Question

Difficulty: MediumSorting and Multi-Column Ordering

The table below presents operational metrics for eight EV charging station networks.

Network IDRegionTotal ChargersFast Chargers (%)Average Uptime (%)Monthly Utilization (hrs/charger)
Alpha-1North4540%98.2%310
Beta-2South6025%97.5%280
Gamma-3East3060%99.1%340
Delta-4North8015%96.8%290
Epsilon-5West5050%98.7%320
Zeta-6South4045%97.0%350
Eta-7East7030%99.4%260
Theta-8West5560%98.0%330

Statement: If the table is sorted by Region in ascending alphabetical order, and any ties in Region are broken by sorting Fast Chargers (%) in descending order, the network in the North region with the higher Monthly Utilization will appear before the other North region network.

Answer: Answer

Answer

The statement is True.
Sorting by Region alphabetically places the North region second (after East). To order the two North rows (Alpha-1 and Delta-4), we sort Fast Chargers (%) in descending order. Since 40% > 15%, Alpha-1 (Monthly Utilization = 310) precedes Delta-4 (Monthly Utilization = 290), making the statement true.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify networks located in the North region.
The North region includes Alpha-1 (Fast Chargers: 40%, Utilization: 310) and Delta-4 (Fast Chargers: 15%, Utilization: 290).
Filtering the table for the North region is necessary before applying the tie-breaker.
2
Apply the secondary sort rule (Fast Chargers % in descending order) to break the tie in the North region.
40% > 15%, so Alpha-1 comes before Delta-4.
Descending order puts higher percentages first.
3
Compare the Monthly Utilization values of the ordered North region networks.
Alpha-1 (310 hrs/charger) appears before Delta-4 (290 hrs/charger). The network with the higher utilization appears first.
This directly satisfies the condition stated.

Key Concept

Multi-column sorting requires applying a primary sort order to a categorical column and resolving identical values using a secondary quantitative column.
Estimated Time:1m 15s
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