Police Math Calculating Averages Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Officer Rodriguez recorded her response times for five emergency calls during her shift: 8 minutes, 12 minutes, 7 minutes, 15 minutes, and 8 minutes. What was her average response time for these calls?
- 9 minutes
- 10 minutes (Correct answer)
- 11 minutes
- 8 minutes
Correct answer: 10 minutes
The average is calculated by summing the individual response times (8 + 12 + 7 + 15 + 8 = 50 minutes) and dividing by the number of calls (5). 50 minutes / 5 calls = 10 minutes per call.
Question 2: A detective is reviewing case files. Over a four-week period, she closed an average of 9 cases per week. In the first three weeks, she closed 10, 7, and 11 cases, respectively. How many cases did she close in the fourth week?
- 7
- 9
- 8 (Correct answer)
- 10
Correct answer: 8
To average 9 cases over 4 weeks, the detective must have closed a total of 9 * 4 = 36 cases. The sum of the cases for the first three weeks is 10 + 7 + 11 = 28. To find the number of cases closed in the fourth week, subtract the known total from the required total: 36 - 28 = 8 cases.
Question 3: An evidence locker contains three sealed envelopes of cash seized during a raid. The envelopes contain $1,250, $875, and $1,510. What is the average amount of cash per envelope?
- $1,211.67 (Correct answer)
- $1,155.00
- $3,635.00
- $1,250.00
Correct answer: $1,211.67
To find the average amount, add the values of the cash in all envelopes ($1,250 + $875 + $1,510 = $3,635) and then divide by the number of envelopes (3). $3,635 / 3 = $1,211.67.
Question 4: An officer patrolled three different routes. Which of the following patrols resulted in the highest average speed?
- 20 miles in 30 minutes
- 25 miles in 40 minutes
- 35 miles in 1 hour
- 40 miles in 50 minutes (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 40 miles in 50 minutes
To find the average speed in miles per hour (MPH), divide the distance in miles by the time in hours. A) 20 miles / 0.5 hours = 40 MPH. B) 25 miles / (40/60) hours ≈ 37.5 MPH. C) 35 miles / 1 hour = 35 MPH. D) 40 miles / (50/60) hours = 48 MPH. Patrol D has the highest average speed.
Question 5: A police academy class has six recruits with the following ages: 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28. What is the mean age of the recruits?
- 24
- 25.5
- 25 (Correct answer)
- 24.5
Correct answer: 25
The mean is calculated by summing all the ages and dividing by the number of recruits. The sum of the ages is 22 + 23 + 24 + 26 + 27 + 28 = 150. There are 6 recruits. The mean age is 150 / 6 = 25.
Question 6: The number of traffic citations issued by a small department over five consecutive months was 110, 130, 125, 145, and 140. After a new traffic enforcement initiative in the sixth month, the monthly average for all six months dropped to 128 citations. How many citations were issued in the sixth month?
- 130
- 128
- 122
- 118 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 118
The total number of citations over the six-month period is the new average multiplied by the number of months: 128 * 6 = 768. The sum of the citations for the first five months is 110 + 130 + 125 + 145 + 140 = 650. To find the number of citations issued in the sixth month, subtract the five-month total from the six-month total: 768 - 650 = 118.
Officer Rodriguez recorded her response times for five emergency calls during her shift: 8 minutes, 12 minutes, 7 minutes, 15 minutes, and 8 minutes.
What was her average response time for these calls?