Question

for a cat that weighs 15 pounds, rank the following scale weights from most accurate to least accurate.
13.9 pounds
15.01 pounds
15.10 pounds
16.2 pounds

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate the absolute differences

The formula for absolute difference is \(|x - y|\), where \(x = 15\) (actual weight) and \(y\) is the scale - measured weight.
For \(y = 13.9\): \(|15 - 13.9|=1.1\)
For \(y = 15.01\): \(|15 - 15.01| = 0.01\)
For \(y = 15.10\): \(|15 - 15.10|=0.1\)
For \(y = 16.2\): \(|15 - 16.2| = 1.2\)

Step2: Rank based on the differences

The smaller the absolute difference, the more accurate the measurement.
Since \(0.01<0.1<1.1<1.2\)

Answer:

15.01 pounds, 15.10 pounds, 13.9 pounds, 16.2 pounds