Question 30·Hard·One-Variable Data Distributions; Measures of Center and Spread
The dot plot represents the 10 values in data set A.
Data set B is created by multiplying each value in data set A by and then adding .
If the median of data set B is equal to the range of data set B, what is the value of ?
Which choice is correct?
When every data value is transformed by , use transformation rules instead of recomputing everything: the range is multiplied by (adding doesn’t change it), and the median becomes (even if ). Compute the median and range of the original data once, transform them, then use any condition given (like “median equals range”) to set up a simple equation.
Hints
Read the center and spread of A
From the dot plot, list the 10 values in order so you can identify the median and the range of data set A.
Range under a transformation
In , think separately: multiplying by affects the range, but adding does not.
Median under a transformation
Once you know the median of A, apply to that median to express the median of B in terms of .
Use the condition given
You are told median(B) equals range(B). Set your two expressions equal and solve for .
Desmos Guide
Enter data set A as a list
Enter the list of values from the dot plot:
A={1,2,2,3,3,3,4,4,5,5}
Create a slider for and define B
Type k=0 to create a slider.
Then define the transformed list:
B=-3A+k
Compute median and range of B and solve
Compute median(B) and max(B)-min(B).
Adjust the slider until median(B) equals max(B)-min(B), then read off the corresponding value of .
Step-by-step Explanation
Find the median of data set A from the dot plot
There are 10 values, so the median is the average of the 5th and 6th values in the ordered list.
From the dot plot, the ordered values are
.
The 5th and 6th values are both , so the median of A is .
Find the range of data set A
The minimum value is and the maximum value is , so the range of A is
.
Use the transformation to find the range of B
Adding shifts every value by the same amount, so it does not change the range.
Multiplying every value by scales all distances by , so it multiplies the range by .
Therefore, the range of B is .
Use the transformation to write the median of B
For a linear transformation , the median transforms the same way as the data values. Here , so
.
Set median(B) equal to range(B) and solve
The problem states that the median of B equals the range of B, so
.
Adding to both sides gives .
Therefore, the correct choice is .