Question

Appropriate Average. For each of the following distributions, decide whether you expect the mean, median, or mode to give the best representation of the center of the distribution, and explain why.Number of times people change jobs during their careers

Answer 1

The average measures the expected value of a determined variable. Shows the "most likelly observation" of said distribution.

The median is a measure of center values that divides the sample in exact halves. When the distribution of the variable of interest is irregular or doesn't follow a determined pattern, it allows you to determine a basic distribution of the values.

The mode is the value or values with the most observed absolute frequency, this is, the value or values that are most repeated.

Examples

"Per capita earnings in New yourk City"

For this variable you could use the mode as a value of center tendency so that you will be able to determine the most frequent incomes or the mean, that will allow you to determine or predict the expected earnings.

23. "Number of times people change jobs during their carrers"

This variable doesn't have a determined distribution, meaning, there is not a natural variation in it, people changes jobs when the oportunity comes but it is relativelly random.

The best measure of center tendency for this variable will be the Median.

25. "The individual weights of oranges in a 5-pound bag"

The weight is characteristic that can be cassified as a continuous variable, these kind of variables have often a normal distribution or tend to it. The best measure of center for any continuous variable is the Mean.