac{22%}{3} \approx 7.3% \]

So, the best estimate of the percentage of the state that has a power outage, based on these reports, would be approximately 7.3%.

Therefore, the correct response is 7.3%.