Final answer:
The mode of the dataset (3.5, 2.5, 2.5, 3.5, 3.0) is 2.5 and 3.5, as these values appear most frequently. This makes the dataset bimodal. Understanding the skewness helps indicate the shape of the distribution which, in this case, seems approximately symmetrical since the mean, median, and mode are all close together.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking for the mode of the dataset, which is the value that appears most frequently. In the dataset provided (3.5, 2.5, 2.5, 3.5, 3.0), the number 2.5 and 3.5 both appear twice, making them the modes since no other number appears more frequently.
Therefore, this dataset has two modes, making it a bimodal distribution. Understanding the concept of skewness and the relationship between the mean, median, and mode helps to describe the distribution of data. For instance, in a right-skewed distribution, the mean will be greater than the median, which in turn will be greater than the mode.
This describes a distribution that has a longer tail to the right. Conversely, in a left-skewed distribution, the mode is greater than the median, which is greater than the mean, indicating a longer tail to the left. In a symmetrical distribution, the mean, median, and mode are all located at the same point.
However, for the specific dataset in question, since the mean, median, and mode are close together and there is no long tail in either direction, the distribution could be described as approximately symmetrical, though strictly speaking, real symmetry would involve all three measures aligning exactly and the distribution having a clear single peak.