Following data relates to daily wages of persons working in a factory. Compute the median daily wage.
| Daily Wages (Rs) | Number of Workers |
| 20-30 | 25 |
| 30-40 | 12 |
| 40-50 | 15 |
| 50-60 | 13 |
| 60-70 | 5 |
| N = 70 |
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option 4: 38.33
| Daily Wages (Rs) | Number of Workers | Cumulative Frequency (c.f) |
| 20-30 | 25 | 25 |
| 30-40 | 12 | 37 |
| 40-50 | 15 | 52 |
| 50-60 | 13 | 65 |
| 60-70 | 5 | 70 |
| N = 70 |
In case of continuous series we have to locate the median class where N/2th item lies.
In the above question median class is the value of (N/2)th item (i.e.70/2) = 35th item of the series, which lies in 30–40 class interval.
The median can then be obtained as follows: Median =L + [(N/2- c.f)/f] * h
Where, L = lower limit of the median class
c.f. = cumulative frequency of the class preceding the median class,
f = frequency of the median class,
h = magnitude of the median class interval.
Putting the values in the formula,
Median = 30 + [(35-25)/12] * (10)
= 30 + (10*10)/12
= 38.33