how to find the median of a data set

To find the median of a data set:

1. Arrange the data points in order from smallest to largest.
2. If the number of data points (n) is odd, the median is the data point in the middle position, which is at position n+12\frac{n+1}{2}2n+1​.
3. If the number of data points is even, the median is the average of the two middle data points. These middle points are at positions n2\frac{n}{2}2n​ and n2+1\frac{n}{2}+12n​+1.

For example:

• With the data set 1, 3, 5, the median is 3 since it's the middle value.
• With the data set 1, 3, 5, 7, the median is 3+52=4\frac{3+5}{2}=423+5​=4.

This method ensures that the median represents the middle value of the sorted data, separating the lower half from the upper half.