Exercise 4

1. Describe a situation in which it would be useful to know the mean, median and
mode.

For instance, in grade 10 class, everyone got the scores in exam. The average scores of
students in exam represent the mean, the performance average of a student.
While looking for the middle group of a data score is the median and the number
of scores that occur often in that class is the mode.

2. If you have one or more extreme scores in a data set, which measure of central
tendency is most likely to be affected?

The mean is most likely to be affected. Say we have a data set of: [3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6,
70]. The mean is 12. (Divide the whole sum of the numbers in the set by the
number of pieces of data in there. You’ll get 12 as a result). The mode is 5 since it
has the most number of appearances in the data set. And the median is 5 (there
are 9 numbers in the set and its middle item is 5).

Suppose we add one extreme value in the data set. That added value affects the mean a
lot since the total sum of the numbers in the set will be changed; hence we have
to calculate again. The median is capable of being moved onto small amount but
sometimes not at all. Just like in this example, the median has not changed at all.
If the mode exists in the data set, it cannot be affected by extreme values.

3. What would you consider to be the major distinction between a population

variance and a sample variance?

A population is defined as all members of a specified group. Population is the whole

group, while a sample is a part of a population that is used to describe the
characteristics of the whole population.

4. Why is the standard deviation, rather than the variance, used more commonly to
describe the spread of a distribution?

Because a standard deviation provides a measure of the overall variation in a data set,
and can measures how far data values are from their mean which is the most
common measure in variation or spread.

5. Describe the frequency distribution if the median = 10, the mode =5, and mean =
15

6. State the major difference between a negatively skewed and positively skewed
distribution.

Negative skew refers to a longer or fatter tail on the left side of the distribution, while
the positive skew refers to a longer or fatter tail on the right.
 7. Identify the measure of central tendency that is most appropriate for the
following data sets.
a. Price of shampoo in a grocery store -Mean
b. Ages of incoming freshmen - Mean
c. Number of durian per tree in an orchard - Median
d. Blood pressure readings of senior citizens - Median
e. Marital status - Mode
f. Number of errors in an examination - Mean
g. T-shirt brands - Mode
h. Monthly income - Mean
i. Mobile phone model - Mode
j. GPA of students – Median

8. Two Mathematics manuals cost 200.00 each, three Biology manuals cost 150.00
each, a Statistics manual costs 235.00 and two Physics manuals cost 240.00 each.
Find the average cost of the manuals.

Subject No. of manuals per subject Price of manuals (Fx)

Mathematics 2 200 400

Biology 3 150 450

Statistics 1 235 235

Physics 2 240 480

Total 8 1,565

1,565
Average = =195.63
8

9. If a final examination in a course is weighted 3 times as much as a quiz, find the

mean grade if a student has a final exam grade of 85 and quiz grades of 70 and
90.

10. Four groups of students consisting of 10, 15, 8 and 17 reported a mean height of
1.52, 1.36, 1.74 and 1.28 meters, respectively. Find the mean height of all the
students.

Group of Students No. of Students Mean height/ group

A 10 1.52

B 15 1.36

C 8 1.74

D 17 1.28

Total 5.29
 5.9
Mean height = =0.018
50

11. A random sample of 10 students was given a special test. The time in minutes it
took the students to finish the exam were taken and are given as follows:

15 30 26 40 35 19 22 28 17 38

a. Show that the mean and the median values are equal.

270
Mean= =27
10

26+28 54
Median= = =27
2 2

b. Find the mode of the data.

There is no mode

c. Find the values of the standard deviation, coefficient of variation, D 7 and P35.

s= √ ❑
s= √ ❑
s=8.35

Coefficient Variation
(15−27)2=144
(30−27)2=9
(26−27)2=1
( 40−27)2=169
(35−27)2=64
(19−27)2=64
(22−27)2 =25
(28−27)2=1
(17−27)2=100
(38−27)2=121

698
= 69.8
10
s2 = 69.8
 8
P35 =
10
= 0.8 or 80%
D7 = 30

12. The operations manager of a plant that manufactures tires wants to compare the
actual inner diameters of two grades of tires, each of which is expected to be
575 millimeters. A sample of five tires of each grade was selected, and the
results representing the inner diameters of the tires, ranked from smallest to
largest, are as follows:

Grades X Grade Y

568 570 575 578 584 573 574 575 577 578

a. For each of the two grades of tires, compute the mean, median and standard
deviation.

GRADE X
568 570 575 578 584
584

2875
Mean = = 575
5
Median= 575
Standard Deviation:
s= √ ❑

(568−575)2 =49
(570−575)2 =25
( 575−575 )2=0
(578−575)2 =9
(584−575)2=81
= 164
164
S2 = =32.8
5
S2= √❑
S2 = 5.73

GRADE Y
573 574 575 577 578
584
2,877
Mean= =¿ 575.4
5
Median = 575
Standard Deviation: s= √❑
 (573−575.4)2=5.76
(574−575.4)2=1.96
( 575−575.4 )2=0 .16
(577−575.4)2=2.56
(578−575.4)2=6.76
= 17.2
17.2
S2 = = 3.44
5
S2= √❑
S2 = 1.85

b. Which grade of tire is providing better quality? Explain.

c. What would be the effect on your answers in (a) and (b) if the last value for
grade Y were 588 instead of 578? Explain.

13. The data below contain the starting admission price (in $) for one-day tickets to
10 theme parks in the United States.

Location Admission

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 58

Disney’s Animal Kingdom 63
Dollywood 41
Hersheypark 42
Kennywood 29
Paramount King’s Dominion 50
SeaWorld Orlando 62
Silver Dollar City 43
Six Flags Great Adventure 40
Six Flags Magic Mountain 40

a. Compute the mean, median, first quartile and third quartile.

468
Mean = =46.8
10
42+43
Median = =42.5
2
First Quartile = the admission price 40 is at the 25th percentile.
Third Quartile = the admission price 58 is at 75th percentile.

b. Compute the range, variance, and the standard deviation.

Range
63-29 = 34
Variance
(29−46.8)2 = 316.84
( 40−46.8)2 = 46.24
( 40−46.8)2 = 46.24
 ( 41−46.8)2 = 33.64
( 42−46.8)2 = 23.04
( 43−46.8)2 = 14.44
(50−46.8)2 = 10.24
(58−46.8)2 = 125.44
(60−46.8)2 = 231.04
(63−46.8)2 = 262.44

1109.6
S2 = =110.96
10

Standard Deviation

s= √ ❑
s= √ ❑
s=10.53

c. Based on the results of (a) and (b), what conclusions can you reach
concerning the starting admission price for one-day tickets.

d. Suppose that the first value was 98 instead 58. Repeat (a) through (c), using
this value. Comment on the difference in the results.