16Hit1600
Information and IdeasHardSupporting a claim about a share of a total

Information and Ideas practice question

Sources of a household's electricity use last month (kilowatt-hours): Heating: 300 Appliances: 150 Lighting: 50 Other: 100

A resident claims that heating accounts for half of the household's electricity use. Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to support the claim?

  1. A. Heating used 300 of the 600 kilowatt-hours in total, which is 50%.Correct
  2. B. Heating used 300 kilowatt-hours.
  3. C. Heating used twice as much as appliances.
  4. D. Lighting used the least electricity.

Answer: A. Heating used 300 of the 600 kilowatt-hours in total, which is 50%.

Half of a total requires the total: 300 of 600.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. Heating used 300 kilowatt-hours.
A figure without the total can't show a share.
C. Heating used twice as much as appliances.
A comparison with one category, not the whole.
D. Lighting used the least electricity.
Irrelevant to heating's share.

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