A local shipping warehouse records the number of packages shipped during each hour of a 6-hour morning shift in the table below: | Hour | Packages Shipped | | :--- | :--- | | Hour 1 | 15 | | Hour 2 | 27 | | Hour 3 | 18 | | Hour 4 | 32 | | Hour 5 | 12 | | Hour 6 | 22 | What is the median number of pa

A local shipping warehouse records the number of packages shipped during each hour of a 6-… — ACT

A local shipping warehouse records the number of packages shipped during each hour of a 6-hour morning shift in the table below:

What is the median number of packages shipped per hour during this shift?

The median number of packages shipped per hour is

20

The correct answer is

20

. To find the median, we first arrange the numbers in ascending order:

12, 15, 18, 22, 27, 32

. Since there is an even number of values (

6

), the median is the average of the two middle values,

18

and

22

. The average is

\frac{18 + 22}{2} = 20

Sort the package counts in ascending order.

The sorted dataset is

12, 15, 18, 22, 27, 32

Finding the median of a dataset requires the data to be ordered from least to greatest.

Identify the two middle numbers in the ordered dataset.

Since there is an even number of data points (

6

values), the two middle numbers are the 3rd and 4th values:

18

and

22

For an even number of data points, the median is the average of the two central values.

Calculate the average of the two middle numbers.

\frac{18 + 22}{2} = \frac{40}{2} = 20

The average of

18

and

22

yields the median value of

20

Calculating the median of a dataset with an even number of values.