Question

members of a junior high basketball team want to brag about how tall they are. first, they measured each player’s height in inches. now they have to decide whether the mean or the median is better. which measure of center should the team use?
basketball team’s height (in inches)
64, 67, 83, 65, 66, 62, 69
the team’s mean height is
the team’s median height is
if the team members wants to brag about how tall they are, they should use their height.

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate the mean

Sum of heights: \( 64 + 67 + 83 + 65 + 66 + 62 + 69 = 476 \)
Number of players: \( 7 \)
Mean \( = \frac{476}{7} = 68 \)

Step2: Calculate the median

First, sort the heights: \( 62, 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 83 \)
Middle value (4th term) is \( 66 \)

Step3: Decide which to use for bragging

Mean (\( 68 \)) is greater than median (\( 66 \)), so mean makes them seem taller.

Answer:

The team's mean height is \( 68 \).
The team's median height is \( 66 \).
If the team members want to brag about how tall they are, they should use their mean height.