Bruce is considering relocating to a new city. His options are Altuna, Boundary Valley, and Collie Creek. All other living expenses seem to be equal for the three choices, but Bruce is worried about his heating and cooling bill. The only information he has at his disposal is the following table: $\begin{array} { l c c }
\text { City } & \begin{array} { c }
\text { Mean daily } \
\text { temperature }
\end{array} & \begin{array} { c }
\text { Standard deviation for } \
\text { the daily temperature }
\end{array} \
\text { Altuna } & 64 & 15 \
\text { Boundary Valley } & 64 & 16 \
\text { Collie Creek } & 64 & 5
\end{array}$ Which city is likely to have the least expensive heating and cooling costs?
A) Altuna
B) Boundary Valley
C) Collie Creek
D) Unable to be determined with this information

Question

Bruce is considering relocating to a new city. His options are Altuna, Boundary Valley, and Collie Creek. All other living expenses seem to be equal for the three choices, but Bruce is worried about his heating and cooling bill. The only information he has at his disposal is the following table: $\begin{array} { l c c } 
\text { City } & \begin{array} { c } 
\text { Mean daily } \
\text { temperature }
\end{array} & \begin{array} { c } 
\text { Standard deviation for } \
\text { the daily temperature }
\end{array} \
\text { Altuna } & 64 & 15 \
\text { Boundary Valley } & 64 & 16 \
\text { Collie Creek } & 64 & 5
\end{array}$ Which city is likely to have the least expensive heating and cooling costs?
A) Altuna
B) Boundary Valley
C) Collie Creek
D) Unable to be determined with this information

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The standard deviation for the daily temperature is a measure of how much variation there is in the temperature from day to day. The lower the standard deviation, the more consistent the temperature is. Collie Creek has the lowest standard deviation, indicating that the temperature is more consistent from day to day. This means that there will be fewer extreme temperature days that require more heating or cooling, resulting in lower costs.

Bruce Is Considering Relocating to a New City Which City Is Likely to Have the Least Expensive Heating