SOLUTION: Below are the home states of 19 college professors. New Jersey Ohio Michigan Georgia Nebraska Wisconsin Ohio South Carolina Pennsylvania Michigan Georgia New Jersey Wiscons

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Question 602653: Below are the home states of 19 college professors.
New Jersey Ohio Michigan Georgia Nebraska
Wisconsin Ohio South Carolina Pennsylvania Michigan
Georgia New Jersey Wisconsin Georgia Ohio
Florida Georgia New Jersey South Carolina

i. Make a frequency table using these 9 states:
Florida
Georgia
Michigan
Nebraska
New Jersey
Ohio
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Wisconsin

My work:
States Tally Frequency
Florida | 1
Georgia |||| 4
Michigan || 2
Nebraska | 1
New Jersey ||| 3
Ohio ||| 3
Pennsylvania | 1
South Carolina || 2
Wisconsin || 2

ii. What is (are) the mode(s)? There are 3 (1s) and 3 (2s)
iii. Does it make sense to talk about the average for this data? Why or why not? Really not sure how to come up with this answer
iv. Using your frequency table draw a pie chart to display the distribution of home states by filling in the following table:
Home State Frequency Percentage of total Measure of Central Angle (in degrees)
Florida
Georgia
Michigan
Nebraska
New Jersey
Ohio
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Wisconsin

My Work:
Home State Frequency Percentage of total Measure of Central Angle (in degrees)
Florida 1 1/19*100=5.26% .0526*360=18.94 degrees
Georgia 4 4/19*100=21.05% .2105*360=75.78 degrees
Michigan 2 2/19*100=10.53% .1053*360=37.91 degrees
Nebraska 1 1/19*100=5.26% .0526*360=18.94 degrees
New Jersey 3 3/19*100=15.79% .1579*360=56.84 degrees
Ohio 3 3/19*100=15.79% .1579*360=56.84 degrees
Pennsylvania 1 1/19*100=5.26% .0526*360=18.94 degrees
South Carolina 2 2/19*100=10.53% .1053*360=37.91 degrees
Wisconsin 2 2/19*100=10.53% .1053*360=37.91 degrees

Anyone know if this is correct? And can someone tell me how to figure out part iii.?
Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!

The mean (or average) doesn't tell you anything meaningful about this data. The mode is a much more meaningful measure of central tendancy in this case, and the mode of this data (4 in Georgia) is going to stick right out when you create your pie chart because Georgia's piece of the pie will be larger than the others. In contrast to the mean for this data, the mode points to a specific data point where as there is no place that has an "average" number of college professors.

John

My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it