The Australian Bureau of Statistics Regularly Publishes the Average Retail

question 15

Essay

The Australian Bureau of Statistics regularly publishes the average retail prices of selected items for each Australian capital city. The following table presents the prices of oranges, bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and onions in Melbourne during the June quarter in 2012 and 2014. $$\begin{array}{l}\text { Fruit and vegetable prices } ( \$ / \mathrm { kg } )\\\begin{array} { | l | c | c | } \hline \text { Item } & \text { June 2012 } & \text { June 2014 } \\\hline \text { Oranges } & 2.98 & 2.95 \\\hline \text { Bananas } & 2.32 & 2.37 \\\hline \text { Potatoes } & 2.69 & 2.44 \\\hline \text { Tomatoes } & 3.72 & 4.59 \\\hline \text { Carrots } & 2.20 & 1.95 \\\hline \text { Onions } & 2.57 & 2.35 \\\hline\end{array}\end{array}$$ Construct a simple aggregate index of the prices for the fruit and vegetable group using June 2012 as the base period.

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Definitions:

Oxygen

A chemical element (O) essential for cellular respiration in living organisms and a component of the earth's atmosphere.

Maternal Blood

Blood circulating in a pregnant woman that provides nutrients and oxygen to both the mother and the fetus.

Embryonic Blood

Blood cells that are present in an embryo, fundamental in the development of the circulatory system.

Fetal Blood

Blood that circulates through a fetus, which has unique properties, such as a higher concentration of hemoglobin, to efficiently carry oxygen from the placenta.