GMAT Math : Descriptive Statistics

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GMAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #22 : Arithmetic Mean

What is the mean for the following set:

\(\displaystyle {1,2,8,9,7,4,1,1,3,2,3}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 3.72\)

\(\displaystyle 4\)

\(\displaystyle 4.5\)

\(\displaystyle 3.2\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 3.72\)

Explanation:

The mean is the average of all of the numbers:

\(\displaystyle \frac{{1+2+8+9+7+4+1+1+3+2+3}}{11}\)

\(\displaystyle =\frac{{41}}{11}\)

\(\displaystyle =3.72\)

 

Example Question #21 : Calculating Arithmetic Mean

Consider the data set \(\displaystyle \left \{ 1, -2, 3, -4, 5, -6, 7, -8, 9, -10 \right \}\)

What is its mean?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 1\)

\(\displaystyle 0\)

\(\displaystyle -0.5\)

\(\displaystyle 0.5\)

\(\displaystyle -1\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle -0.5\)

Explanation:

Add the ten elements and divide the sum by 10. The mean is 

\(\displaystyle \left [ 1+ \left ( -2 \right )+3 +\left ( -4 \right )+5+ \left ( -6 \right )+7+ \left ( -8 \right )+9+\left ( -10 \right ) \right ] \div 10\)

\(\displaystyle = -5 \div 10 = -0.5\)

Example Question #41 : Descriptive Statistics

A gymnastics meet has seven judges. After each routine, each judge assigns a merit-based score from 0 to 10. To guard against bias, a contestant's score for the routine is the mean of all the judges' scores except for the highest and the lowest.

On one of Sarah's routines, each of the following judges scores her as follows:

\(\displaystyle \begin{matrix} \textrm{Davis}& 9.3\\ \textrm{Ellis}& 9.5\\ \textrm{Hanks}& 9.0\\ \textrm{Jones}& 8.4\\ \textrm{Pratt}&9.2 \\ \textrm{Quinn}&9.2 \\ \textrm{Wayne}&8.7 \end{matrix}\)

What is Sarah's score?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 9.18\)

\(\displaystyle 9.08\)

\(\displaystyle 9.13\)

\(\displaystyle 9.28\)

\(\displaystyle 9.23\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 9.08\)

Explanation:

Ellis and Jones gave Sarah the highest and lowest scores, respectively, so her score will be the mean of the other five:

\(\displaystyle \left (9.3+ 9.0+9.2+9.2+8.7 \right )\div 5 =\left (45.4\right )\div 5 = 9.08\)

Example Question #23 : Arithmetic Mean

Find \(\displaystyle n\) such that the arithmetic mean of \(\displaystyle n, 13, 27, 35\) is equal to the arithmetic mean of \(\displaystyle 20, 16, 41, 23.\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 24\)

\(\displaystyle 25\)

\(\displaystyle 15\)

\(\displaystyle 30\)

\(\displaystyle 20\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 25\)

Explanation:

The formula for the arithmetic mean is:

Mean= \(\displaystyle \frac{x_{1}+x_{2}+...+x_{n}}{n}\)

We can then write:

\(\displaystyle \frac{n+13+27+35}{4}=\frac{20+16+41+23}{4}\)

\(\displaystyle n+13+27+35=20+16+41+23\)

\(\displaystyle n+75=100\)

\(\displaystyle n=25\)

Example Question #23 : Calculating Arithmetic Mean

The arithmetic mean of the set \(\displaystyle \left \{ a, b, c, d \right \}\) is 250.

Which of the following is the arithmetic mean of the set \(\displaystyle \left \{ a, b, c, d, e\right \}\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 200 + \frac{1}{4}e\)

\(\displaystyle 312\frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{4}e\)

\(\displaystyle 250 + \frac{1}{4}e\)

\(\displaystyle 250 + \frac{1}{5}e\)

\(\displaystyle 200 + \frac{1}{5}e\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 200 + \frac{1}{5}e\)

Explanation:

\(\displaystyle \frac{a+b+c+d}{4} = 250\)

\(\displaystyle a+b+c+d = 1,000\)

\(\displaystyle a+b+c+d +e = 1,000 + e\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{a+b+c+d +e }{5}= \frac{1,000 + e}{5} = 200 + \frac{1}{5}e\),

which is the correct choice.

Example Question #43 : Descriptive Statistics

Jane's average score in her biology class is currently \(\displaystyle 65\). What must be Jane's score on the sixth and last test in order for her final average score to be \(\displaystyle 72\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 107\)

\(\displaystyle 103\)

\(\displaystyle 99\)

\(\displaystyle 105\)

\(\displaystyle 101\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 107\)

Explanation:

We are looking for the grade Jane must get on her 6th test in order to raise her average of 65 from the 5 previous tests to 72.

The sum of Jane's grades from the previous 5 tests is obtained by using the formula of the arithmetic mean.

mean = sum of values/ number of values

sum of values = mean x number of values

                      \(\displaystyle =65\times5=325\)

Let x be Jane's score on the 6th test:

\(\displaystyle \frac{325+x}{6}=72\)

\(\displaystyle 325+x=432\)

\(\displaystyle x=432-325\)

\(\displaystyle x=107\)

Jane must get a score of 107 on her last test in order to get an average score of 72 in her class.

 

Example Question #2051 : Problem Solving Questions

If \(\displaystyle n\) is a negative number, what is the difference between the mean and the median of the following numbers:

\(\displaystyle n, n+7, n-8, n-3, n+9\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle -1\)

\(\displaystyle 1\)

\(\displaystyle 5\)

\(\displaystyle 0\)

\(\displaystyle -5\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 1\)

Explanation:

To find the median, write the numbers in ascending orders. 

\(\displaystyle n-8, n-3, n, n+7, n+9\)

Remember the median is the midpoint value with half of the values below it and the other half of the values above it.

The median is the third number which is n.

The mean is:

\(\displaystyle \frac{(n-8)+(n-3)+n+(n+7)+(n+9)}{5}=\frac{5n-11+16}{5}\)

                                                                                           \(\displaystyle =\frac{5n+5}{5}\)

                                                                                           \(\displaystyle =n+1\)

mean - median = \(\displaystyle n+1-n=1\)

Example Question #42 : Descriptive Statistics

The arithmetic mean of the set \(\displaystyle \left \{ a, b, c, d\right \}\) is 100.

Which of these expressions is equal to the arithmetic mean of the set \(\displaystyle \left \{ a, b, c \right \}\) ?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 75 - \frac{1}{3}d\)

\(\displaystyle 75 - \frac{1}{4}d\)

\(\displaystyle 100 - \frac{1}{3}d\)

\(\displaystyle 100 - \frac{1}{4}d\)

\(\displaystyle 133\frac{1}{3} - \frac{1}{3}d\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 133\frac{1}{3} - \frac{1}{3}d\)

Explanation:

\(\displaystyle \frac{a+b+c+d}{4} = 100\)

\(\displaystyle a+b+c+d = 400\)

\(\displaystyle a+b+c = 400 - d\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{a+b+c }{3}= \frac{400 - d}{3} = \frac{400}{3} - \frac{d}{3} = 133\frac{1}{3} - \frac{1}{3}d\)

The arithmetic mean of \(\displaystyle \left \{ a, b, c \right \}\) is equal to \(\displaystyle 133\frac{1}{3} - \frac{1}{3}d\)

Example Question #501 : Arithmetic

The arithmetic mean of the set \(\displaystyle \left \{ a, b, c, d, e, f, 100\right \}\) is \(\displaystyle 250\).

Give the arithmetic mean of the set \(\displaystyle \left \{ a, b, c, d, e, f\right \}\).

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 235 \frac{5}{7}\)

\(\displaystyle 225\)

\(\displaystyle 308\frac{1}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle 191\frac{2}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle 275\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 275\)

Explanation:

We are told that:

\(\displaystyle \frac{a+b+c+d+e+f+100 }{7} = 250\)

Multiplying each side by \(\displaystyle 7\):

\(\displaystyle \frac{a+b+c+d+e+f+100 }{7} \cdot 7 = 250 \cdot 7\)

\(\displaystyle a+b+c+d+e+f+100 =1,750\)

Subtracting \(\displaystyle 100\) from each side:

\(\displaystyle a+b+c+d+e+f =1,650\)

At this point, we can solve for the arithmetic mean of the set \(\displaystyle \left \{ a, b, c, d, e, f\right \}\):

\(\displaystyle \frac{a+b+c+d+e+f }{6}=\frac{1,650}{6} = 275\), the arithmetic mean of the set \(\displaystyle \left \{ a, b, c, d, e, f\right \}\).

Example Question #45 : Descriptive Statistics

Q3

A bakery sold a daily average of 25 croissants last week. The table above shows the number of croissants sold each day except Sunday. Find the number of croissants sold on Sunday.

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 25\)

\(\displaystyle 27\)

\(\displaystyle 42\)

\(\displaystyle 37\)

\(\displaystyle 35\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 37\)

Explanation:

Let \(\displaystyle x\) be the number of croissants sold on Sunday. The daily average of croissants sold in the past week is:

\(\displaystyle \frac{29+15+12+10+34+38+x}{7}=25\)

Solve for \(\displaystyle x\):

\(\displaystyle 29+15+12+10+34+38+x=175\)

\(\displaystyle 138+x=175\)

\(\displaystyle x=175-138=37\)

The number of croissants sold on Sunday is \(\displaystyle 37\).

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