Question

The box plots below show the average daily temperatures in July and August for a U.S. city: two box plots shown. The top one is labeled July. Minimum at 80, Q1 at 88, median at 96, Q3 at 103, maximum at 105. The bottom box plot is labeled August. Minimum at 80, Q1 at 82, median at 84, Q3 at 90, maximum at 100 What can you tell about the means for these two months?

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

The mean for July is smaller than the median; and

the mean for August is larger than the median.

Explanation:

A distribution with a positive skew would have a longer whisker in the positive direction than in the negative direction. A larger mean than median would also indicate a positive skew.

Alternatively, a distribution with a negative skew would have a longer whisker in the negative direction than in the positive direction. A smaller mean than median would also indicate a negative skew.

The whisker in the negative direction for July is longer than the whisker in the positive direction. This indicates a negative skew.

The whisker in the positive direction for August is longer than the whisker in the negative direction. This indicates a positive skew.