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C
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Difficulty:
95%
(hard)
Question Stats:
41% (02:29) correct
59%
(02:08)
wrong
based on 197
sessions
History
Date
Time
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Not Attempted Yet
Throughout Region R, temperatures are such that households with air conditioning (AC) run AC only during Season X, which occurs every year. In one such household, AC always accounts for about half of all electricity consumption on days when AC runs for twelve hours. The table shows the household's electricity consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh) for some months of 2022.
What was the household's approximate electricity consumption in April 2022?
(1) In the household, AC ran for twelve hours every day during Season X of 2022.
(2) Average daily temperatures in Region R remained about the same for three months from the start of Season X in late March of 2022.
| Month | Electricity Consumption (kWh) |
| January | 620 |
| February | 624 |
| March | 704 |
| May | 1272 |
What was the household's approximate electricity consumption in April 2022?
(1) In the household, AC ran for twelve hours every day during Season X of 2022.
(2) Average daily temperatures in Region R remained about the same for three months from the start of Season X in late March of 2022.
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23 Nov 2025, 01:12
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I am struggling to accept the official answer (C). I selected (E) and here is my reasoning.
I understand that if we combine the statements, we know April is in "Season X" (Statement 2) and AC runs 12 hours (Statement 1). If we look at May (1,272 kWh) and apply the prompt's rule (AC is half the total on 12hr days), the implied "Base Load" for May is 636 kWh. Since Jan (620) and Feb (624) are similar, the solution assumes April's base load is also ~630, leading to a total of ~1,260 kWh.
My Objection (Why I chose E): My issue is the assumption that Base Consumption implies stability across seasons. There is no stimulus in the prompt stating that non-AC electricity consumption is constant throughout the year.
It is entirely possible that Jan/Feb base load is 620 due to factors like heating or lighting (short days), whereas April's base load could drop significantly (e.g., to 400 kWh) before rising again in May.
Without a statement confirming "Non-AC consumption remains constant," how can we approximate April? Is the correlation between Jan, Feb, and the derived May base load enough to legally force the assumption of linearity for April?
I understand that if we combine the statements, we know April is in "Season X" (Statement 2) and AC runs 12 hours (Statement 1). If we look at May (1,272 kWh) and apply the prompt's rule (AC is half the total on 12hr days), the implied "Base Load" for May is 636 kWh. Since Jan (620) and Feb (624) are similar, the solution assumes April's base load is also ~630, leading to a total of ~1,260 kWh.
My Objection (Why I chose E): My issue is the assumption that Base Consumption implies stability across seasons. There is no stimulus in the prompt stating that non-AC electricity consumption is constant throughout the year.
It is entirely possible that Jan/Feb base load is 620 due to factors like heating or lighting (short days), whereas April's base load could drop significantly (e.g., to 400 kWh) before rising again in May.
Without a statement confirming "Non-AC consumption remains constant," how can we approximate April? Is the correlation between Jan, Feb, and the derived May base load enough to legally force the assumption of linearity for April?
General Discussion
Rohanx9
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23 Nov 2025, 00:53
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Official Q Mock 3
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but have you seen an Official DS Question using approximately before this? 
