For which of the following data sets is the mean greater than the median?

Question

Accepted Answer

Choice C is correct. If the values in a data set are ordered from least to greatest, the median of the data set will be the middle value. Since each data set in the choices is ordered and contains exactly 9 data values, the 5th value in each is the median. It follows that the median of the data set in choice C is 32. The sum of the positive differences between 32 and each of the values that are less than 32 is significantly smaller than the sum of the positive differences between 32 and each of the values that are greater than 32. If 32 were the mean, these sums would have been equal to each other. Therefore, the mean of this data set must be greater than 32. This can also be confirmed by calculating the mean as the sum of the values divided by the number of values in the data set: . Choices A and B are incorrect. Each of the data sets in these choices is symmetric with respect to its median, so the mean and the median for each of these choices are equivalent. Choice D is incorrect. The median of this data set is 207. Since the sum of the positive differences between 207 and each of the values less than 207 is greater than the sum of the positive differences between 207 and each value greater than 207 in this data set, the mean must be less than the median.

Question for-wh