Comparing Data Sets Flashcards

All 6 cards in this deck

When comparing two data sets, what two things should your comparison include?

A comparison of an average (e.g. the medians) and a comparison of the spread (the ranges), both in context.

True or false? Writing "the median for boys is 8 and the median for girls is 6" is enough to compare the data sets.

False. You must compare them, e.g. "the boys' median is greater than the girls' median".

Which average is most affected by an extreme value (outlier)?

The mean, because every value is used in the total.

When is the median a better average than the mean?

When the data contain extreme values or outliers, since the median is not affected by them.

Which average must you use for non-numerical (categorical) data such as colours?

The mode.

True or false? A larger range for one group means that group's values are generally higher.

False. A larger range means more spread out (less consistent), not higher.