Final answer:
To find the median, first quartile, and third quartile of sample times of diagnosis in the United States, one must order the data and identify the middle values of the entire dataset as well as the lower and upper halves. These statistical measures provide a sense of the central tendency and spread of the data.
Step-by-step explanation:
Finding the Median, First Quartile, and Third Quartile
The median is the middle value of a data set once it is ordered from least to greatest. When the size of the data set is even, the median is the average of the two middle numbers. To find the first quartile (Q1), which is the median of the lower half of the data, divide the data set into two parts at the median and find the median of the lower half. Similarly, the third quartile (Q3) is the median of the upper half of the data.
To calculate these measures for the sum of sample times of diagnosis in the United States, you would first need the data. Once the data is obtained and ordered, identify the middle position for the median, and then find the midpoints of the lower and upper halves for Q1 and Q3, respectively.
If the dataset is large or calculations are complex, statistical software or a calculator can aid in finding these values efficiently.