MEDIAN

The next measure ot central

tendency
is median. It is a positional measure of central
tenaenoy
Median means middle value. It divides the series into two equal parts when data are arrangeu
asrending or descending order. It is generally denoted by 'M'.
According to Prof. L.R. Connor, "The median is that value of the variable which divides the
group into Dw0 equal parts, one comprising all values greater than and other, ll values less than
the median". Because ot this characteristic median is known as the positional average. Median is not
hased on the values of all the items instead it is concerned with the number of items in series oniy.

DETERMINATION OF MEDIAN
In order to locate the median value, all the items of the series are arranged either in ascending
order or descending order. The median value in case of different series is determined as follows

MEDIAN IN CASE OF INDIVIDUAL SERIESs

In case of individual series median is calculated by the following formula

M= Size or value of (n
2 +1).
th item

where n is number of observations

Two cases arise in individual series.

(a) Odd Number Series: Calculation of median in case of odd number items series involves the
followingsteps
Step 1: Arrange the terms in ascending or descending order.
Step 2:Count the number ofitems and put it equal ton.

Step 3: Calculate th item.

in series is median.
Step 4: Corresponding to this item the value
(6) Even Number Series If number of items i.e. 'n' happens to be an even number then the

quantity n+1will be in fractions. Therefore, in this case median would be equal to mean of two
2
middle values.
Size of 3rd item +size of 4th item
ENample, ifsize of "th item =3 5, then median =

2
Illustration 51. Find out the median value from following data

(a) 15, 20, 25, 28, 16, 18, 17,9, 11

(b) 280, 180, 96, 98, 104, 78, 94, 80, 100, 75, 600, 200
Solution: (a) After arranging the items in ascending order of magnitude these are written as

9, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 25, 28

Here n=9

Median = size of t h item==5th item

The 5th item in series is 17

Median = 17 Ans.

(b) To determine median, data is arranged in ascending order.

Sr. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12

75 78 80 94 96 98 100 104 180 200

X 280 600
n = 12

Size of
Median = Size of
t2h item =

=65th 5th item

6th item+ 7th item 98+100

Median = 99 Ans.
2 2
Alternative Method:
Median = 6th item + 0 5 (7th item - 6th item)

=
98 +05 (100-98) =98 +1 =99 Ane
MEDIAN IN CASE OF DISCRETE SERIES
In the case of discrete series median is determined by the following formula:

Median Size of N+th item

where N=2for sum of frequency
Calculation of median in case of discrete series involves following steps:

Step 1: Arrange the data in ascending or descending order.

Step 2:Calculate cumulative frequencies.

Step 3: Calculate Ntth item.

th item.

(c.f) which is equal to or next higher to

N+ th item.
Step 4: Locate the cumulative frequency 2

cumulative frequency is median value.

Step 5: The value which lies in front of this
Illustration 53. Calculate the value of Median from the following data

Income(in ) 100 150 80 200 250 180

No. of Persons 12 13 8 10 3 15

Solution:

Arranging the data in the ascending order of magnitude, we have:

Income No. of Persons c.f.
Cin )
80 8 8

100 12 20

150) 13
33)
180 15 48
200 10 58
250 03 61

2for N 61

Median Size of N* th item

Size of 61+
2
-31st item
The c.f. next higher to 31 is 33. Therefore, median =
150 Ans.
 MEDIAN IN CASE OF CONTINUOUS SERIEs
In continuous series median is calculated by following formula:

Median= Size of-th item

where N =
2for sum of frequencies
Calculation of median in case of continuous series involves following steps :

Step 1: Data is first arranged in the ascending or descending order of magnitude.

Step 2: Calculate cumulative frequencies.

Step3: Calculate median =

value ofth item.

Step4: Locate the cumulative frequency which is equal to or next higher to th item.
item.

Corresponding to this locate median class interval.

Step 5: When the class interval is determined and the data is arranged in the ascending order, apply
the following formula:
N
-c.f.
Median =L+ -xi

where,
where, L is the lower limit of the median class interval
i class interval of median class

fF frequency of the median class

cf. is the cumulative frequency of the class before the median class
 Median can also be calculated by the following formula if in data is aranged in the
the descend
descending
order
N
-c.f.
Median=U - 2 - xi

where U is the upper limit of median class and the other notations are same as given above

Mustration 54. Calculate median from the following data

0-5 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-25 25-30 30-35
Marks
No. of Students: 4 6 10 16 12 8 4

Solution:
Method-I (When the data is arranged in the ascending order)
Marks No. of Students Cumulative Frequency (CJ.)
0 5 4
5-10 6 10
10- 15 10 20

15-20 16 (36
20-25 12 48
25-30 8 56
30-35 60
N=60
60
Median Size of th=th=30th item.
2 2
The cf next higher to 30 is 36.
Median lies in the class interval 15 -20
N
-C..
Median =L + xi= 15+ 2x5=15+ 15+3.125 =18.125 Ans.
16 16
Method- II (When the data are arranged in thedescending order)
Marks No. of Students cf.

30-35 4
25-30 8 12
20-25 12 24
15-20 16 40
10- 15 10 50
5 - 10 6 56
0- 5 4 60
N 60
 N 60
Median= Value of th item = =
30 th item
2
Thecf next higher to 30 is 40.
Median lies in the class internal 15- 20
N
Median 2 -c.f. 30-24 30
Xi= 20 x5 20 -

16 16
16

20 1 875 =
18 125 Ans.
 TYPICAL PRACTICAL PROBLEMS OF MEDIAN

Median in Case of Inclusive Series

If daa aregiven in inclusive series, convert these into exclusive series to calculatemedian.
IllustrationS6. Find the median of the following frequency distribution
Class Group: 140-144 145-149 150-154 155-159 160-164
Class Group 130-134 135-139

85 29 24 17 10
Frequency 5
(G.N.D.U. B.Com.-1 2012)
Solution: The data are in inclusive form these are to be converted into exclusive form as

Correction factor = L-U - 135-134= =0.5

2 2

0 5 is subtracted from all lower limits and added to all upper limits.

X cf.

129.5-134.5 5 5

134.5-139.5 85 90
139.5-144.5 29 119

144.5-149.5 24 143

149.5-154.5 17 160

154.5-159.5 10 170

159.5 164.5 171

N= 171

N
Median = Size of t h item = Size of 85.5th item
2
The cf. next higher to 85.5 is 90.

134.5 139.5 is median class interval.

Median =L+ 85.5-585 x5

x i ==134 5 + 8.3*55

=
134 54.73 139.23 Ans.
 Median in Case of Unequal Class Intervals
When class intervals are unequal, they are not made equal to calculate median.
Jllustration 60. Calculate median from following data:
X: 100-2000 200-400 400-700 700-1200 1200-2000
f: 40 100 260 80 20
Solution
X

100-200 40 40
200-400 100 140

(400-700 260
(400)
700-12000 80 480
1200-2000 20 500
N 500
 GONES
N
Median Size of t h item = 500 = 250th item
2
The cf. next higher to 250 is 400.
Median lies in 400-700 class interval.

N -c.f.
Median =L+2 - Xi =400 + 250-140 x 300
260

= 400+126.92 526.92 Ans.

Median in Case of Open End Series

In case of open end series there is need
no to complete the class intervals to find median.
Illustration 61. Find the median from given data:
X: Less than 500 500-600 600-700 700-800 800 or above
f: 20 60 100 70 50
Solution:
X f c.
Less than 500 20 20
500-600 60 80
(600-700 100 (180)
700-800 70 250
800 or above 50 300
N 300

Median= Size of th
2
item= 300150th
2
150th ite.
item.

The c.f. next higher to 150 is 180. Therefore, Median lies in 600-700 class interval
N
Median = L+ 2-c.f. 150-80
xi =600 + x100
100
600 + 70 670 Ans.