Final answer:
The average height of the tomato plants is calculated by summing their individual heights (359 inches) and dividing by the number of plants (9), resulting in an average height of 39.9 inches.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the average height of the tomato plants, we add up the height of each plant and then divide the total by the number of plants.
The heights of the tomato plants are: 36, 45, 52, 40, 38, 41, 50, 12, 45 inches.
Add these together to find the sum: 36 + 45 + 52 + 40 + 38 + 41 + 50 + 12 + 45 = 359 inches.
To find the average, we divide the sum by the total number of plants, which is 9.
The average height is 359 inches ÷ 9 plants = 39.9 inches.
Therefore, the average height of the tomato plant is 39.9 inches.