Students investigate a chemical synthesis to extract a purified organic product. They compare extraction using two different organic solvents: Solvent A and Solvent B.
The table below shows the mass of the purified product collected by the students in three trials for each solvent:
| Solvent | Mass of product (g): Trial 1 | Mass of product (g): Trial 2 | Mass of product (g): Trial 3 | Mean mass (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solvent A | 15.4 | 16.1 | 14.9 | 15.5 |
| Solvent B | 21.4 | 19.2 | 19.9 | [ ? ] |
Calculate the mean mass of product collected for the extraction using Solvent B. Give your answer to 1 decimal place.
The range of the three trial measurements for Solvent A is 1.2 g. Does the evidence support using Solvent B instead of Solvent A? Explain your answer using calculations of range and mean.