If each football coach (32% preference) represents a number of students, how many students preferred football?

To determine how many students preferred football based on the given preference percentage of 32%, you first need to know the total number of students surveyed. For illustration, let's assume that the total number of students is 150.

To find the number of students who preferred football, multiply the total number of students by the percentage of preference for football:

Number of students who preferred football = Total students × Preference fraction

= 150 × 0.32

= 48 students.

This calculation shows that if the total number of students is 150, then 32% of them corresponds to 48 students who preferred football. Hence, the answer, given the assumptions of this example, is 48 students.

When assessing the other options, they are not valid based on the percentage of preference given and the calculations performed. If the total number of students were different, it would change the outcome accordingly, but for this specific scenario with 150 students, 48 is the correct calculation for preference.