<p>I think the answer is probably on another thread, but as I am the mom and not the student, reading 3000+ posts does not interest me :-)</p>
<p>The graph question that asked for the greatest difference (between years?)... apparently the "obvious" answer was 1920, but the correct answer (maybe) was 1992.</p>
<p>Can someone please explain the problem/solution to me so that I can pass on it? I don't think S even tried to do math, I think he just looked at it.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>it was 1920</p>
<p>But my understanding is that 1920 was determined by just looking at the graph… not by doing math. </p>
<p>Can you tell me how 1920 is the correct answer? Or can you tell me how some people got 1992?</p>
<p>the question asked what the biggest difference in miles of railroad traveled throughout the US was (this implies magnitude). I’m not sure what the exact values were, but 1920 had the largest difference in railroad miles traveled from the first year.</p>
<p>People may have thought it was 1992 because they misunderstood the question. They thought that it would be the biggest “difference” between the first year and whatever year. So they thought every year that had more miles traveled than the first one would be a negative “difference” and so, thought that the answer was 1992 (the only year in which the miles traveled was less than the first year, and so had a positive “difference”)</p>
<p>For ex. In year 1890 it was 20 miles of railroad; 1900 was 30; 1910 was 40; 1920 was 45; 1930 was 41; 1992 was 18.</p>
<p>The biggest difference would be between 1890 and 1900. But some people may think it is 1992 because it is the only one where the “difference” is positive.</p>
<p>OK, thank you</p>
<p>oops sorry, mean “the biggest difference would be between 1890 and 1920”. for the second part</p>
<p>Was 1992 one of the choices???!</p>
<p>yeah 1992 sounds a little unreasonable to even be an answer, its just absolute value of differences… not sure which year it was, but i know it was the highest peak</p>
<p>Yeah, the answer should have been the highest point on the graph.</p>
<p>1920 is confirmed</p>