Distribution Analysis
Shape:
The distribution of the data is slightly skewed to the right, which is evident from the presence of a few higher values (outliers) such as 7 and 10 siblings, while most of the data points cluster towards the lower values.
Measure of Central Tendency:
In distributions that are skewed, the median is generally the preferred measure of central tendency over the mean. This is because the mean can be disproportionately influenced by outliers, leading to a potentially misleading representation of the data's center.
Calculations
Mean Calculation: To calculate the mean, we need to compute the total sum of all data points, and then divide this sum by the total number of data points.
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Frequency List:
- 0 siblings: 1
- 1 sibling: 2
- 2 siblings: 3
- 3 siblings: 5
- 4 siblings: 2
- 5 siblings: 2
- 6 siblings: 1
- 7 siblings: 1
- 10 siblings: 1
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Total Sum Calculation:
- Total Siblings = (0 * 1) + (1 * 2) + (2 * 3) + (3 * 5) + (4 * 2) + (5 * 2) + (6 * 1) + (7 * 1) + (10 * 1)
- Total Siblings = 0 + 2 + 6 + 15 + 8 + 10 + 6 + 7 + 10 = 64
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Total Number of Data Points:
- Total Data Points = 1 + 2 + 3 + 5 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 18
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Mean Calculation:
- Mean = Total Sum / Total Data Points = 64 / 18 ≈ 3.56
Median Calculation: To determine the median, we first need to list all the data points in order and then find the middle value.
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Sorted Data Points:
- The ordered list of siblings based on the frequency is:
- 0, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 10
- The ordered list of siblings based on the frequency is:
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Finding the Median:
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There are 18 data points (an even number), so the median will be the average of the 9th and 10th values in the sorted list.
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9th value: 3
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10th value: 3
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Median = (3 + 3) / 2 = 3
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Summary
- Distribution: Slightly right-skewed.
- Mean: Approximately 3.56
- Median: 3
The median is the most appropriate measure of center due to the skewness and presence of outliers in the data.