The graph below represents the total number of smartphones that are shipped to a retail store over the course of 50 days.

Match each part of the graph (A,B,C) to its verbal description. Explain your reasoning behind your choice.

I. half of the factory workers went on strike, and not enough smartphones were produced for normal shipments.

II. The production schedule was normal, and smartphones were shipped to the retail store at a constant rate.

III. A defective electronic chip was found, and the factory had to shut down, so no smartphones were shipped.

1 answer

To match the parts of the graph (A, B, C) with the verbal descriptions (I, II, III), we need to analyze each section of the graph based on the descriptions provided:

  1. Description I: Half of the factory workers went on strike, and not enough smartphones were produced for normal shipments.

    • This would likely be represented by a decrease or a flattening in the curve, indicating a drop in the number of smartphones shipped compared to the usual rate.
  2. Description II: The production schedule was normal, and smartphones were shipped to the retail store at a constant rate.

    • A section of the graph showing a straight line indicates that shipments were consistent and at a regular pace throughout that time frame.
  3. Description III: A defective electronic chip was found, and the factory had to shut down, so no smartphones were shipped.

    • This would be represented by a flat line at the bottom of the graph, indicating a period of time with zero shipments, often following a spike or other activity on the graph.

Given these analyses, we would match each part as follows:

  • Part A: This part likely shows a significant drop in shipments, which corresponds to Description I, indicating a labor strike affecting production.

  • Part B: If this part displays a straight, upward slope, it could easily match Description II, representing constant and normal shipping rates during that period.

  • Part C: If this part depicts a flat line at the zero mark, it would match Description III, illustrating the factory's halt in production due to a defect found.

Thus, we have:

  • A = I (labor strike)
  • B = II (normal production)
  • C = III (factory shutdown due to defects)

This reasoning is based on how each description relates to typical patterns shown in graphs of production and shipping statistics.