A histogram is titled 'Exam Scores per Student in Mr. Hanley's Class.' The x-axis ranges from 40 to 100 by 10-unit increments and the y-axis ranges from 0 to 8 by 2-unit increments. The x-axis is labeled 'Exam Scores' and the y-axis is unlabeled.

A histogram is titled 'Exam Scores per Student in Ms. Blach's Class.' The x-axis ranges from 40 to 100 by 10-unit increments and the y-axis ranges from 0 to 5 by increments of 1. The x-axis is labeled 'Exam Scores' and the y-axis is unlabeled.
Mr. Hanley and Ms. Balch gave the same Algebra final exam to their classes. The histograms show the distribution of the scores for each class. Which best compares the overall scores of the two classes?

(1 point)
Responses

Mr. Hanley’s class scored higher overall, as shown by the symmetric shape of the graph.
Mr. Hanley’s class scored higher overall, as shown by the symmetric shape of the graph.

Ms. Balch’s class scored higher overall, as shown by the almost symmetrical shape of the graph.
Ms. Balch’s class scored higher overall, as shown by the almost symmetrical shape of the graph.

Mr. Hanley’s class scored higher overall, as shown by the left-skewed shape of the graph.
Mr. Hanley’s class scored higher overall, as shown by the left-skewed shape of the graph.

Ms. Balch’s class scored higher overall, as shown by the fact that five students scored in the middle 60 score range.
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1 answer

To determine which class scored higher overall, we need to consider the shape and the highest frequencies of each histogram.

  • Mr. Hanley's class has a y-axis that goes up to 8, indicating a higher count of students scoring in certain ranges compared to Ms. Blach's class, where the maximum is 5.
  • If Mr. Hanley's histogram shows a symmetric shape, it suggests a balanced distribution of scores, potentially around a higher mean.
  • Ms. Blach's histogram is labeled as having an "almost symmetrical shape," which might suggest that while the scores are distributed relatively evenly, they might not be as high as those in Mr. Hanley's class.

Based on this reasoning, the best answer is:

"Mr. Hanley’s class scored higher overall, as shown by the symmetric shape of the graph."

This focuses on the overall distribution of scores, with Mr. Hanley’s class likely achieving a higher overall score due to the higher maximum on the y-axis and a more symmetric distribution.