Chapter 13.1, Problem 15PPS

To determine

To find: the measurement of central tendency would use to represent the overall height..

Answer to Problem 15PPS

The middle value is 51.5.

Explanation of Solution

Given information:

Survey your class mates to find their height. Display the results of your survey in a plot. Then find the mean, median, and mode of your data.

Calculation:

Let’s consider the height of 14 class mate in ascending order:

50, 50, 50.5, 51, 51, 51, 51, 52, 52, 52, 52.5, 53, 53

Display the line plot for the classmate height.

  

Now calculate the mean, mode, and median for the classmate heights.

  $\begin{array}{c}\text{Mean=}\frac{\text{Sum}\text{of}\text{students}\text{heights}}{\text{Number}\text{of}\text{students}}\\ \text{Mean=}\frac{\text{2×50+50}\text{.5+3×51+2×51}\text{.5+3×52+52}\text{.5+2×53}}{\text{14}}\\ \text{=51}\text{.5}\end{array}$

Look at the line plot, 51 and 53 repetitive thrice, hence both 51 and 52 are modes.

Also by looking at the line plot, you easily figure out the middle value is 51.5.