Studies have shown that the number of fire engines at a fire and the amount of damage done by the fire are highly and positively correlated.Which of the following conclusions seems most appropriate?
A)send as few fire engines to a fire as possible.
B)the presence of more fire engines tends to cause more confusion, leading to greater fire damage.
C)the number of fire engines and the amount of fire damage are both related to a third factor-the size of the fire-and so are correlated to one another.
D)fires and fire engines have something in common - they are both red.
E)none of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correlation between the number of fire engines and the amount of damage is likely due to both being influenced by a third factor, which is the size of the fire. Larger fires require more fire engines and also tend to cause more damage.

Studies Have Shown That the Number of Fire Engines at a Fire