Question

what is the median of this data set? 3,17,17,11,8,13,5,18

Explanation:

Step1: Order the data set

First, we need to arrange the data set in ascending order. The given data set is \(3, 17, 17, 11, 8, 13, 5, 18\). When we sort it, we get \(3, 5, 8, 11, 13, 17, 17, 18\).

Step2: Find the middle values

Since there are 8 data points (an even number), the median will be the average of the two middle numbers. The two middle numbers are the 4th and 5th values in the ordered set. The 4th value is \(11\) and the 5th value is \(13\).

Step3: Calculate the average

To find the median, we calculate the average of \(11\) and \(13\). The formula for the average of two numbers \(a\) and \(b\) is \(\frac{a + b}{2}\). So, \(\frac{11 + 13}{2}=\frac{24}{2} = 12\).

Answer:

12