What is the median of the data \(-8\), 5, 12, \(-3\), 7, \(-1\), 4, \(-6\), 9, 2?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → 3
Arrange the values in order. With 10 values (an even number), the median is the average of the 5th and 6th values.
In ascending order: \(-8\), \(-6\), \(-3\), \(-1\), 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12
The two middle values are 2 and 4
Median \(\displaystyle =\frac{2+4}{2}=3\)
The median is 3.
Why the other options are incorrect
Option (1) 2.1 — Incorrect. This is the mean, \(21\div10=2.1\), not the median.
Option (2) 4 — Incorrect. This is only the 6th value; with an even number of values the median is the average of the two middle values.
Option (4) 2 — Incorrect. This is only the 5th value; with an even number of values the median is the average of the two middle values.