The weights in pounds of 14 cats are: 8.8, 10.2, 9.6, 9.1, 10.2, 13.3, 12.6, 8.2, 12.5, 10.4, 11.7, 10.5, 10.9, 10.2. What is the median weight of the cats?

Rationale

The median weight of the cats is 10.3 pounds.

To find the median, the weights must first be arranged in ascending order, after which the middle value can be identified. With an even number of observations, the median is calculated by averaging the two middle values, which in this case results in 10.3 pounds.

A (10.5) YOUR ANSWER

This choice reflects one of the weights in the dataset but does not correspond to the median. After sorting the weights, the two middle values are 10.2 and 10.4; their average is 10.3, making 10.5 an incorrect representation of the median.

B (10.6) YOUR ANSWER

This option is not present in the list of weights and thus cannot be the median. The median is derived solely from the provided weights, and since 10.6 is not included, it cannot be a valid answer.

C (10.2) YOUR ANSWER

While 10.2 is one of the weights, it is not the median. After arranging the data, the two central figures are 10.2 and 10.4. Averaging these leads to 10.3, indicating that 10.2 alone does not represent the median weight.

D (10.3) CORRECT

This is the correct choice, as it represents the average of the two middle values (10.2 and 10.4) after ordering the weights. Thus, it accurately reflects the median weight of the 14 cats.

Conclusion

The median weight of a dataset is determined by identifying the central tendency through ordered values. For the given weights of the cats, the median weight is calculated as 10.3 pounds, confirming that this value effectively represents the midpoint of the dataset. Accurate calculation of the median is crucial for understanding typical values in statistical analysis.

The weights in pounds of 14 cats are: 8.8, 10.2, 9.6, 9.1, 10.2, 13.3, 12.6, 8.2, 12.5, 10.4, 11.7, 10.5, 10.9, 10.2. What is the median weight of the cats?

The median weight of the cats is 10.3 pounds.

Related Questions

Related Quizzes

How familiar were you with this question?

Report an Issue

Rate this Practice Test