A median is the middle value after the data are ordered. In a box plot, the line inside the box marks that middle, so trace it down to the labeled axis. The box edges and whisker ends mark other values; choosing one of those means you've read the wrong mark.
Hints
- Hint 1
A median splits ordered values into two halves. A box plot marks that middle value with a line inside the box, not with a box edge or the end of a whisker.
- Hint 2
Trace the median line straight down to the time axis. The tick marks are five minutes apart, but the line can fall between two ticks. What time does it indicate?
Step-by-step
Read the median line
Step 1Find the mark for the middle
No Desmos needed. Read the answer off the box plot. The median is the middle of the delivery times in order, so the line inside the box marks the median. A box edge marks a boundary of the middle half, not its middle.
- Step 2
Read the time on the axis
Follow that inside line down to the delivery-time axis. It falls one minute past the -minute tick, at minutes. The median delivery time is minutes. Choice B.