GED Math : Statistics

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GED Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #131 : Statistics

What is the mean of this set? 

\displaystyle 2\displaystyle 4\displaystyle 6\displaystyle 8

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 4

\displaystyle 8

\displaystyle 6

\displaystyle 5

\displaystyle 2

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 5

Explanation:

In order to find the median, we must first make sure our set is ordered from least to greatest, then take the middle number. We can see that it is, as \displaystyle 2, the smallest number, is first and \displaystyle 8, the largest number, is last.

Here we can see that we have \displaystyle 4 numbers in this set, so we don't have a number that sits between an equal amount of numbers on either side. Our two most middle numbers are \displaystyle 4 and \displaystyle 6.

Choosing one will not give us the right answer, so in order to find the median, we must add these two together and divide by \displaystyle 2, because that is how many numbers we are adding together.

\displaystyle \frac{4+6}{2}=5

\displaystyle 5 is our median because it is the number that sits between \displaystyle 4 and \displaystyle 6.

Our answer is \displaystyle 5.

Example Question #132 : Statistics

What is the median to this set? 

\displaystyle 7\displaystyle 4\displaystyle 12\displaystyle 6\displaystyle 18

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 12

\displaystyle 7

\displaystyle 6

\displaystyle 4

\displaystyle 18

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 7

Explanation:

In order to find the median, we must first put our set in order from least to greatest. We can see that it is not in order, so let's make it so.

\displaystyle 4\displaystyle 6\displaystyle 7\displaystyle 12\displaystyle 18

Our set is now in order, and we can see that we have \displaystyle 5 numbers in this set. This means that our median will have \displaystyle 2 numbers on either side of it. 

\displaystyle 7 is the only number that has \displaystyle 2 numbers on either side of it, making it our median.

Our answer is \displaystyle 7.

Example Question #133 : Statistics

What is the median to this set? 

\displaystyle 19\displaystyle 3\displaystyle 6\displaystyle 10

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 19

\displaystyle 10

\displaystyle 3

\displaystyle 8

\displaystyle 6

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 8

Explanation:

In order to find the median, we must first put our set in order of least to greatest.

\displaystyle 3\displaystyle 6\displaystyle 10\displaystyle 19

With the set in order, we can see that we have \displaystyle 4 numbers in this set. This means we don't have a number that sits in between an equal amount of numbers. Our two most middle numbers are \displaystyle 6 and \displaystyle 10.

To find the median, we must add  \displaystyle 6 and \displaystyle 10 together and then divide by \displaystyle 2, as that is how many numbers we are adding together.

\displaystyle \frac{6+10}{2}=8

Our answer is \displaystyle 8.

Example Question #134 : Statistics

How many modes does this data set:

\displaystyle \left \{ 3,4,6,6,6,7,7,8,8,8,8,9,10,11\right \}

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 2

\displaystyle 3

None

\displaystyle 4

\displaystyle 1

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 1

Explanation:

The mode of a data set is the element that occurs most frequently. If there is a tie between the frequencies of two (three, etc.) elements, the set has two (three, etc.) modes. 

Here, though, only one element (8) appears four times, with no other element appearing more frequently. 8 is the only mode.

Example Question #135 : Statistics

Which of the following elements can be added to the data set 

\displaystyle \left \{ 3, 4,4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6,6, 7\right \}

to give it exactly one mode?

I: \displaystyle 4

II: \displaystyle 5

III: \displaystyle 6

Possible Answers:

II and III only

Any of I, II, and III

I and III only

I and II only

Correct answer:

I and II only

Explanation:

The mode of the data set is the most frequently occurring element. In the set given, 4 occurs three times, 5 occurs three times, 6 occurs two times, and 3 and 7 occur one time each. 

If 4 is added to the data set, then it occurs four times, more than any other element, so it becomes the unique mode; a similar argument holds for 5. If 6 is added to the set, then each of 4, 5, and 6 occur three times, and the set becomes one with three modes. 

The correct answer is therefore I and II only.

Example Question #136 : Statistics

Given the data set \displaystyle \left \{ 0, 5, 5, 5, 5, 10, 10, 15, 20, 25 \right \}, let \displaystyle A be the mean of the set, \displaystyle B be the median of the set, and \displaystyle C be the mode of the set. Which of the following is true?

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle A = B > C

\displaystyle A = B = C

\displaystyle A > B =C

\displaystyle A > B > C

Correct answer:

\displaystyle A > B > C

Explanation:

The mean of a data set is the sum of its elements divided by the number of elements, which here is 10:

\displaystyle A = \frac{0+5+5+5+5+10+10+15+20+25}{10}= \frac{100}{10}= 10

The median of a data set with an even number of elements is the mean of the middle two values when the set is arranged in ascending order; the middle numbers are 5 and 10, so the median is 

\displaystyle B = \frac{5+10}{2} = 7.5

The mode of a data set is the most frequently occurring element, which here is 5, so

\displaystyle C = 5.

The correct response is \displaystyle A > B > C

Example Question #137 : Statistics

Veronica went to the mall and bought several small gifts for her sister's birthday. The prices of the items were the following:

$8, $10, $6, $7, $10, $2, $5, $3, $4

What is the mode price of the items?

Possible Answers:

$5

$6

$4.5

$2

$10

Correct answer:

$10

Explanation:

The mode of a set of numbers is the number with the highest frequency (meaning that it shows up the most).

Only one number appears twice in this list -  $10.

$8, $10, $6, $7, $10, $2, $5, $3, $4

$10 is the mode.

Example Question #5 : Mode

Identify the mode(s) in the set of numbers below:

\displaystyle 10, 11, 11, 12, 12, 12, 13, 13, 14, 14, 14, 15

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 11, 12, 13, 14

\displaystyle 13.75

\displaystyle 12,14

\displaystyle 10, 15

\displaystyle 12.5

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 12,14

Explanation:

The mode(s) of a set of numbers is the number(s) that appear the most frequently. If the numbers in a set only appear once, the set does not have a mode.

In this number set, \displaystyle 12 and \displaystyle 14 appear in the list three times, more often then any other numbers. So, \displaystyle 12 and \displaystyle 14 are the modes.

Example Question #1 : Mode

Determine the mode for the set of numbers:  \displaystyle [5,9,10,14,11,24]

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 73

\displaystyle \frac{73}{6}

\displaystyle 24

\displaystyle \frac{21}{2}

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The mode is defined as the number or numbers that occur most often in the set of numbers.

Since every number is unique, and only appears once, there is no mode present.

Do not confuse the mode with the median or mean.

The answer is:  

Example Question #7 : Mode

Use the following data set of test scores to answer the question:

\displaystyle 78, 95, 84, 81, 93, 88, 84

Find the mode.

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 81

\displaystyle 85

\displaystyle 93

\displaystyle 84

\displaystyle 88

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 84

Explanation:

To find the mode of a data set, we will find the number that appears most often.

So, given the set

\displaystyle 78, 95, 84, 81, 93, 88, 84

we can see the number that appears most often is 84 (it appears 2 times, while the other numbers only appear once).

Therefore, the mode of the data set is 84.

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