10
QuizMultiple Choice

Comparing Mean and Median — Quiz

Question 10 • Concepts in Probability and Statistics

Zahra was given two data sets, one without an outlier and one with an outlier. Data without an outlier: 15, 19, 22, 26, 29 Data with an outlier: 15, 19, 22, 26, 29, 81 How is the median affected by the outlier?

Answer
A
The outlier slightly affected the median.
B
The median is the exact same number in both data sets.
C
The outlier made the median much lower than all the other values.
D
The outlier made the median much higher than all the other values.

Explanation

Without the outlier, the middle value of 15, 19, 22, 26, 29 is 22. With 81 added, there are six values, so the median is the average of the two middle values: (22 + 26) ÷ 2 = 24. The median rises by only 2, so the outlier slightly affected it; it did not make the median much higher.

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