Math Problem Statement

A student is taking an advanced philosophy class in which the midterm and final exams are worth 30% each and homework is worth 40%. On a 100-point scale, his midterm exam score was 83.1, his homework average score was 94.9, and his final exam score was 86.3. What is the student's overall average for the class?

Solution

From the information provided, we can see that the student has the following scores and weights:

  • Midterm score: 83.1
  • Homework average score: 94.9
  • Final exam score: 86.3

The weights for each component are:

  • Midterm exam: 30%
  • Final exam: 30%
  • Homework: 40%

To calculate the overall average, we use the formula for the weighted mean:

Overall Average=(Midterm score×0.30)+(Final exam score×0.30)+(Homework score×0.40)\text{Overall Average} = (\text{Midterm score} \times 0.30) + (\text{Final exam score} \times 0.30) + (\text{Homework score} \times 0.40)

Now, we plug in the scores:

Overall Average=(83.1×0.30)+(86.3×0.30)+(94.9×0.40)\text{Overall Average} = (83.1 \times 0.30) + (86.3 \times 0.30) + (94.9 \times 0.40)

Let's calculate this:

Overall Average=24.93+25.89+37.96=88.78\text{Overall Average} = 24.93 + 25.89 + 37.96 = 88.78

So, the overall average is approximately 88.8, rounded to the nearest tenth.

Would you like further explanations or assistance with another question? Here are some related questions you can explore:

  1. How would the overall average change if the weight distribution were different (e.g., 20% for midterm, 50% for final, and 30% for homework)?
  2. What is the difference between a weighted mean and a simple arithmetic mean?
  3. How do you calculate the average if the weights are given as fractions instead of percentages?
  4. If the student scored 100 on the final exam, how would it affect the overall average?
  5. Can you calculate the overall average if the homework score was 80 instead of 94.9?

Tip: When calculating weighted averages, ensure that the total of the weights adds up to 100% (or 1 as a decimal) to avoid errors in the final result.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Weighted Mean
Percentage Calculations
Averages

Formulas

Overall Average = (Midterm score * 0.30) + (Final exam score * 0.30) + (Homework score * 0.40)

Theorems

Weighted Mean Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-12