Worked examples
Two examples
Example 1
Rents are $1,500, $1,600, $1,700, $1,750 and $15,000. Which measure of center best describes a typical rent?
- The $15,000 is an outlier: it drags the mean far up.
- The median, the middle value, is not moved by it.
Answer: The median
Example 2
Scores 80, 85, 90 get a new score of 20. What happens to the mean?
- The new score is far below the others, so the mean goes down.
Answer: It goes down
Where this is taught: Quiz 28: Mean, Median, Mode, and Range, “The median: the middle, after sorting”
The drill
Ten problems
This drill also has challenge problems. They use the same skill, set up the way the GED test sometimes sets up a problem, so that it looks new at first.
How many:
Tap your answer to each one, then press Check my answers at the bottom.Circle your answer to each one. The answer key, with the reasoning, is on the last page.