Quick Math Median
Enter expression in this form
Example (dataset): 5, 7, 8, 9 10
Enter dataset separated by a comma
Median in Statistics
The median is another measure of central tendency, representing the middle value of a dataset when the values are arranged in ascending or descending order. Unlike the mean, the median is not affected by extremely large or small values, making it a useful measure of central tendency for skewed distributions.
Finding the Median
1. Arrange the data in order: Sort the dataset from smallest to largest.
2. Determine the position:
– If the number of values (\(n\)) is odd, the median is the middle value.
– If the number of values (\(n\)) is even, the median is the average of the two middle values.
Example
Let’s consider the following dataset representing the ages of participants in a survey:
\[ 23, 29, 31, 35, 42 \]
To find the median age:
1. Arrange the values in ascending order (already done):
\[ 23, 29, 31, 35, 42 \]
2. Count the number of values:
There are 5 values in the dataset.
3. Determine the position of the median:
Since \(n = 5\) (an odd number), the median is the middle value, which is the 3rd value in this sorted list.
4. Identify the median:
The 3rd value is \(31\).
So, the median age of the participants in the survey is 31.
This example shows how to find the median by arranging the data and locating the middle value, providing a clear process for identifying the central point of a dataset.
