In the year 1972, how many barrels of oil were produced worldwide?

In the year 1972, how many barrels of oil were produced worldwide?

• A. 12 million
• B. 42 million
• C. 200 million
• D. 5 million

Answer: (B)

Think about how much oil the world produced on a typical day in the early 1970s. Global daily output was roughly around forty million barrels per day, so a figure near forty-two million fits that daily scale. The other numbers don’t line up with what the world actually produced each day: five or twelve million would be far too low for worldwide daily production, while two hundred million would be unrealistically high for a single day. If you were looking at yearly production, you’d expect numbers in the billions, not millions, which would clash with these choices. So the best fit is the around forty-two million barrels per day, reflecting the common historical estimate for that era.

Think about how much oil the world produced on a typical day in the early 1970s. Global daily output was roughly around forty million barrels per day, so a figure near forty-two million fits that daily scale. The other numbers don’t line up with what the world actually produced each day: five or twelve million would be far too low for worldwide daily production, while two hundred million would be unrealistically high for a single day. If you were looking at yearly production, you’d expect numbers in the billions, not millions, which would clash with these choices. So the best fit is the around forty-two million barrels per day, reflecting the common historical estimate for that era.