Problem-Solving and Data AnalysisMediumMedian from a frequency table
Problem-Solving and Data Analysis practice question
Number of siblings | Number of students
0 | 5
1 | 8
2 | 4
3 | 3
What is the median number of siblings for the 20 students?
Answer: 1
List the 20 values in order: five 0s, then eight 1s (positions 6 through 13), then 2s and 3s. The median of 20 values is the average of the 10th and 11th values, and both are 1. Median = 1.
Common wrong answers
- If you answered 2
- 2 would be the median if the 10th and 11th values fell in the '2 siblings' group, but positions 6–13 are all 1s.
- If you answered 8
- 8 is the largest frequency — the number of students with 1 sibling — not the median value.
- If you answered 1.5
- 1.5 is the median of the four different VALUES (0, 1, 2, 3), ignoring how many students have each. The median must account for frequencies.
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