SOLUTION: Given the following statistics for the first nine students in a math course to complete a test: Age, Test Score 18, 87 21, 92 23, 76 31, 81 24, 98 19, 94 39, 88 26, 94

Hi, there--

THE PROBLEM:
Given the following statistics for the first nine students in a math course to complete a test: 

Age Test Score
18  87
21  92
23  76
31  81
24  98
19  94 
39  88
26  94
22  91

Finding the mean and median are easy calculations. I'll explain the process, and leave it to 
you to make the actual calculations.

Find the MEAN AGE of the class: 
The mean is the average. Add up all the ages and divide the number of students. 
(You are adding the ages of 9 students, so you will divide by 9.)

Find the MEDIAN AGE of the class:
Put the student ages in order from youngest to oldest. The median is the data point in the 
exact middle. (You have 9 ages, to the 5th age is the median because there are 4 ages before 
it, and 4 ages after it.) Don't forget to order the data first!


Calculate the MEAN and MEDIAN test SCORE.
Find the mean and median scores in the same way you found the mean and median ages,
except you will use the test score data.


Does this study represent a SAMPLE or a POPULATION? Justify your answer.
There isn't a hard and fast rule here, because sample vs population depends somewhat on 
the context. However, a population is larger and more general the the samples related to it.

For example, a population would be something like all Algebra II students in Washington 
State. A related sample would be the Algebra II students in a certain school in Washington 
State.

So, would you say that the data in your problem is a sample or a population? Remember to 
explain your reasoning.

REPORT:
The Department Chair asked for the average test score from your class. You can report 
either the mean or median. The mean and median are close, but not exactly the same. Explain 
which you would report and why.

There isn't  a right or wrong answer to this question.
For example, one person might report the median over the mean because it's higher and 
they might think it makes them look better.

Another person might choose the mean because the data are pretty close together with no extreme outliers and the mean gives a good feel for the data.

It most cases, you want to look and more than one measure when you analyze your data.

So, you decide. You can't get it wrong as long as you give a good reason for your choice.


Hope this helps! Feel free to email if you have any questions (or if you want to check your answers.)

Mrs. Figgy
math.in.the.vortex@gmail.com