Mean and Median

Front

What is the mean of a data set?

Back

The mean is the average of a set of numbers, calculated by adding all the values together and dividing by the number of values.

Front

What is the median of a data set?

Back

The median is the middle value of a data set when the numbers are arranged in order. If there is an even number of values, the median is the average of the two middle numbers.

Front

How does the mean behave in a skewed distribution?

Back

In a positively skewed distribution, the mean is greater than the median. In a negatively skewed distribution, the mean is less than the median.

Front

What does it mean if the mean is larger than the median?

Back

It indicates that the data set has a positive skew, meaning there are some high values that are pulling the mean up.

Front

What does it mean if the mean is smaller than the median?

Back

It indicates that the data set has a negative skew, meaning there are some low values that are pulling the mean down.

Front

What is a symmetric distribution?

Back

A symmetric distribution is one where the left and right sides of the graph are mirror images. In this case, the mean and median are approximately equal.

Front

How can you identify a positively skewed distribution from a graph?

Back

In a positively skewed distribution, the tail on the right side of the graph is longer or fatter than the left side.

Front

How can you identify a negatively skewed distribution from a graph?

Back

In a negatively skewed distribution, the tail on the left side of the graph is longer or fatter than the right side.

Front

What is the relationship between mean and median in a normal distribution?

Back

In a normal distribution, the mean, median, and mode are all equal.

Front

What is an outlier?

Back

An outlier is a value that is significantly higher or lower than the other values in a data set, which can affect the mean.