A researcher recorded seven daily temperature readings (in degrees Celsius): 14, 5, 22, 9,… — GRE General Test

A researcher recorded seven daily temperature readings (in degrees Celsius): $14, 5, 22, 9, 25, 2,$ and $17$ . What is the median of these seven temperature readings?

A
$9$
$14$ Answer
C
$13.5$
D
$17$
E
$25$

Answer

The median of the temperature readings is

14

To find the median of a set of numbers, first arrange them in ascending order:

2, 5, 9, 14, 17, 22, 25

. Since there are

7

numbers, the median is the middle value in the

4\text{th}

position, which is

14

Step-by-Step Solution

Arrange the given dataset in ascending numerical order.

The ordered list of

7

temperatures is:

2, 5, 9, 14, 17, 22, 25

To calculate the median of a dataset, the values must first be ordered from smallest to largest.

Identify the middle position for an odd number of data values (

n = 7

The position of the median is

\frac{7 + 1}{2} = 4\text{th}

position.

For a dataset with

n

elements where

n

is odd, the median is located at position

\frac{n+1}{2}

Extract the value located at the

4\text{th}

position in the ordered list.

The

4\text{th}

term is

14

The fourth number in

2, 5, 9, 14, 17, 22, 25

14

Key Concept

Median of a Dataset

Estimated Time:45s

Question

Answer

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Key Concept

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