High School

The lower quartile, or Q1, is approximately the 25th percentile of the data set. Given that Q1 for car speeds in a 55 mph zone is 57 mph, what does that mean?

A. 25% of cars are traveling below 57 mph
B. 25% of cars are traveling above 57 mph
C. 75% of cars are traveling below 57 mph
D. 75% of cars are traveling above 57 mph

Answer :

Final answer:

The first quartile (Q1) for car speeds in a 55 mph zone being 57 mph means that 25% of the cars are traveling below 57 mph. This signifies that the majority of cars are exceeding the posted speed limit. So the correct option is a.

Explanation:

In statistics, the first quartile (Q1), also known as the lower quartile, is the value that marks the 25th percentile of a data set. This means that 25% of the data falls below this value, and 75% falls above it. If the first quartile for car speeds in a 55 mph zone is 57 mph, it interprets that 25% of the cars are traveling at speeds below 57 mph.

It suggests that a majority of the drivers are exceeding the speed limit since only a quarter of the cars are traveling at or below 57 mph, a speed already above the speed limit. Option (a) correctly describes the meaning of the first quartile in this context. Thus, it is accurate to state that 25% of the cars are traveling below 57 mph.