Understanding Measures of Center

What is the primary purpose of using a single number to summarize a data set?

• To ignore outliers in the data

• To eliminate all variations in the data

• To provide a representative value of the data set

• To make the data set more complex

How is the mean of a data set calculated?

• By finding the middle value of the data set

• By identifying the most frequently occurring value

• By subtracting the smallest value from the largest value

• By summing all data values and dividing by the number of values

In the example of arcade tickets, what was the mean number of tickets?

• 62

• 75

• 84

• 79

Why is the mean considered an 'equal or fair share' value?

• Because it is the highest value in the data set

• Because it is the lowest value in the data set

• Because it divides the total sum equally among all subjects

• Because it is always a whole number

What is the median of a data set?

• The difference between the highest and lowest values

• The average of all data values

• The most frequently occurring value

• The middle value when data is ordered

How do you find the median in a data set with an even number of values?

• By taking the average of the two middle numbers

• By selecting the highest value

• By selecting the lowest value

• By choosing any random value

In the subway rides example, what was the median number of rides?

• 9

• 6

• 5

• 3

Which measure of center is least likely to be used in statistical analysis?

• Range

• Mode

• Median

• Mean

In the movie theater age example, what was the mode?

• 22

• 7

• 21

• 18

When are the mean, median, and mode all equal?

• When the data set has no variation

• When there is only one data point

• When the data set is perfectly symmetrical

• When the data set is very large