Which statistic is the middle value in an ordered data set?

Which statistic is the middle value in an ordered data set?

• A. Mean
• B. Mode
• C. Median
• D. Range

Answer: (C)

The middle value in an ordered data set is the median, which divides the data into two halves when the numbers are arranged from smallest to largest. To find it, line up all values; if there’s an odd number of observations, the median is the single value in the middle. If there’s an even number, the median is the average of the two central values. This distinguishes it from the mean, which is the arithmetic average of all values; from the mode, which is the most frequently occurring value; and from the range, which is the difference between the largest and smallest values. The median specifically captures the center of the data’s position, so it stays representative even when there are outliers or skewed data. For example, data like 3, 5, 7, 9, 100 have a median of 7 (the middle value), while the mean is pulled upward by the 100. In an even-sized set like 2, 4, 6, 8, the median is the average of the two middle values, which is 5.

The middle value in an ordered data set is the median, which divides the data into two halves when the numbers are arranged from smallest to largest. To find it, line up all values; if there’s an odd number of observations, the median is the single value in the middle. If there’s an even number, the median is the average of the two central values. This distinguishes it from the mean, which is the arithmetic average of all values; from the mode, which is the most frequently occurring value; and from the range, which is the difference between the largest and smallest values. The median specifically captures the center of the data’s position, so it stays representative even when there are outliers or skewed data. For example, data like 3, 5, 7, 9, 100 have a median of 7 (the middle value), while the mean is pulled upward by the 100. In an even-sized set like 2, 4, 6, 8, the median is the average of the two middle values, which is 5.