Question

Samuel builds four electromagnets and tests them by picking up paperclips. Here are his partial results.

Number of Paperclips Picked Up by Electromagnets with Different Coil Counts
Coils | Paperclips
8 | 2
16 | 7
24 | 11
30 | ?
Which is the best prediction for the number of paperclips the electromagnet with 30 coils will pick up?

(1 point)

14 paperclips

11 paperclips

1 paperclip

8 paperclips

Answer 1

14 paperclips

Reason: From 8→16→24 coils the counts go 2→7→11 (increments +5, +4). If the next increment is +3, 11+3 = 14. A linear fit to the data also predicts about 14.4, so 14 is the best choice.