Question

The dot plot below shows the number of cakes 31 chefs made in a week: Dot plot labeled Number of Cakes Made shows 4 dots over 1, 1 dot over 5, 2 dots over 6, 3 dots over 7, 6 dot over 8, 7 dots over 9, and 8 dots over 10. Is the median or the mean a better center for this data and why? Mean; because the data is skewed and there are outliers Mean; because the data is symmetric and there are outliers Median; because the data is not skewed and there are outliers Median; because the data is not symmetric and there are outliers

Answer 1

Median; because the data is not symmetric and there are outliers.

Explanation:

We know that a median is a central tendency of a data and it best represents the given data set.

From the given information we see that the data is skewed to the right since most of the data points takes the higher value and the data is not symmetric as it is skewed.

Hence, last option is the correct answer.

Answer 2

The median, because the data is not symmetric and there are outliers is the data is not symmetric and there are outliers.

The median of the data set is 8 cakes, while the average is 7.5.

However, 21 of the 31 chefs, or roughly 2/3, made 8 or more cakes. This makes the median a better center for this data, since the data is clearly skewed. The four chefs that made 1 cake each brings the average down, skewing the mean and making the median a better representation of the data.