MTH152-QA14

#$&*

course MTH 152

Time: 1:51 PMDate: 7/24

Concerning problem numbers 7 and 8, perhaps I don't understand something in particular, but I find the median of 7 to be $765, and not $823. A similar misunderstanding occurs later in the Given Solution of problem 8 which reads &&&&& The mean was found in the preceding problem to be $765. The deviation of $700 from the mean is therefore $65, the deviation of $800 from the mean is $35 and the deviation of $1000 from the mean is $135. &&&&&" "If your solution to stated problem does not match the given solution, you should self-critique per instructions at

http://vhcc2.vhcc.edu/dsmith/geninfo/labrynth_created_fall_05/levl1_22/levl2_81/file3_259.htm.

Your solution, attempt at solution.

If you are unable to attempt a solution, give a phrase-by-phrase interpretation of the problem along with a statement of what you do or do not understand about it. This response should be given, based on the work you did in completing the assignment, before you look at the given solution.

014. mean vs median

Self-critique:

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique rating:

*********************************************

Question: `q001. Note that there are 10 questions in this assignment.

{}{} What is the average, or mean value, of the numbers 5, 7, 9, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 15? On the average how 'far' is each number from this mean value?

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

- Average, or mean = Sum of all elements / total number of elements

- The mean of each of the 8 numbers is = 80/8 = 10.

- The numerical distance is thus 5, 3, 1, 1, 0, -2, -3, -5 = 0

confidence rating #$&*:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution: To get the mean value of the numbers, we first note that there are eight numbers. Then we had the numbers and divide by eight. We obtain 5 + 7 + 9 + 9 + 10 + 12 + 13 + 15 = 80. Dividing by 8 we obtain

mean = 80 / 8 = 10.

The difference between 5 and the mean 10 is 5; the difference between 7 and the mean 10 is 3; the difference between 9 and 10 is 1; the differences between 12, 13 and 15 and the mean 10 are 2, 3 and 5. So we have differences 5, 3, 1, 1, 0, 2, 3 and 5 between the mean and the numbers in the list. The average difference between the mean and the numbers in the list is therefore

ave difference = ( 5 + 3 + 1 + 1 + 0 + 2 + 3 + 5 ) / 8 = 20 / 8 = 2.5.

Self-critique:

- I can see where your solution is different because of the way I denoted any number > 10 as a negative movement on a number line.

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique rating: Ok.

*********************************************

Question: `q002 What is the middle number among the numbers 13, 12, 5, 7, 9, 15, 9, 10, 8?

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

- 9. There are four numbers on either side of the first 9 shown.

confidence rating #$&*:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution: It is easier to answer this question if we place the numbers in ascending order. Listed in ascending order the numbers are 5, 7, 8, 9, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 15.

We see that there are 9 numbers in the list. If we remove the first 4 and the last 4 we are left with the middle number. So we remove the numbers 5, 7, 8, 9 and the numbers 10, 12, 13, and 15, which leaves the second '9' as the middle number.

Self-critique:

- Mental note to list elements of the given sets in numerical order.

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique rating:

*********************************************

Question: `q003. On a list of 9 numbers, which number will be the one in the middle? Note that the middle number is called the 'median'.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

- The ‘median’ will be the number with equivalent even numbers to the left and right.

- 1 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 = median is 5

confidence rating #$&*:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution: If the 9 numbers are put in order, then we can find the middle number by throwing out the first four and the last four numbers on the list. We are left with the fifth number on the list.

In general if we have an odd number n of number in an ordered list, we throw out the first (n-1) / 2 and the last (n-1) / 2 numbers, leaving us with the middle number, which is number (n-1)/2 + 1 on the list.

So for example if we had 179 numbers on the list, we would throw out the first (179 - 1) / 2 = 178/2 = 89 numbers on the list and the last 89 numbers on the list, leaving us with the 90th number on the list. Note that 90 = (179 - 1) / 2 + 1, illustrating y the middle number in number (n-1)/2 + 1 on the list.

Self-critique:

- Interesting. From now on I will list n = given number in the equation M = (n - 1)/2 + 1.

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique rating:

*********************************************

Question: `q004. What is the median (the middle number) among the numbers 5, 7, 9, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 15?

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

- M = (n - 1)/ n + 1

- M = (8 - 1)/(8 + 1) = 7/9

- The previous examples have been showing an odd number of questions, rather than an even number, and this is mathematically shown by (what I deduce, at least) getting a fraction rather than a whole number.

- So I see one of three viable options.

- 1. There is no one median number.

- 2. The two medial numbers (whose numbers on either side are equivalent, namely the second 9 and 10) are considered,

- The two median numbers are added or subtracted to form one single median number.

confidence rating #$&*:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution: There are 8 numbers on this list.

If we remove the smallest then the largest our list becomes 7, 9, 9, 10, 12, 13.

If we remove the smallest and the largest from this list we obtain 9, 9, 10, 12.

Removing the smallest and the largest from this list we are left with 9 and 10.

We are left with two numbers in the middle; we don't have a single 'middle number'. So we do the next-most-sensible thing and average the two numbers to get 9.5. We say that 9.5 is the middle, or median, number.

Self-critique:

- So will the preceding formula only be valid with odd numbered sets? That is, median = (n-1)/(n+2)

@&

That will be clarified very soon, but the idea is that if you have an even number of data points you have two left over in the middle, and the median is the mean of those two.

*@

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique rating:

*********************************************

Question: `q005. We saw that for the numbers 5, 7, 9, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 15, on the average each number is 2.5 units from the average. Are the numbers in the list 48, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54, 55 closer or further that this, on the average, from their mean?

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

- Mean is 51.

- On the average, 2.25, so it will actually be closer.

confidence rating #$&*:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution: The mean of the numbers 48, 48, 49, 50, 51, 53, 54, and 55 is (48 + 48 + 49 + 50 + 51 + 53 + 54 + 55) / 8 = 408 / 8 = 51.

48 is 3 units away from the mean 51, 49 is 2 units away from the mean 51, 50 is 1 unit away from the mean 51, and the remaining numbers are 2, 3 and 4 units away from the mean of 51. So on the average the distance of the numbers from the mean is (3 + 3 + 2 + 1 + 0 + 2 + 3 + 4) / 8 = 18 / 8 = 2.25.

This list of numbers is a bit closer, on the average, then the first list.

Self-critique:

- Okay.

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique rating:

*********************************************

Question: `q006. On a 1-10 rating of a movie, one group gave the ratings 1, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10 while another gave the ratings 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10. Find the mean (average) and the median (middle value) of each group's ratings.

Which group would you say liked the movie better?

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

- Group one’s average - 7.5

- Group one’s median - 8/9

- Group two’s average - 8.2

Group two’s median - 1

- If my numbers are correct, then group two seems to have enjoyed the movie better

-

confidence rating #$&*:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution: The mean of the first list is (1 + 8 + 8 + 9 + 9 + 10) / 6 = 45 / 6 = 7.5. The median is obtained a throwing out the first 2 numbers on the list and the last 2 numbers. This leaves the middle two, which are 8 and 9. The median is therefore 8.5.

The mean of the numbers on the second list is (7 + 7 + 8 + 8 + 9 + 10) / 6 = 49 / 6 = 8 .16. The median of this list is found by removing the first 210 the last 2 numbers on the list, leaving the middle two numbers 8 and 8. The median is therefore 8.

The first group had the higher median and the lower mean, while the second group had the lower median but the higher mean. Since everyone except one person in the first group scored the movie as 8 or higher, and since everyone in both groups except this one individual scored the movie 7 or higher, it might be reasonable to think that the one anomalous score of 1 is likely the result of something besides the quality of the movie. We might also note that this score is much further from the mean that any of the other scores, giving it significantly more effect on the mean than any other score. We might therefore choose to use the median, which limits the otherwise excessive weight given to this unusually low score when we calculate the mean. In this case we would say that the first group liked the movie better.

Self-critique:

- What would be a reasonable analysis in which score to use in a situation like this?

- Is it the nature of the overall score having such an impact on the average that leads one to use the median instead?

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique rating:

@&

The point is to understand why sometimes the median is the more appropriate measure of the average.

*@

*********************************************

Question: `q007. Suppose that in a certain office that ten employees make $700 per pay period, while five make $800 per pay period and the other two make $1000 per pay period. What is the mean pay per period in the office? What is the median?

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

- The mean pay/period is 833.

- Median is 800.

confidence rating #$&*:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution: There are a total of 10 + 5 + 2 = 17 employees in the office. The total pay per pay period is 10 * $700 + 5 * $800 + 2 * $1000 = $13,000. The mean pay per period is therefore $13,000 / 17 = $823 approx..

The median pay is obtained by 'throwing out' the lowest 8 and the highest 8 in an ordered list, leaving the ninth salary. Since 10 people make $700 per period, this leaves $700 as the median.

STUDENT QUESTION:

Is it typical to use the median value if there are ‘oddball’ scores in a group?

INSTRUCTOR RESPONSE

A few 'oddball' scores have little effect on the median, but can have a great effect on the mean.

Other factors can also be important depending on the situation, but if a lot of 'oddball' scores, or 'outliers', are expected the median is often the better indication of average behavior than the mean.

Self-critique:

- This reminds me of the expected net winnings equation in a sense, but I see my mistake and thus amend my answer to include the multiplication of each particular number by the number of employees who make that amount per pay period.

- 10 5 2 7 8 1

- 10 * $700 + 5 * $800 + 2 * $100 = $13,000 / 17

- However, perhaps I did something wrong, but my math tells me that the solution here is 764.7 as the average instead of 843….

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique rating:

@&

You are correct..

*@

*********************************************

Question: `q008. In the preceding problem ten employees make $700 per pay period, while five make $800 per pay period and the other two make $1000 per pay period; we just found that the mean pay per period was $823. On the average, how much to the individual salaries differ from the mean?

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

- 65 + 35 + 235 = 111.6666667 = 112

confidence rating #$&*:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

.............................................

Given Solution: The mean was found in the preceding problem to be $765. The deviation of $700 from the mean is therefore $65, the deviation of $800 from the mean is $35 and the deviation of $1000 from the mean is $135.

Since $700 is paid to 10 employees, $800 to five and $1000 to two, the total deviation is 10 *$65 + 5 * $35 + 2 * $235 = $1295. The mean deviation is therefore $1295 / 17 = $76.18 , approx..

*********************************************

Question: `q009. What is the mean of the numbers 1.05, 1.03, 1.06, 1.08, 1.06?

On the average by how much do these numbers deviate from the mean?

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

confidence rating #$&*:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique Rating:

*********************************************

Question: `q010. What is the mean of a set of numbers in which 1.05 occurs 4 times, 1.03 occurs 3 times, 1.06 occurs 10 times and 1.08 occurs 3 times?

On the average by how much do the numbers in this set deviate from their mean?

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Your solution:

confidence rating #$&*:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique Rating:

"

Self-critique (if necessary):

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique rating:

"

Self-critique (if necessary):

------------------------------------------------

Self-critique rating:

#*&!

&#Good work. See my notes and let me know if you have questions. &#