Question 19·Easy·One-Variable Data Distributions; Measures of Center and Spread
The dot plot shows the number of hours a group of students studied for a test.
Which choice is the median number of hours studied?
For a dot plot median question, quickly rewrite the plot as an ordered list by counting repeats at each x-value. Then use the median rule: if there are values and is even, average the th and th values.
Hints
Count the dots
First, count how many data points (dots) are shown in the dot plot.
Find the middle position
If there are an even number of data points, the median is the average of the two middle values in the ordered list.
Use the x-values
Write the hours from left to right (including repeats) and locate the 4th and 5th values.
Desmos Guide
Enter the data as a list
From the dot plot, type the list
L=[1,2,2,3,3,3,4,4]
Average the two middle entries
Since there are 8 values, compute (L[4]+L[5])/2.
The displayed value is the median.
Step-by-step Explanation
List the data in order
From the dot plot, the data values are:
Identify the middle value(s)
There are 8 values, so the median is the average of the 4th and 5th values.
The 4th value is and the 5th value is .
Compute the median
The median is , so the correct choice is .