Math Is Fun Forum

NEKA

Member

Registered: 2006-01-02

Posts: 9

Statistics help ASAP, Please

The Department of Commerce,Bureau of the Census,reported the following
information on the number of wage earners in more than 56 million
American homes.

Number of Earners     Number (in thousands)

0                                      7,083

1                                     18,621

2                                      22,414

3                                       5,533

4 or more                           2,797

a.What is the median number of wage earners per home?

b.What is the modal number of wage earners per home?

c.Explain why you cannot compute the mean number of wage earners per
home.
Hint - the data above is an example of grouped data.

NEKA

Member

Registered: 2006-01-02

Posts: 9

Re: Statistics help ASAP, Please

Hi i am new in this forum and i am having some probelms with statistics. Can anyone please help?

John E. Franklin

Member

Registered: 2005-08-29

Posts: 3,588

Re: Statistics help ASAP, Please

I'm just guessing, but I think for question "c." you can't take an average because when you want to multiply by 4 or more, what number do you pick 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, or 4, etc.    I would call the formula a weighted average.
( 0 x 7083 ) + (1 x 18621) + (2 x 22414) + (3 x 5533) + (4 or more times 2797)
____________________________________________________________________
   (7083 + 18621 + 22414 + 5533 + 2797)
That horizontal line is the divide by sign.  It's a fraction.

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