Question 7 • Mathematics for College Liberal Arts Sem 1 (1207350) BCPS 2025-26
The distribution of the salaries at a small business is strongly skewed with many people making very modest salaries and a few making very large salaries. Which measure of center, mean or median, is a better indication of a "typical” salary at this business?
Answer
A
The mean is better because it is not affected by the high salaries.
B
The median is better because it is not affected by the high salaries.
C
It cannot be determined without knowing the actual salaries.
D
Either one would be a good measure of a typical salary because they are the same value.
Explanation
A few very large salaries pull the mean upward, so it may not represent what most employees earn. The median is the middle salary when the salaries are ordered and is much less affected by unusually high values. Therefore, the median is a better indication of a typical salary.
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