A bouquet initially contains 6 flowers on average. If the seller doubles the flowers in each bouquet, what is the new average number of flowers per bouquet?
Aptitude
Average
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
Answer
Correct Answer: 12
Explanation
Introduction / Context:Uniform scaling of every data point scales the average by the same factor. Doubling every bouquet's count doubles the mean as well.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Original average flowers per bouquet = 6
- Each bouquet is doubled
Concept / Approach:If each value is multiplied by k, the average is multiplied by k. Here k = 2.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Original average = 6 Scaling factor = 2 New average = 6 * 2 = 12Verification / Alternative check:Consider three bouquets with counts 5, 6, 7 (average 6). Doubling gives 10, 12, 14 (average 12). Pattern generalizes to any data set.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- 3: This would be halving, not doubling.
- 8: Not consistent with a full factor-of-two increase.
- none of these and 6: Both ignore the uniform scaling rule.
Common Pitfalls:Confusing doubling with adding a fixed number; multiplying is required here.
Final Answer:12