One way of obtaining the median of a given data is to__________

Analyze the question: It asks how to obtain the median of a set of data.

Concept: The median is the middle value of a data set once the values are arranged in order. It splits the data into two equal halves, with 50% of the values below it and 50% above it.

Steps to find the median:

1. Arrange the data in order, either ascending or descending.
2. If the number of items (n) is odd, the median is the middle item, at position (n + 1)/2.
3. If n is even, the median is the average of the two middle items, at positions n/2 and (n/2 + 1).

Example: For the data 7, 2, 9, 4, 5:

• Ordered: 2, 4, 5, 7, 9
• The middle item is 5, so the median is 5.

Checking each option:

• A. Summing the values and dividing by the number of items gives the mean, not the median. ✗
• B. Subtracting each item from the mean is used to find deviations (for variance or standard deviation). It has nothing to do with the median. ✗
• C. Adding each item to the least has no statistical meaning here. ✗
• D. Arranging the data in ascending or descending order and finding the item that divides the set into two equal parts is the definition of the median. ✓

Tip: Remember the three averages like this:

• Mean = "Mean" is the arithmetic average (add up and divide).
• Median = "Middle" (arrange in order first).
• Mode = "Most" frequent.

If a question mentions arranging in order and finding the middle, think median.