Explain a situation when neither the mean nor the median is a good descriptor for a dataset.
A. when the dataset is right leaning
B. when the dataset is left leaning
C. when the data set is U-shaped
D. when the data set is symmetrically bell-shaped
C. When the data set is U-shaped
In a U-shaped dataset, there are two distinct peaks or modes in the distribution. In this situation, neither the mean nor the median accurately represents the central tendency of the data. The mean may be pulled towards one of the peaks, giving a misleading representation of the data, while the median may not capture the true midpoint if it falls between the two modes. Thus, in a U-shaped dataset, it is better to visually examine the distribution or consider other measures such as mode or quartiles to describe the dataset accurately.