0 has 4. 1 has 5. 2 has 3. 3 has 4. 4 has 2. 5 has 0. 6 has 1. 7 has 2. 8 has 0. 9 has 0. 10 has 1.

Question

You are trying to find the average number of siblings that your classmates have.
In 3 sentences, explain whether the distribution of the data you gathered is symmetrical or skewed and if the mean or median would be the most appropriate center.
Also calculate and state the mean and median in your response.
Finally, state the best measure of center for the number of siblings.

Answer 1

The distribution of the data gathered is skewed to the right, as there are several instances of classrooms with low numbers of siblings (0, 1, 2), and a few outliers with higher sibling counts that disproportionately affect the average. The mean, which is calculated as approximately 1.24, is higher than the median of 1, suggesting that the outliers influence the average. Therefore, the median is the most appropriate measure of center for the number of siblings, as it better represents the typical number of siblings among classmates without being skewed by extreme values.

To summarize:

• Mean: approximately 1.24
• Median: 1
• Best measure of center: Median.