Question 19 • Concepts in Probability and Statistics A
Peter’s teacher says he may have his report card percentage based on either the mean or the median and he can drop one test score if he chooses. 84%, 71%, 64%, 90%, 75%, 44%, 98%Which measure of center should Peter choose so he can have the highest percentage possible?
Answer
A
Peter should choose the mean after dropping one test score.
B
Peter should choose the mean without dropping one test score.
C
Peter should choose the median after dropping one test score.
D
Peter should choose the median without dropping one test score.
Explanation
The scores total 526, so the mean without dropping a score is 526 ÷ 7 ≈ 75.1%. To make the mean as high as possible, Peter should drop the lowest score, 44%; the new mean is (526 − 44) ÷ 6 ≈ 80.3%. The highest median he can get by dropping one score is 79.5%, so choosing the mean after dropping a score gives him the highest percentage.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.