Observational Studies and Experiments — Quiz

Question 4 • Statistics and Probability

Which statement best describes the effect of the confounding variable?

Answer

Because owners of different types of vehicles may choose not to use the additive, those vehicles will not show an improvement in gas mileage.

Because vehicles of different colors may show differences in gas mileage, the additive may improve the gas mileage in some vehicles but not in others.

Because vehicles of different sizes may respond differently to the additive, it may be difficult to conclude whether the additive improves gas mileage for all vehicles.

Because vehicles of different sizes may respond similarly to the additive, it should be easy to conclude whether the additive improves gas mileage.

Explanation

Vehicle size can affect gas mileage and may also influence how a vehicle responds to the additive. If vehicle sizes are not accounted for, it can be hard to tell whether differences in gas mileage are caused by the additive or by the vehicles’ different sizes. Thus, the best choice is that it may be difficult to conclude whether the additive improves gas mileage for all vehicles.

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