What is the median of the following set of data: 5, -3, 10, -2, 0?

Rationale

The median of the given set of data is 0.

The median is the middle number in a sorted, ascending or descending, list of numbers. If there is an odd number of observations, the median is the middle number. If there is an even number of observations, the median is the average of the two middle numbers.

A (10) YOUR ANSWER

10 is the highest number in the dataset. To find the median, the data set should be arranged in ascending order, and the middle number should be identified. In this case, 10 is not the middle number, so it cannot be the median.

B (5) YOUR ANSWER

5 is a number in the dataset but it is not the middle number. When the data is arranged in ascending order (-3, -2, 0, 5, 10), 5 is not in the middle position, so it cannot be the median.

C (-2) YOUR ANSWER

-2 is also a number in the dataset but it is not the middle number. When the numbers are arranged in ascending or descending order, -2 does not occupy the middle position, thus it is not the median.

D (0) CORRECT

0 is indeed the median of the dataset. When the data is arranged in ascending order (-3, -2, 0, 5, 10), 0 is in the middle. Therefore, it is the median of the data set.

Conclusion

The median is a measure of central tendency that identifies the middle number in a sorted list of numbers. In the given dataset (5, -3, 10, -2, 0), when arranged in ascending order, the middle number is 0, and hence, it is the median. Other numbers in the dataset such as 10, 5, and -2 do not occupy the middle position and thus are not the median.

What is the median of the following set of data: 5, -3, 10, -2, 0?

The median of the given set of data is 0.

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