Randy chooses to survey every 5th student in the cafeteria. He surveys a total of 140 students and finds that 84 support buying new PE equipment. If this is a representative sample, how many total students could he predict would support the purchase of new PE equipment our of the entire student body?

Answer: He can predict that 420 students will be in support of the purchase.

Step-by-step explanation:

Since Randy surveyed one student out of every 5 he came across in the cafeteria, it means that if he came across five people, he will survey one, if he came across ten students, he will survey 2 and so on.

If then he surveyed a total of 140 students, then we can actually multiply the number by 5 to know the exact number of students he possibly came across in the cafeteria:

= 140 * 5

= Total of 700 students

If 84 out of the surveyed students supported the purchase, we can find what that figure represents in the total number of students in the cafeteria:

84/140 = x/700

We cross multiply

140 * X = 84 * 700

140X = 58,800

X = 58,800/140

X = 420 students

Therefore, he can predict that 420 students out of a total of 700 students in the cafeteria will be in support of the purchase of the P. E equipment