Two friends are training to run a 100 m race. Their running times over the past week are given in seconds — Nikhil: 17, 18, 17, 16, 19, 17, 18; Sunil: 20, 18, 18, 17, 16, 16, 17. Who on average ran quicker?
Given: Nikhil's times: 17, 18, 17, 16, 19, 17, 18 seconds Sunil's times: 20, 18, 18, 17, 16, 16, 17 seconds
Formula: Average = Total time ÷ Number of days
Nikhil's Calculation: Total = 17 + 18 + 17 + 16 + 19 + 17 + 18 = 122 seconds Average = 122 ÷ 7 17.43 seconds
Sunil's Calculation: Total = 20 + 18 + 18 + 17 + 16 + 16 + 17 = 122 seconds Average = 122 ÷ 7 17.43 seconds
Answer: Both runners have the same average time of approximately 17.43 seconds. ∴ They performed similarly.
Explanation
To find who ran quicker, we calculate the average (mean) time for each runner. Lower average time means faster runner. Nikhil's total = 17 + 18 + 17 + 16 + 19 + 17 + 18 = 122 seconds. Average = 122 ÷ 7 17.43 seconds. Sunil's total = 20 + 18 + 18 + 17 + 16 + 16 + 17 = 122 seconds. Average = 122 ÷ 7 17.43 seconds.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Calculate Nikhil's total time: 17 + 18 + 17 + 16 + 19 + 17 + 18 = 122 seconds
Step 2: Calculate Nikhil's average: 122 ÷ 7 17.43 seconds
Step 3: Calculate Sunil's total time: 20 + 18 + 18 + 17 + 16 + 16 + 17 = 122 seconds
Step 4: Calculate Sunil's average: 122 ÷ 7 17.43 seconds
Step 5: Compare: Both have the same average time of approximately 17.43 seconds