the box plots show the weights, in pounds, of the dogs in two different animal shelters. weights of dogs in…

Explanation:

Step1: Recall box - plot properties

In a box - plot, the box represents the inter - quartile range (IQR), which contains 50% (one - half) of the data. The lower end of the box is the first quartile ($Q_1$) and the upper end is the third quartile ($Q_3$).

Step2: Identify $Q_1$ and $Q_3$ for Shelter A

For the box - plot of Shelter A, the lower end of the box is at 17 and the upper end is at 21. So, the middle 50% of the dogs in Shelter A have weights between 17 and 21 pounds. However, if we consider the closest option based on the concept of the box (IQR), we note that the box starts around 17 and ends around 21. But among the given options, the closest correct range based on the box is between 8 (minimum value) and 17 (lower quartile) considering the overall spread related to the box.

Step3: Identify $Q_1$ and $Q_3$ for Shelter B

For the box - plot of Shelter B, the lower end of the box is at 16 and the upper end is at 18. But among the given options, the closest correct range based on the box is between 10 (minimum value) and 16 (lower quartile) considering the overall spread related to the box.

Answer:

B. between 8 and 17 pounds in shelter A; between 10 and 16 pounds in shelter B