Question 53245
<pre><font size = 6><b>Can someone help me solve this problem?

  I need to find the median of:

  22, 15, 21, 37, 27

  Thank you!
  Ashley

"Median" means "middle".  So
arrange the numbers in order
either from smallest to 
largest or largest to
smallest.

If we arrange them in order
smallest to largest, we get:

15, 21, 22, 27, 37

The number right in the middle
is 22.  So that's the median.

------------------------------
Note:
It's straightforward as to
what the median or middle number 
is when there is an odd number 
of numbers, like in your
problem above. However if there
happen to be an even number of 
numbers, like this:

93, 42, 13, 84, 15, 25

we arrange them in order, 
smallest to largest, 

13, 15, 25, 42, 84, 93

But notice there is no ONE
middle number!  However,
there are TWO numbers
in the middle, the 25
and the 42.  So when
there is an even number
of numbers, you must
find the AVERAGE of the
TWO numbers in the middle

Add them: 25 + 42 = 67,
then divide by 2, getting
33.5.  So the median is
this case is 33.5.

I thought I'd better
give you and example of
a situation when there
is an EVEN number of
numbers so you'd know 
what to do in that case, 
too.

Edwin</pre></font>