Final answer:
The median number of pets in the distribution given is 1, calculated by averaging the middle two numbers in the ordered data set.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has gathered data on the number of pets owned by a group of people and is asking for the median number of pets. The frequency distribution given is: 0 pets - 5 people, 1 pet - 4 people, 2 pets - 1 person, 3 pets - 2 people, 4 pets - 3 people, and 5 pets - 1 person. To find the median, we need to list all the responses in ascending order and then find the middle value. There are 16 responses in total (5+4+1+2+3+1).
Arranged in order, the data set looks like this: 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5. Since there is an even number of data points, the median will be the average of the 8th and 9th terms, which are both 1. Therefore, the median number of pets is 1.