A survey was taken of students in math classes to find out how many hours per day students spend on social media. The survey results for the first-, second-, and third-period classes are as follows:
First period: 2, 4, 3, 1, 0, 2, 1, 3, 1, 4, 9, 2, 4, 3, 0
Second period: 3, 2, 3, 1, 3, 4, 2, 4, 3, 1, 0, 2, 3, 1, 2
Third period: 4, 5, 3, 4, 2, 3, 4, 1, 8, 2, 3, 1, 0, 2, 1, 3
Which is the best measure of center for second period and why?
A. Mean, because there are no outliers that affect the center
B.Median, because there is 1 outlier that affects the center
C.Interquartile range, because there is 1 outlier that affects the center
D.Standard deviation, because there are no outliers that affect the center
It's either A or D because there are no outliers. Does anybody know which one it is? I'm leaning more towards A. Mean, because there are no outliers that affect the center. Is this right?
was choice A correct?
A. Mean, because there are no outliers that affect the center
Am I right? I just need a yes or a no??
Yes, Mean can also mean average. The average is the center of the group of numbers.
To determine the best measure of center for the second period, we need to consider the distribution of the data and whether or not there are outliers present.
Looking at the data set for the second period: 3, 2, 3, 1, 3, 4, 2, 4, 3, 1, 0, 2, 3, 1, 2
To find the mean, we would add up all the values and divide by the total number of values. However, the presence of outliers can significantly influence the mean. In this case, it appears that there are no extreme values that significantly deviate from the rest of the data, so the mean could be a suitable measure of center.
Now let's consider other options:
- Median: The median is the middle value when the data is arranged in ascending or descending order. It is not affected by outliers. However, in this case, it is not mentioned that there is an outlier that affects the center. Therefore, the presence of one outlier should not be a determining factor in choosing the measure of center.
- Interquartile Range (IQR): The IQR measures the spread of the data by calculating the range between the first quartile (25th percentile) and the third quartile (75th percentile) of the data. It is not typically used as a measure of center.
- Standard Deviation: The standard deviation measures the average distance of the data points from the mean. While it is not affected by outliers, it is primarily used to measure the spread of the data, rather than the center.
Based on the options provided, the best measure of center for the second period would indeed be the mean (option A), as there are no significant outliers that affect the center. Therefore, your inclination is correct.