Question

Leilani needs to confirm 4 infrared thermometers work correctly. She tests
them by measuring the temperature of various lab items and records the
data in the table below. Which of the following factors is MOST LIKELY
affecting the quality of this data?
A)
Methods
B) Missing Data
C) Mistakes
D) Motivations
Thermometer 1
Thermometer 2
Thermometer 3
Thermometer 4
72.4°
38°
102.3°
70.4°
87.3°
65.9°
168.5°
48.6°
25.9°
75.1°
34.2°
19.7°

Answer 1

C) Mistakes.

Reason: the data include an obvious outlier (e.g., 168.5°) that is inconsistent with the other measurements and likely physically impossible for the tested items — this points to a measurement or recording error rather than missing data, motivation bias, or a consistent methodological issue.