Question 1 of 5
A researcher recorded the percentage of a town's residents who preferred each of three transportation options in 2010 and 2020. The table shows the data.
The town's population increased by from 2010 to 2020. Based on the table, which statement must be true?
Explanation
Let the town's population in 2010 be . Then the population in 2020 is .
Bus preference:
- In 2010, the number of residents who preferred bus transportation was .
- In 2020, the number was .
Now compare these amounts:
So the number of residents who preferred bus transportation increased by , which is more than . Therefore, statement A must be true.
To check the others:
- Car: 2010 number was , and 2020 number was , a decrease of only , not more than .
- Bike: 2010 number was , and 2020 number was , so it increased by , not stayed the same.
- Car or bus combined: in 2010, of is ; in 2020, of is , so that total increased, not stayed the same.
Concept summary
When percentages are applied to changing totals, compare actual quantities by converting each percentage into a count using the total for that year.