Use the table to answer the question. Game Goals Scored 1 6 2 1 3 1 4 0 5 3 6 1 7 0 8 3 9 8
1 6
2 1
3 1
4 0
5 3
6 1
7 0
8 3
9 8
What value, the mean or median, best describes the shape of the data set that contains the number of goals scored by the soccer team?
1 answer
Since the data set is skewed by outliers (such as the 6 and 8 goals scored in games 1 and 9 respectively), the median would best describe the shape of the data set. The median is not affected by outliers as much as the mean, making it a better measure of central tendency in this case.