Significantly low values are nothing beats per minute or lower. ​(Type an integer or a decimal. Do not​ round.) Significantly high values are nothing beats per minute or higher.

Question

A certain group of test subjects had pulse rates with a mean of

74.6

beats per minute and a standard deviation of

10.5

beats per minute. Use the range rule of thumb to identify the limits separating values that are significantly low or significantly high. Is a pulse rate of

85.6

beats per minute significantly low or significantly​ high?

Answer 1

I would need some clarification here. So..."significantly low" heart rates are 0 bpm or lower, and "significantly high" heart rates are 0 bpm or higher? Sounds like there is overlap in those ranges. If significantly low heart rates are represented by the values in the range [-infinity, 0], and significantly high heart rates are represented by the values in the range [0, +infinity], then that would mean a heart rate of 0 bpm is both significantly high and significantly low? This is what I mean by "overlap" and this is why I feel some clarification is in order?

So, if we are to ignore the heading, intuitively, I would think the problem is actually asking us to use the range rule of thumb which says that any value that is greater than (or less than) four times the standard deviation is "outside the range".

So; 74.6 + 4(10.5)

= 74.6 + 42 = 116.6 bpm

So any heart rate that is greater than 116.6 bpm is "significantly high".

Likewise, 74.6 - 4(10.5)

=74.6 - 42 = 32.6 bpm

So any heart rate that is less than 32.6 bpm is "significantly low".

This would put a heart rate of 85.6 bpm inside the safe zone, i.e., 32.6 <= 85.6 <= 116.6, meaning a heart rate of 85.6 bpm is neither significantly high nor significantly low.

Again, however, this is just my intuition on this question. I would not be able to answer this question accurately without some clarification.

EDIT: I just want to state the obvious although I originally thought that it wasn't necessary.

If you have a heart rate of 0 bpm, you're dead, so obviously, your heart rate is significantly low. lol