Final answer:
The mean is pulled towards the tail due to an extreme positive outlier, while the median is not affected by outliers and represents the value at the middle of the data.
Step-by-step explanation:
The dot plot depicts the annual snowfall in centimeters in Syracuse, New York during the 1990s, rounded to the nearest 10 centimeters. The best explanation of the mean of this distribution is that it is affected by extreme outliers. In this case, the mean is pulled towards the tail due to a positive outlier of 90, resulting in a higher value.
On the other hand, the median is not affected by outliers and represents the value that lies at the middle when the data is arranged in order. In this case, the median is closer to the high point (mode) as it is less influenced by the extreme outlier.
In summary, the mean tends to be farther out on the tail, while the median is centrally located close to the high point of the distribution.