The two-way table below shows the number of tickets sold for performances to the school play.
Tickets Sold, by Performance Time
| | Saturday | Sunday |
| :--------- | :------- | :----- |
| 12 pm show | 178 | 211 |
| 4 pm show | 204 | 212 |
| 8 pm show | 212 | 196 |
Which statement is best supported by the table?
A. Twenty-three more tickets were sold to the Sunday 12 pm show than to the Saturday 12 pm show.
B. Twenty-four more tickets were sold to the 8 pm shows than to the 4 pm shows.
C. Twenty-five more tickets were sold to the Sunday shows than to the Saturday shows.
D. Twenty-six more tickets were sold to the 4 pm shows than to the 12 pm shows.
Answer (2)
The calculation shows that 25 more tickets were sold to the Sunday shows than to the Saturday shows, making the third statement supported by the data. The other statements do not hold true when comparing the ticket sales. Therefore, the correct answer is option C.
;
Calculate the difference in tickets sold for the 12 pm shows: 211 − 178 = 33 .
Calculate the difference in tickets sold between the 8 pm and 4 pm shows: ( 212 + 196 ) − ( 204 + 212 ) = − 8 .
Calculate the difference in total tickets sold between Sunday and Saturday: ( 211 + 212 + 196 ) − ( 178 + 204 + 212 ) = 25 .
Calculate the difference in tickets sold between the 4 pm and 12 pm shows: ( 204 + 212 ) − ( 178 + 211 ) = 27 .
Therefore, the statement best supported by the table is that twenty-five more tickets were sold to the Sunday shows than to the Saturday shows: 25 .
Explanation
Analyze the problem and data Let's analyze the given data to determine which statement is best supported by the table. We will calculate the differences described in each statement and compare them to the values in the table.
Check the first statement First, let's check the statement: 'Twenty-three more tickets were sold to the Sunday 12 pm show than to the Saturday 12 pm show.'
The number of tickets sold on Sunday at 12 pm is 211, and the number sold on Saturday at 12 pm is 178. The difference is: 211 − 178 = 33 So, 33 more tickets were sold to the Sunday 12 pm show than to the Saturday 12 pm show. This statement is not supported.
Check the second statement Next, let's check the statement: 'Twenty-four more tickets were sold to the 8 pm shows than to the 4 pm shows.'
The total number of tickets sold for the 8 pm shows is 212 + 196 = 408 . The total number of tickets sold for the 4 pm shows is 204 + 212 = 416 . The difference is: 408 − 416 = − 8 So, 8 fewer tickets were sold to the 8 pm shows than to the 4 pm shows. This statement is not supported.
Check the third statement Now, let's check the statement: 'Twenty-five more tickets were sold to the Sunday shows than to the Saturday shows.'
The total number of tickets sold on Sunday is 211 + 212 + 196 = 619 . The total number of tickets sold on Saturday is 178 + 204 + 212 = 594 . The difference is: 619 − 594 = 25 So, 25 more tickets were sold to the Sunday shows than to the Saturday shows. This statement is supported.
Check the fourth statement Finally, let's check the statement: 'Twenty-six more tickets were sold to the 4 pm shows than to the 12 pm shows.'
The total number of tickets sold for the 4 pm shows is 204 + 212 = 416 . The total number of tickets sold for the 12 pm shows is 178 + 211 = 389 . The difference is: 416 − 389 = 27 So, 27 more tickets were sold to the 4 pm shows than to the 12 pm shows. This statement is not supported.
Conclusion Based on our calculations, the statement 'Twenty-five more tickets were sold to the Sunday shows than to the Saturday shows' is best supported by the table.
Examples
Understanding ticket sales trends can help theaters optimize their scheduling and marketing strategies. For instance, if Sunday shows consistently outsell Saturday shows, the theater might consider adding more Sunday performances or increasing marketing efforts for Saturdays to boost attendance. This analysis ensures resources are allocated effectively to maximize revenue and audience engagement.
