WHAT WOULD BE THE BETTER CENTRAL TENDENCY FOR MEAN=74.87 OR MEDIAN 81
2007-01-29 01:14:52 · 2 answers · asked by LaDy A 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
Having the standard deviation would be the next vital piece of information to answer that question.
2007-01-29 01:21:14 · answer #1 · answered by bruinfan 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have lots of similar data then the mean is useful. If you are trying to determine how much material to order to make the next batch of something then the mean amount of that material used in your product would be the useful central value.
If you have a few extremely large values compared to the rest of the data then the median is probably a better measure of central tendency. If you are trying to determine the quality of life of a community the median is probably a more appropriate central value since a few very wealthy people could significantly effect the mean. What if Bill Gates lived in your community?
2007-01-29 09:38:53 · answer #2 · answered by anonimous 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋