Choosing the Best Measures of Center and Variability

The data set below has an outlier of 42.
2, 5, 12, 15, 19, 4, 6, 11, 16, 18, 12, 12, 42
What effect does removing the outlier have on the distribution of the data?

• The mean will decrease

• The median will decrease

• The mean will increase

• The median will increase

Find the mode:
5, 0, 9, 9, 3, 0, 5, 5, 4

• 9

• 5

• 3

• 7

Find the median:
5, 6, 3, 9, 0, 4, 1, 2, 7

• 4

• 4.1

• 5

• 4.5

Which measure of center best represents this set of data?
12, 13, 11, 16, 31, 14, 10, 15

• Mean

• median

• mode

The heights, in feet, of random samples of trees from three forests are shown. Move each measure into the table to identify which forest is expected to have the greatest measure of center and which forest is expected to have the greatest measure of variability based on the samples.

a

b

c

greatest variability

greatest measure of center

-

The best description of the data is ​ (a)   . ​ ​ The most appropriate measure of center is the​ (b)   . The most appropriate measure of variability is the ​ (c)   .

• range

• mean

• IQR

• median

• skewed right

• symmetric

• symmetric with an outlier

• skewed left

The best description of the data is ​ (a)   . ​ ​ The most appropriate measure of center is the​ (b)   . The most appropriate measure of variability is the ​ (c)   .

• range

• mean

• IQR

• median

• skewed right

• symmetric

• symmetric with an outlier

• skewed left

The best description of the data is ​ ​ (a)   . ​ ​ The most appropriate measure of center is the​ ​ (b)   . The most appropriate measure of variability is the ​ ​ (c)   .

• range

• mean

• skewed left

• median

• IQR

• skewed right

• symmetric

• symmetric with an outlier

Which measure of variability should you use?

• IQR

• standard deviation

The best description of the data is ​ ​ (a)   . ​ The most appropriate measure of center is the​ ​ (b)   . The most appropriate measure of variability is the ​ ​ (c)   .

• range

• mean

• skewed left

• mean

• range

• skewed right

• symmetric

• symmetric with an outlier