FINDING THE MEDIAN

Date:______________________________

Name:_____________________________

Grade:_____________________________

I. The median
1.Definition
The median of a set of data is the middle values of the ordered set. Like the mean, it describes the
typical value of the data set.
Half of the data values are above the median and half of data values are below the median.
For an odd number of data values, the median is the middle value
For an even number of data values, there are two middles values. The median is the average of these
two values
2. How to finding the median of the data set:
Step 1: Write the data in order from least to greatest.
Step 2: Find the middle value (or values)
- If there are an odd number of data values, there will be exactly one value in the middle.
-If there are an even number of data values, there will be two values in the middle.

Step 3: Find the median

-If there are an odd number of data values, the median is the middle value.
-If there are an even number of data values, the median is halfway between the two middle value.
3.Examples
Example #1: Finding the Median of a Data Set with an Even number of data values.
Find the median of the values 6,18,16,6 and 19.
-Put the data values in order: 6,6,8,16,19.

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-There are 5 values and 5 is an odd number so the middle value is 8.
-Therefore, the median is 8 (the middle values)

Example #2: : Finding the Median of a Data Set with an Odd number of data values.
Find the median of the values 13,5, 9,10,2 and 15.
-Put the data values in order: 2,5,9,10,13,15.
-There are 6 values and 6 is an even number so the middle values is 9 and 10.
-Therefore, the median is (9+10)/2 = 9.5
II.Practice
LEVEL 1
Q1: Finding the median of the following sets of data
a. 6,8,16,6,19 b. 2,4,7,1,5,9,2,7,8,0 c.7,11,4,8,6,9,8,8,13
d. 3,2,2,5,4,4,3,2,6,4,5,4,1 e. 5.85, 6.96, 2.04 , 7.45, 6.9 ,7.8
Q2: Mason’s game scores were -6, 2, 2, -4,-9 ,-5 and 8. Determine the median.
LEVEL 2
Q3. Elizabeth has the following data: 10, 8, 7 ,9, m.
If the median is 8, which number could m be ?
A. 8.5 B. 7 C. 9 D. 10 E. 9.5
Q5:The table records the heights, in inches, of a group of fifth graders and a group of sixth graders.
What is the difference between the medians of the height of both groups?

Q6: Find the median number of laps that Charlotte ran this week.

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Q7: Given that the median of the values x+9, x+3 and x+15 is 13. Find the value of x .
Q8: Given that the median of the values a-4, a+6, a-3, a+7, and a+9 is 30. Find the value of a.
LEVEL 3
Q9: What is the median of the data set shown on this line plot ?

Q10: The heights (in meters) of a class if students are given below. Which is greater- the mean or the
median height of the students ?

Q11: Adults counts the number of crisps in 28 packets. His results are shown below.

a. Calculate the median.

b. What is the difference between the mean and the median?
Q12: The following data is the hourly pay in pounds offered to shop assistants in a survey of job
vacancies for June 2022 :

Calculate the mean and median of this data

Q13 (SAT): Data set X and data set Y are displayed by the two dot plots shown. Which of the following
is (are) the same for both data set ?

I. The mean

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II. The median

Select one answer

A. I only
B. II only
C.I and II
D. Neither I nor II
Q14 (SAT) : Each of the three data sets represented by the three dot plots has 15 values.

The medians of data set A,B and C are a, b, c respectively. What is the relationship between a, b and
c?
Select one answer
A. a >b >c
B. b > a >c
C. c > b >a
D. a= b =c
Q15 (SAT):

The table above gives the distribution of low temperatures for a city over 28 days. What is the median
low temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit (OF), of the city for these 28 days ?

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