Answer: Choice B) One-sixth
In other words, the fraction 1/6
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Explanation:
The base, aka horizontal component, is 6 units long. Count out the spaces from -5 to 1 to get a result of 6.
Or you could subtract and use absolute value in either of these two ways
- |A - B| = |-5 - 1| = |-6| = 6
- |B - A| = |1 - (-5)| = |1 + 5| = |6| = 6
Where A = -5 and B = 1 are the endpoints mentioned. Absolute value is used to ensure the result of the subtraction isn't negative. Negative distance on a number line doesn't make sense.
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However you determine the base, we'll multiply it by the unknown height which we'll call h. This leads to the area of the rectangle. The area is 6h.
Rule: The area under a probability density curve must <u>always</u> be 1.
So the area 6h must be 1 which helps us see that...
6h = 1
h = 1/6
Divide both sides by 6 to isolate h fully.
