Exercise 1 Page 608

We want to find the mean, median and mode of the given data set, as well as determine which of them best represents the given data.

Mean

The mean of a data set is the sum of the values divided by the total number of values in the set. Let's start by calculating the sum of the given values. 3 12+5+2 12+ 3+3 12+ 12 = 18 There are 6 values in our set, so we have to divide the sum by 6. Mean: 18/6=3

Median

When the data are arranged in numerical order, the median is the middle value — or the mean of the two middle values — in a set of data. Let's arrange the given values and find the median. 12, 2 12, 3 | 3 12, 3 12, 5 Since there are 6 values, there is no one middle value. Therefore, for this exercise, the median is the mean of the two middle values. Median: 3+ 3 12/2=3 14

Mode

The mode is the value or values that appear most often in a set of data. Let's find the mode of the given values. 3 12+5+2 12+ 3+3 12+ 12 The value that appears most often is 3 12. Mode: 3 12

Best Measure of Center

The median best represents the given data set because there are exactly as many values less than and greater than the median. There is only 1 value greater than the mode and only 2 values less than the mean. Therefore, both mode and mean are worse representations of the data than the median.