How to find median

Help Questions

ISEE Upper Level Quantitative Reasoning › How to find median

Questions 1 - 10
1

Use the following data set to answer the question:

Find the median.

Explanation

To find the median of a data set, we will first arrange the numbers in ascending order. Then, we will locate the number in the center of the data set.

So, given the data set

we will arrange the numbers in ascending order. To do that, we will arrange them from smallest to largest. So, we get

Now, we will locate the number in the center of the data set.

We can see that it is 6.

Therefore, the median of the data set is 6.

2

Find the median of the following data set:

Explanation

Find the median of the following data set:

To find the median, first put the numbers in increasing order

Now, identify the median by choosing the middle term

In this case, it is 44, because 44 is in the middle of all our terms.

3

Consider the data set

.

For what value(s) of would this set have median ?

Any number greater than or equal to

Any number greater than

Any number less than or equal to

Any number less than

Any number except

Explanation

Arrange the eight known values from least to greatest.

For to be the median of the nine elements, it muct be the fifth-greatest, This happens if .

4

Find the median of the following numbers:

Explanation

The median is the center number when the data points are listed in ascending or descending order. To find the median, reorder the values in numerical order:

In this problem, the middle number, or median, is the third number, which is

5

If is a real number, find the median in the following set of data in terms of .

Explanation

The data should first be ordered:

When the number of values is even, the median is the mean of the two middle values. So in this problem we need to find the mean of the and values:

6

What is the median of the frequency distribution shown in the table:

Explanation

There are data values altogether. When the number of values is even, the median is the mean of the two middle values. So in this problem the median is the mean of the and largest values. So we can write:

So:

7

Use the following data set to answer the question:

Find the median.

Explanation

To find the median of a data set, we will first arrange the data set in ascending order. Then, we will find the number that is located in the middle of the set.

So, given the set

we will arrange the set in ascending order (from smallest to largest). We get

Now, we will locate the number in the middle of the set.

We can see that it is 6.

Therefore, the median of the data set is 6.

8

Examine this stem-and-leaf display for a set of data:

What is the median of this data set?

Explanation

The "stem" of this data set represents the tens digits of the data values; the "leaves" represent the units digits.

There are 22 elements, so the median is the arithmetic mean of the eleventh- and twelfth-highest elements, which are 64 and 65, the middle two "leaves". Their mean is .

9

The following are the scores from a math test in a given classroom. What is the median score?

Explanation

To find the median you need to arrange the values in numerical order.

Starting with this:

Rearrange to look like this:

If there are an odd number of values, the median is the middle value. In this case there are 8 values so the median is the average (or mean) of the two middle values.

10

What is the median of the following set?

Explanation

The first step towards solving for the set, is to reorder the numbers from smallest to largest.

This gives us:

The median is equal to middle number in s a set. In since this set has 6 numbers, which is even, the average of the middle two numbers is the mean. The average can be found using the equation below:

Page 1 of 3
Return to subject