Math Word Problems Demystified - A Self Teaching Guide

EXAMPLE:Find the median for 56, 82, 34, 63, 68, and 72.

SOLUTION:

GOAL: You are being asked to find the median for the given data set.

STRATEGY: Arrange the data in order; then find the middle point.

IMPLEMENTATION:

34, 56, 63, 68, 72, 82

The middle of the data is halfway between 63 and 68; hence, the

median is

63 þ 68

2

¼

131

2

¼ 65 : 5

EVALUATION: Recheck the problem.

The third measure of average is called the mode. Themodeis the data

value which occurs most often.

EXAMPLE:Find the mode of 24, 17, 32, 17, 15, and 19.

SOLUTION:

GOAL: You are being asked to find the mode for the given data set.

STRATEGY: Find the value which occurs most often.

IMPLEMENTATION:

It is helpful although not necessary to arrange the data in order:

15, 17, 17, 19, 24, 32

Since 17 occurs twice, and that is more often than any other number, 17

is the mode.

EVALUATION: The answer is obvious.

EXAMPLE:Find the mode for 2, 3, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 8, 8, 8, 12, and 15.

278 LESSON 23 Word Problems in Statistics